Fresh Summit 2013: What Blew Us Away!

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Each year we come together as an industry at Fresh Summit, and no matter where the show takes place, we continue to be BLOWN away by your new varieties, packaging innovations and fresh produce marketing excellence. This year was no different. After what seemed like walking 100 miles back and forth through the various aisles on the vast show floor (it was worth every foot ache!), we left the show feeling not only inspired by your passion and marketing efforts, but anticipant of the new innovations that lie ahead for the fresh produce industry. We share a few highlights of what BLEW us away below, from consumer-worthy content, to fresh flavors, innovative ideas and powerful marketing presence throughout the show.
Consumer Connections
Many of the in-booth creations at Fresh Summit used to attract buyers are just as shareable off the show floor as they are on. These types of marketing activities translate not only to our B2B audiences, but will help to further connect to the consumer – two birds, one stone and more for your buck!marzetti
Marzetti Cream Cheese Fruit Chocolate Cone – Y-U-M! We could have had about 5 more of these unique treats filled with Marzetti’s cream cheese fruit dip, fresh strawberries and blueberries and topped with just the right amount of their yummy chocolate dip. We think this clever application could be a winner on Pinterest and is a great application for a birthday party, July 4th or a sweet-filled family game night!

Shuman Produce Real Sweet OnionsThe REAL SWEET in-booth chefs were very relatable and drew us in by enticing us with details of the upcoming dishes they’d be sampling. Shuman’s chefs continued the “REAL” theme by venturing into the very fields in which the onions are grown to film their recipe demos which they share with consumers on their website and YouTube channel. This is a great example of how FRESH brands are making connections and sharing their story with consumers.

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Flavorful AND Shareable!
The Idaho Potato Commission Refresh Lounge with Dooky Chase had the best food on the show floor and quite possibly EVER at Fresh Summit. Chef Leah Chase of the famous Dooky Chase restaurant prepared an Andouille Sausage and Chicken Gumbo with Country Club Idaho Potato Salad dolloped on top offering booth visitors a “true taste” of New Orleans. We loved devouring this dish and we’re certain that our blogger friends and Core readers will too! Click here to download the shareable recipe card from the booth.

Flavors of Fresh Summit
We know that flavor is a high priority for consumers that separates our fresh products from other food choices. These brands we’re able to harness the flavors their products provide to create something that was so delicious, we know it will leave consumers craving more!

Sarah’s Salsa – This first time exhibitor at Fresh Summit delighted this southern team’s palate with their savory new salsa line. With several flavors available for sampling by Sarah herself, the Avocado Salsa Verde truly blew us away and will surely delight consumers as well.RocketFarmsSkewer
Rocket Farms’ Grilled Rosemary Skewer – Instead of using an everyday metal or wood stick, Rocket Farms showcased their herb products by skewering squash, onion, pepper and chicken on a sprig of rosemary which filled their booth with tantalizing aromas when tossed on the grill! This foot traffic driver was a real winner in our book!

Bland Farms Three Course Tasting Experience – Executive Chef Tory McPhail wowed us at the Bland Farms booth with a three course, bite-sized Commander’s Palace experience. We were more than happy to devour the charming chef’s deconstructed baked potato bite, served with garlic bread dipped in onion and cheese fondue finished with a dark chocolate brownie/truffle. Our compliments to the chef for bringing us back to the Bland Farms booth repeatedly for comfort and charm!PurpleHurricane
Frieda’s Purple HurricanesFrieda’s Specialty Produce continued their year-long, purple-focused campaign and, to us, added an exclamation point to the end with their perfectly timed Purple Hurricanes. You’ll notice from the picture that the New Orleans-themed drink was good to the last drop and the souvenir hurricane glass, er, plastic cup was a terrific takeaway that will keep the Frieda’s brand top of mind.

Product Extensions
Product extensions were an innovative theme we noticed at Fresh Summit this year. Many brands are extending their products to offer different conveniently packed offerings that lend to the different uses their products can offer, all in an effort to make consumers’ lives simpler!

Gills-OnionsGills Onions Caramelized and Grilled Onions – In true Gills style, these new, ready-to-use retail items offer up convenience and flavor all in one jar. Chefs of all kinds can choose from caramelized red onions in a tangy balsamic red-wine vinegar or smoky, slow-roasted yellow onions, both of which tasted great on the company’s jam crostinis!

VidaliaVidalia Brands Bland Farms has found a “sweet” niche for the Vidalia onions they grow with their Vidalia Brands product line and is one of our favorite examples of product extensions on the Fresh Summit show floor. This growing line-up of dressings, salsas, mixes and sweet onion petals added a new product this year: sweet potato petals! This is a product extension that we are happy to sample and feature year after year.

Ocean Mist’s Value-Added Brussels SproutsContinuing with the theme of making fresh faster and more convenient for the home cook, Ocean Mist displayed their new extensions to their Brussels Sprouts line. The new products include shredded and halved sprouts that can be easily seasoned, microwaved, steamed and resealed in one bag. It’s easier than ever to enjoy this healthy veggie!

blackwalnutsHammons Black Walnuts – Several on our team have a love affair with walnuts, so we welcomed the convenient product extensions offered by Hammons Black Walnuts with open arms. In addition to whole walnuts, Hammons has packaged their black walnuts for their multiple uses, including black walnut crumbles for baking and a black walnut truffle oil for gourmet cooking.

