To say that the 2019 Fresh Summit was impressive would be an understatement. The care and attention to detail demonstrated by show organizers and exhibitors alike throughout their Fresh Summit planning and execution were palpable, and clearly contributed to the overall success of this year’s show. Thanks to new and fun experiences throughout to the pitch-worthy products drawing media and buyer attention—as well as the on-point marketing in the booth displays—we are a team of happy campers after experiencing the most successful Fresh Summit we’ve had the pleasure of attending.
Having a product or brand that is ready to be pitched to the media—or as we say at DMA Solutions, “pitch-worthy”—is no small marketing feat. This is why we approached this show with a sharp focus on seeking “pitchable products” that would stand out to members of the media that we have the pleasure of serving on a daily basis.
Given the complexities of the perishable supply chain, we don’t have it as easy as many other industries (say, for instance, CPG) when it comes to ensuring our products are showered with attention by the mainstream media. However, that doesn’t mean fresh products can’t be successfully pitched to consumer media outlets. Quite the contrary, in fact! We’ve found that if your products possess a few key attributes, they absolutely qualify as “pitch-worthy.”
Here’s a selection of the top-notch pitchable products we discovered at the 2019 PMA Fresh Summit:
Fresh Summit 2019: Products that Packed a Punch
Genuine Coconut
Love Beets offered a little something extra in their booth this year: easy-to-open Genuine Coconuts that were oh-so refreshing and hydrating during the show! The brand partnered up with Genuine Coconut for Fresh Summit because their companies share similar values. What makes this product so special and pitchable compared to other coconut juice options on the market is the packaging. Genuine Coconut comes in a 100% biodegradable film with a cardboard ring and a compostable straw that will allow environmentally conscious consumers to enjoy fresh coconut juice in the purest form as if they plucked it off of the tree in Thailand!
The brand explains on its website how the biodegradable film protects the coconut and ultimately reduces food waste. What an exciting attribute!
Cece’s Veggie Co’s Fresh Veggie Ramen Products
Cece’s Veggie Co has long been on our radar as a brand innovating the convenience vegetable space with their veggie noodle and rice substitute products (and they’re practically our neighbors, located just 200 miles to our south in Austin—shout out!). Now Cece’s has launched a brilliant product capitalizing on a hot, delicious, and diverse trend: ramen.
The brand has created two products: one with fresh veggie noodles in chicken broth with a perfectly boiled egg, and another in shiitake mushroom broth without an egg for those with a vegetarian preference.
These products are the perfect, on-trend way to satisfy your ramen cravings while incorporating more vegetables and less-processed foods into your diet.
We imagine food editors will give it a 10 out of 10!
Dino Melon
These dinosaur egg shaped melons are not only the cutest idea for a Halloween snack bar or a great way to engage kids with a healthy snack option, they packed an incredibly sweet punch. Grown in Brazil and available in the US from October to February, Dino Melons are reminiscent of a honeydew – but way better! We can see editors for publications like Parents Magazine loving the Dino Melon due to its appearance, adorable logo and packaging, and the soft, subtly sweet texture that’s perfect for young children.
Lemon Perfect Cold-Pressed Lemon Water
Lemon Perfect’s zero-sugar, five-calorie, cold-pressed lemon waters were a refreshing stop on the show floor. This organic superfruit drink line includes flavors like Just Lemon, Blueberry Acai, Dragon Fruit Mango and Peach Raspberry. With this kind of nutritional panel and plenty of flavor to match, Lemon Perfect makes for a great alternative to other sugar-packed juices, and is one we see having a strong pitch for health food editors. We will definitely be looking for these at retailers in Dallas!
Krissy Farms Organic Produce Purees
We cannot say enough great things about Krissy Farms and their fun booth design, branding, and engaging booth staff, let alone the amazing fresh, organic product purees being sampled! Though these were originally developed as a fresh, preservative-free baby food option, demand for alternative uses began to surface and their applications became clear related to pureed fruit and vegetables for ready-made smoothies, cocktails, baking, and even “sneaking” veggies into kids’ dinners. Editors will fall in love with this product’s versatility and how great is it that parents AND baby (and siblings too!) can all enjoy these purees.
We can’t wait to follow this product’s journey in the marketplace!
Kor Shots
We are loving the idea of functional raw fruit shots designed to serve specific nutritional needs! With recipes aimed at wellness, vitality, immune boosting, detoxing, and gut health, these potent and pure shot-sized fruit and veggie combos deliver extreme health benefits on the go and as a supplement to daily fresh produce consumption. The on-trend ingredients like charcoal, turmeric and apple cider vinegar will ensure that these stand out in the inboxes of health food editors looking for products geared toward providing a shot of nutrition for those with busy lifestyles.
Cleveland Kraut
This product might have been the biggest and best surprise we found on the show floor! Cleveland Kraut has developed six fresh, crunchy, flavor-filled kraut recipes that put traditional jarred kraut to shame. The variety of flavor profiles includes classic, roasted garlic, and curry, to name just a few, and each is sold in a trendy resealable pouch bag.
We can see this product being a hit with the editors at publications like Men’s Health due to the boost of fresh, nutritional flavor these can pack into everyday life, game-day spreads, and even Oktoberfest celebrations.
