After what seemed like miles (had to have been) of walking, pages of note taking and countless samples consumed (it’s a tough job…), we’ve whittled down our lists to what we truly can’t stop thinking and talking about. These are those experiences at Fresh Summit 2010 that made an impression and that, we feel, exemplify what tradeshow participation is all about. Going above and beyond, these folks surely left Orlando thinking: Mission Accomplished! Congrats on jobs better-than-well done!

• The Nature Sweet Booth – Built with creativity and messaging as clear as the nose on your face, the Nature Sweet booth was our first collective “Wow” on the show floor. The tagline “On A Mission From Good” was simply the icing on the cake to the structure that featured meeting space resembling a sliced Cherub. Genius!
Compact Booths with Big Impact – Downsized and/or decluttered, new booths were seen all across the Fresh Summit showfloor. But, smaller square footage certainly didn’t equate to smaller messages and smaller style.

• What’s Red? – On opening day, The Core attended a media event in the Duda Farm Fresh Foods booth where the new Red Celery and Radish MiniSticks products were unveiled. That day, and throughout the weekend, we were thrilled by the traction that red celery gained through Associated Press outlets and with consumers. Excellent buzz building!

• Frieda’s QR Code Shirts – The team at Frieda’s Specialty Produce took the QR code trend to the next level by wearing their latest QR release on their shirts on opening day of the tradeshow. Want to see our latest product? Great! Scan my shirt to learn more…and it worked!
Direct to Consumer – Examples of instant and direct consumer communications, including QR codes, Tags, and Short Code Texting promos, were obviously gaining traction and we’re excited to see what’s next.

• Naturipe’s New Clamshell Labels – Nothing is more exciting than new packaging that serves a greater purpose than the obvious! The new Naturipe berry labels not only showcase a new homegrown graphic design, but the subtlety in their design and color palette draw the eye away from the label to the colorful fruit in the package. Kudos to Naturipe for using the natural beauty of the product to their advantage while still embracing the importance of a strong design and message!

• Pears Care Campaign – We see promotions executed on packaging all the time. What we see most often though is that the promotion theme is just an add-on to the regular packaging design like in the form of a promotional logo squeezed into whatever available space could be found. That’s what made the Pears Care bags and boxes really stand out to us. The entire surface of both the bags and boxes was COVERED in the breast cancer awareness theme and was much more fun and artistic than your typical pink ribbon symbolism. There’s no doubt when a consumer walks by that these pears will contribute to a worthy cause!
Cause Marketing swept the show floor and the beneficiaries of these charitable campaigns would have certainly been tickled pink (in many cases) by the many examples of this wave of selfless giving.

• Green Giant’s Heavenly Apples – Ok, so we admit that what we are about to say might have you thinking our palettes are less than sophisticated. But, we have not been able to stop talking about Green Giant’s apple slices covered in creamy peanut butter and drizzled with Dolci Frutta hard chocolate shell. To Die For. We strongly recommend this as a party treat to all you Halloween party throwers out there.

• Bolthouse Scarrots Scary Good Packaging – We don’t know about all you parents out there, but in our houses Halloween candy sits around for months. Not just because we try to be the responsible managers of sugar consumption, but even the kids lose interest when their diabetic coma wears off. That’s why we love Bolthouse’s creativity in providing healthy, snack size, Halloween treats known as Scarrots. The idea is cool, the packaging is cool, the prize tattoos in each pack are cool and the coma prevention is the coolest!
Crafty Targeting – From promo bins and eye-catching packaging, fresh produce companies are proving that CPG’s don’t have the market cornered on targeting specific demographics in creative ways.

• Wholesum Harvest’s New Old Look – With a booth and materials as wholesome as their new name, this company unveiled their new identity at Fresh Summit with a cohesive (and sharp!) look, from logo to collateral.
Back to the Basics – Faux rusty corrugated metal roofs and wood siding were a recurring theme, as many exhibitors returned to their roots, telling their “origins” and “traditions” stories via flashback booths that could double as movie sets.

• Georgia Pecans’ Southern Charm – As with every show, there is always that one booth that does not boast the coolest structure or fanciest graphics, but our attention is captured nonetheless by the warmth and friendliness of a booth staffer. This year it was Clarice Sumler who won us over at the Georgia Pecan booth. Her smiling welcome captured our attention and prompted us to sample her pecans which, to our delight and amazement, were the best tasting pecans we have ever put in our mouths.

• Ocean Mist’s Can’t Miss Food – We love that Ocean Mist has built such a reputation for their phenomenal food samples that they have to organize the clamoring crowd with a stanchioned-off line. As always, we thoroughly enjoyed the delicious samples and continually heard rave reviews across the show floor. There’s no doubt Ocean Mist folks have created an expectation of excellence and, as a result, demand. We know this first hand. We will not divulge how many times we stood in that line. Thank you, Ocean Mist.

• The Focus on the Consumer – Kudos to PMA for showcasing the marketability of our industry and products to the consumer. Not just focused on food safety (which is always important), this year’s Fresh Summit highlighted (via General Sessions, workshops and a packed-full show floor) our unprecedented opportunity for consumer interactions. While PMA claims that “telling your story” has been a part of their message for years, we’re glad to see it’s been moved to the front burner.

Posted by: The DMA Solutions Team