In just over 2 weeks, our industry will come together as it does every year in breezy, coastal Monterey Bay. We’re even more excited this time around because this year’s expo will be the largest foodservice expo ever, with 200+ exhibitors focused on fresh produce and related products in foodservice! Along with your opportunity to network with buyers from companies like In-N-Out Burger, Starbucks Coffee, TGI Fridays and more, there are a lot of new and exciting things to look forward to at this year’s expo. Recently, we had the chance to get the DL on the event from Jamie Hillegas with PMA, and here’s what you need to know:

A New Venue and Expo Pavilion – First things first: most of you are aware that the usual venue for the event has moved this year as a result of renovations on the Monterey Conference Center. The conference and expo will take place at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in their conference center (where the education, networking lounge, registration and Fresh Ideas Showcase will be) and just across from that building in the expo pavilion.  Here’s what you need to know about the new space:

• While many of you are aware that the expo pavilion will be outdoors, it is important to note that it is a fully enclosed, climate-controlled and carpeted tent with overhead lighting. You won’t even know you are outdoors!
• We would encourage exhibitors to send booth shipments to the advance warehouse to speed up your set up. We anticipate that deliveries at the Hyatt could take longer than we’ve been accustomed to at the Monterey Conference Center.
• If you need electric in your booth or are ordering from the caterer, get your order in ASAP! Since we are not inside the physical Hyatt building, it may be harder, if not impossible, to get these items last minute.
• Are you running a presentation in your booth? Be sure to download anything you need to your computer in advance so that you don’t have to rely on your phone’s cellular service.
• Shuttle buses will run between the official Foodservice hotels and the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa. For more information on pick-up times and routes, please visit http://www.pma.com/events/foodservice/attendees/travel.

New Companies and Products to Welcome

20% of this year’s exhibitors are first-timers, which is almost triple the number this expo has experienced in the past! This means there will be ample opportunities to see new companies, products and services all in one place. Check out a list of buyers attending here and access the full attendee list, which is updated frequently, here.  Don’t forget you must be a registered attendee for access to the full list!  You can register here.

More fresh ideas to see in the Fresh Ideas Showcase

This year’s Fresh Ideas Showcase has grown by 25% so there will be more new/fresh products and services on display than ever!  Get a sneak peek here and remember, the showcase opens on Saturday morning, a day earlier than usual, so be sure to set up on time to truly take advantage of the exposure – you do not want to be the empty case in such a visible and heavily trafficked area!

New Perks and Relaxation Opportunities

Be sure to visit the Networking Lounge and Education Center located in the Hyatt Conference Center. The Lounge will feature professional headshots on Friday, compliments of the Center for Growing Talent by PMA, and education programming and massages on Saturday. Sunday, there is a full service coffee bar and massages until the expo opens. See the full schedule here.

The Annual Tour de Fresh Event Arrives at Foodservice

Previously, this exciting collaborative industry fundraising event coincided with the annual Fresh Summit expo in October. But this year the ride has come to foodservice, and this year’s riders will arrive in Monterey on Thursday, July 28 at the Wharf Marketplace at 1:00 pm for the finishing line ceremony. If you are in Monterey on Thursday, make sure to come out and support your industry colleagues and help raise money for Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools. It’s not too late to get involved – learn more here.

There’s so much to get excited for in Monterey this year! Don’t forget that we go back to the Monterey Conference Center in 2017 and sign ups begin August 4 at 11am EDT.  As always, this is a first come first serve process and it sells out quickly. There is not as much exhibit space next year as we have this year, so take advantage of the opportunity while you can. Finally, if you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to Jamie Hillegas.