Tuesday also will have a new late-night party at the House of Blues. It is open to “all access” participants, sponsors, some VIPs, and exhibitors with large booths.
The aim, Toner says, it to attract younger or first-time participants to the show.
“We’re also looking for Instagram moments,” he says. “We’re looking at how we can break the mold for our traditional events.”
The Women in Produce event, which has been a reception for 20 years, will become a Wednesday breakfast to draw bigger crowds and to allow for more networking.
That also frees up Tuesday afternoon for more community building events and learning opportunities, including the Listeria Learning Lab.
“Last year’s hands-on [Listeria Learning Lab] was a success, getting food safety professionals to interact and have fun while working through challenges we face daily managing Lm,” Dr. McEntire says. “We’re also excited to offer a new networking event following the Listeria Learning Lab for our ever-growing food safety community.”
Another big change is Wednesday’s Retail-Foodservice celebration that honors 25 produce managers and gives out eight produce in food service awards. The association is making the event more prominent by including them in a closing party, so the 2,000 attendees can see them and network.
The final day’s party also will preview the next destination for the expo, San Diego, in 2020.
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