Cleveland Kraut, you had us at hello.
Dracula Blood Oranges
This unique citrus not only showcases a traditional dark red pulp, the exterior was marked by one-of-a-kind red striations that really added to the personality of the fruit. We definitely see the inspiration for the fun Dracula branding that helps make this unusual fruit quite appealing. The fresh blood orange juice they sampled was delicious, and we should also mention one of the incredible health benefits packed in this fun package—9 times the antioxidants of navel oranges! Pitching this product to major publications ahead of Halloween should be a slam-dunk.
Aroma One Organics Herb Purees
That’s right. We’ve got another puree on our list, but when it tastes this good and has an ingredient list we can stand behind, we share! These organic herb purees include flavors like basil, dill, garlic, and Italian herbs, and are recommended for use as rubs, dips, and seasonings for all your favorite foods. Because they are designed to make home cooking simpler, we can see these Aroma One products becoming a hit with cooking and recipe-focused publications across the country.
Additionally, we would be remiss in not giving Aroma One another shout-out for their beautiful and unique booth design, which we first spotted at CPMA earlier this year! For Fresh Summit, Aroma One expanded their space, and we were loving it (and that’s an understatement).
Gutzy Health Snacks
Squeeze-pouch snacks were never something we thought we would love…until we tried these! Available in six flavor combinations, 3 of the Gutzy pouches provide a delicious combination of fruits and veggies (and 6 grams of prebiotic fiber); #4 includes whole grain steel-cut oats for all-day snacks on-the-go; and two recently launched organic options, which provide 5 grams of prebiotic fiber. Gutzy offers a uniquely convenient way to get a real fruit-and-veggie-based snack that is gut-healthy, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan and kosher—and all for under 100 calories. How could busy on-the-go editors in cities like New York and LA not fall in love with this product as a way to get their nutrients in? Pitchable, indeed!
Fresh Summit 2019: Show Floor Stand-outs
Earth Fresh
With food trucks being on-trend, who wouldn’t love a batch of fresh fried organic potatoes from an Airstream camper on the Fresh Summit show floor?
Although the booth was situated in the back of the show floor, oodles of booth visitors lined up to chat about potatoes and munch on some darn good fries.
Who says booths in the back have to be at a disadvantage? After all, showcasing something that people WANT is half the battle when it comes to effective booth marketing, and Earth Fresh certainly had our attention at “FRESH CUT FRIES.”
Colour Republic
Oftentimes when perusing the Fresh Summit floral marketplace, we are overwhelmed by the beauty and creativity that abound. If you happened by the Colour Republic booth this year, you know that it would’ve been easy to forget you were in Anaheim and instead think you’d been transported to a street market in Paris.
A warm “congratulations” goes to the Colour Republic booth team, which took home the Best in Show award for Best Island Booth in the Floral Marketplace. Well-earned!
The colorful display was over the top and cleverly organized. In fact, we were so impressed by many of the other suppliers in this space that we will soon be revisiting their work specifically in The Core Blog—stay tuned for more on that!
Avocados from Mexico
We know, we know…each year after Fresh Summit, we profess our (perhaps marginally unhealthy at this point) passion for this booth. That’s because the team at AFM knows how to be THE destination on a show floor. They know what people want, and they go all in to provide that, from presenting an interactive gaming experience to choosing your own toppings for your guacamole tasting. What can we say? We’re guac-obsessed!
Fruit Grower Supply
Speaking of guac, we couldn’t help but stop and take a snapshot of the clever copywriting displayed at the FGS booth.
Several display panels showcased the various product types this company serves with solutions on supplies, irrigation design and installation, citrus wax and more. The key marketing takeaway here for us? You would never glean that information simply from looking at the booth. Instead, attendees were drawn to the clever wording display—well done!
Indulgent Bites at Fresh Summit 2019
Comfort Food, Courtesy of Sunkist and Duda Farm Fresh Foods
Of course there are bites of salads, fruits and veggies throughout the show floor, but there were also comfort foods on display, including lemon dessert from Sunkist as well as burgers, hot dogs, and chicken & waffles at the Duda Farm Fresh Foods booth, demonstrating that fresh products can be healthy AND deliciously indulgent.
House Foods
With a growing trend in plant-based foods, it is no surprise that companies like House Foods hosted a hoppin’ and impressively designed booth at Fresh Summit.
Offering up popular products including those classified as organic, premium and convenience, House Foods is one to keep in mind when planning an agenda for your next fresh produce industry trade show.
Lightlife Foods
Another hot plant-based ticket booth came from Lightlife Foods. This deli-style booth was constructed about as authentically as possible, so much so that the Lightlife team took home the Best Inline Booth in the complementary items marketplace.
Did you taste their plant-based burgers? We sure did—delicious!
Can’t get enough highlights from the 2019 Fresh Summit? We can’t either! Check out Part 1 of our What Blew Us Away series featuring the marketing excellence we experienced first-hand on the show floor.
We’ll see you in Dallas next year! For more information on how to elevate your Fresh Summit experience in Dallas, learn more about our #Dallas2020 initiative and sign up to receive exclusive content for the next year from our team of Dallas-based fresh produce marketers!
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