Innovation
From advancements in packaging to progressive marketing strategies, these brands are at the forefront of innovative thinking that is the driving force of the future of fresh produce.

Bolthouse Shakedowns – This is produce packaging innovation at its finest. Shakedowns are a single package divided into separate compartments for fresh carrots and seasoning. Once the compartment seal is pinched apart, the flavor is easily shaken onto the carrots and ready to enjoy. Love this simple, yet innovative solution for fresh produce snacking!

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Missionero’s Lemony Spinach Mix – This simple blend of leafy greens left us speechless. The “dock” leaf variety has a distinct and yummy lemon flavor profile. Mixed with the spinach mix, this salad blend is perfect, dressing isn’t even necessary. Toss with a little oil and vinegar and you are good to go – our taste buds were BLOWN!

pompeiiPompeii’s New Packaging – Sometimes all it takes is a simple change to make a splash on the show floor and impress the consumer. Pompeii’s new packaging captured the look of their iconic bottles while evolving the design just enough to be even more eye-catching to the consumer. We can’t wait to hear how this fares on the retail shelves.

LoveBeetsLove Beets – This wonderful product is sure to be a hit with consumers seeking new applications for a traditional product like beets. From snack packs of flavored whole baby beets to shrink-wrapped, ready-to-eat beets in their own juices and bottled beet juice, this unique line of cooked beets defies all preconceived notions of canned beets. The fun part for us? We’ll be tracking what consumers are saying about this product via social media to further gauge excitement.

FreshPartnershipsFresh Partnerships – From the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2/Feeding America trailer parked between the Hilton and the convention center (co-sponsored by five individual fresh produce companies) to the National Watermelon Board thanking the growers and retailer that helped bring their in-booth samples to life, cooperative marketing and partnerships were evident across the show floor. It’s this type of innovative thinking that will help raise the tide and increase the consumption of fresh produce across the board.

Power Presence
These companies and brands were successful in creating a presence that couldn’t be missed by any attendee walking the show floor, and certainly won’t be forgotten after.

potandonPotandon Produce Booth – Can you believe that Potandon Produce makes a new booth each year and styles it to fit the theme of the host city? We were blown away by their “bayou” style booth design which we felt was the most authentic and creative reflection of the TRUE New Orleans that we saw on the floor. Their creativity provides anticipation each year for attendees to see what they’ve created!

The Floral Pavilion – Lilies and tulips and bells, oh my! Floral companies like Just Add Ice Orchids, Sun Valley Group, Holex USA and Passion Growers filled the show floor with blossoms that wooed us into a romantic stroll across the show floor with their creative bouquets, including a whole wall of flowers! The Temkin Floral booth even took it to another level by customizing their Fresh Summit booth to the host city and jazzing up the entire Floral Pavilion in the process. Plus, the floral booth displays were true examples of their floral arrangement skills and make for great social media and website imagery to share with consumers.

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Rouse’s Supermarket – This retailer rolled out the red carpet for Fresh Summit attendees at stores throughout New Orleans. From an A-frame welcome sign for “Fresh Summit Attendees”, to a pepper roaster outside, along with creative displays and samples of our industry’s gorgeous products, Fresh Summit wasn’t the only show in New Orleans during the weekend worth walking.

magicianStemilt’s Magician – “Magic Boy” knocked it out of the park with his funny and engaging act that not only drove traffic inside the Stemilt booth but also concluded with a taste of fresh apples. Making apples and cherries disappear and reappear, this magician incorporated Stemilt’s message into the act, leaving booth visitors entertained and educated.

10 Years of “Pack Students” – The impact of our next generation of fresh produce leaders was once again clearly evident with the 41 Pack Family Career Pathways students walking the show floor this year from 13 different universities. 2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the program and bringing the program presence full circle, our dear friend Jay Pack was awarded the much deserved Bob Carey Leadership Award honoring his and his wife Ruthie’s outstanding investment and commitment to our industry. Our time with these students was well spent and shines a bright light on the future of our business and industry!

And the award for most powerful presence at Fresh Summit goes to …
SUNSET® Mastronardi Produce

Sunset-TruckSUNSET’s powerful presence at Fresh Summit was undeniable. This company excelled at integrating their brand into each and every aspect of the show so that not one exhibitor or attendee walked away without seeing or hearing their message and introduction of the new Y.E.L.O. product. With their yellow racing shirts, in-booth activities, signage, food truck, clever bathroom signs and exclusive buzzed about SUNSET® ROCKS Party, this brand deserves an award!

Did we miss a shout out to something that blew YOU away on the show floor? Share with us your favorite shareable pics, flavors, innovations and booths you saw in New Orleans via Facebook, Twitter or in a comment below. Stay tuned for more shout outs about what YOU experienced at Fresh Summit that blew you away, along with our thoughts on the progressive strides PMA is making this year.