On the show floor this year, there will be four separate learning centers devoted to each market segment, according to United Fresh. Each learning center will feature daily programming, interactive discussions and targeted education, customized to meet the needs of each market segment:
RETAIL-FOODSERVICE LEARNING CENTER
The Future of Locally Grown: Retail Roundtable Discussion
Regulatory Pressure on Restaurants: The Impact on Produce
Excellence in Foodservice: Award-Winning Chefs Roundtable
Consumer Trends, Price Deflation and the Impact at Retail
WHOLESALER-DISTRIBUTOR LEARNING CENTER
Facility Design to Save Energy and Costs
Federal Nutrition Programs to Drive Profits
PACA and Produce Inspection: USDA Update
The Local Trend: Driving Sales Through Sharing the Produce Story
FRESH-CUT PROCESSOR LEARNING CENTER
Telling the Positive Story of Fresh-Cut
Product Launches: Success and In-Store Execution
Best Practices in Fresh-Cut Sustainability
Micro-Testing in Fresh-Cut Operations
GROWER-SHIPPER LEARNING CENTER
Making Sense of On-Farm Sustainability
Building More Effective Retail Relationships
Managing Labor Issues in Good Times and Crisis
Know Your Farmer: Your Story Even When You're Not Local
FOOD SAFETY DEMO CENTER
This new area of the United Fresh show floor will include food safety-focused exhibits from major universities, research institutions and government food safety agencies, as well as United Fresh's annual research poster session. The center will also host educational programs on food safety that all show-floor visitors can attend.
TRACEABILITY & LOGISTICS DEMO CENTER
Launched in 2009, the Traceability & Logistics Demo Center is a separate area of the show floor, specifically dedicated to supply chain logistics, transportation and traceability. The center will feature a prominent display by GS1, the standard-settings agency that is heavily involved with the Produce Traceability Initiative, as well as roundtable discussions with retailers and suppliers.
