Last week, the Southeastern Produce Council held its annual Southern Exposure event, themed Mardi-Gras. It returned to Tampa, FL and started off with a golf tournament on Thursday, followed by educational sessions on Friday. On Leap Day, the agenda was filled with a keynote speech from Tony Dungy and an afternoon trade show. The popular event once again drew exhibitors, retailers and other attendees to the Sunshine state to network, strengthen relationships and party. The amount of sunshine could have been better, but exhibitors and attendees couldn’t think of other improvements to be made. This event has it all!
Click here to see the photo report from the show.
The event is so popular that exhibitors are on a wait list to get a booth. “You basically can’t get in as a new exhibitor unless you become a sponsor,” some attendees said. The SEPC purposely caps the number of booths as they want to keep the show small enough to be intimate as well as strive for a high buyer-to-supplier ratio.
Traditionally, buyers show up in large numbers as they enjoy the three-day combination of networking opportunities, educational sessions and a trade show. “This show has a fun atmosphere,” says Krista Beckstead with Starr Ranch Growers. “I prefer a regional show like this because it is more intimate and there are so many networking opportunities to meet new people.”
Don Roper with Honeybear Brands was ecstatic about the traffic he had seen throughout the day. “We’ve been able to connect with key clientele, but also talked to potential new customers. People from many different places were attending the show. It’s not limited to the southeast anymore, but rather there were people from throughout the US, Canada and even Latin America present.”
Expanding into new product categories
In addition to 277 companies exhibiting, there was a small section with Innovation stations, giving companies an opportunity to show their latest developments. The award-winning Yoom tomato from Syngenta was on display at Red Sun Farms’ innovation booth. On the show floor, many companies had focused on innovations that make it easier for consumers to eat healthy, either at home or on-the-go. A mushroom sauté kit from Highline Mushrooms and several potato companies introduced new microwavable products, pre-seasoned and ready in less than 10 minutes.
In addition, the trend of plastics reduction and increased sustainability continues. Starr Ranch Growers showed a new apple box that replaces clam shells and Continental Fresh developed a new label and new packaging to promote clean water projects the company is building.