With 192 exhibitors set to showcase their products and services July 26-28 and more than 1,800 people (500+ buyers, plus a VIP) expected to attend to connect, learn, and do business, 2023’s IFPA Foodservice Conference is on track for another great event in Monterey, CA.
The lively Foodservice Expo portion of the event will take place Friday, July 28, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Monterey Conference Center, first floor of the Serra Ballroom, and the Portola Hotel & Spa, first floor of the DeAnza Ballroom.
In addition to the expo, attendees have a wide array of informative work sessions, roundtable discussions and the popular Buyer Sourcing Meetings throughout the day Thursday, with panelists and guest speakers all well-versed in the produce industry.
Thursday’s fare kicks off with the Buyer Sourcing Meetings, which IFPA calls a “unique opportunity, like speed dating, [that] allows foodservice produce suppliers to connect face-to-face with foodservice operators and distributors, opening the door for more in-depth conversations in the future.”
The afternoon includes “Monterey Bay Live!” broadcast from the Conference Center’s Steinbeck Ballroom and hosted by award-winning author, speaker and consultant Leslie Sbrocco. Leslie’s guests will be Art Kilmer, CEO of P.F. Chang’s; Nazim Khan, CEC/WCEC/WCMC and Executive Chef of Nutrition and Dining Services for Bryan Health; and Melissa Melshenker Ackerman, CEO of Planet Harvest. The session will conclude with the awards ceremony for the Produce Excellence in Foodservice Awards program.
Women’s Fresh Perspectives Reception, a ticketed event, will be held from 3-4 p.m., followed by a Networking Reception at The Barns from 4-6 p.m.
Friday’s agenda includes a Networking Breakfast from 7:30-8:15. The Fresh Ideas Showcase, with products and services introduced since the 2022 IFPA Conference, opens at 8 a.m. ahead of the expo.
The Conference’s General Session runs from 8:15-10:15 a.m. and will feature the latest foodservice industry research from Technomic as well as “Pick Your Path” breakout sessions that focus on chefs, K-12 and sustainability. “Foodservice Directions and Implications on the Produce Industry” will be moderated by Leslie Sbrocco and will feature speaker Joe Pawlak, Managing Principal of Technomic.
“Pick Your Path” chef breakout, moderated by Leslie Sbrocco, will have a panel addressing challenges such as the current inflation as well as supply and labor issues. Opportunities associated with the “rise of plant-based and plant-forward menus” will also be discussed. Panelists are Chef Jeffrey David Marlow, Chief Culinary Officer and Executive Vice President,
Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma; Chef Maggie Trujillo, Culinary Director/Chef, Aqua by El Gaucho; and Santana Diaz
Director of Culinary Operations/Innovation, UC Davis Health.
“Fruit and Vegetable Programs in K-12 Schools” is another session, with school and produce leaders explain how they are working to increase “students’ comfort-level, interest, and consumption of fresh produce at school and beyond.” Moderator is Andrew Marshall, Wholesaler-Distributor Relations and External Partnerships, International Fresh Produce Association. Panelists are Diane Grodek, Executive Chef, Austin Independent School District; Alex DiNovo, President/COO, DNO Produce; and Bertrand Weber, Director/Culinary/Wellness Services, Minneapolis Public Schools.
The “Sustainability Market Trends” session will explain “how to begin a sustainability program within your company” and will feature speaker Tamara Muruetagoiena, Director of Sustainability, International Fresh Produce Association.
The “Supplier Diversity/Inclusive Procurement” will address “foodservice industry efforts to advance inclusive procurement and supplier diversity to meet consumers’ increasingly values-based buying behaviors.” Moderator is Doug Bohr, Chief Education/Programs Officer, International Fresh Produce Association, and panelists are Haile Johnston, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, The Common Market; Diane Mavica, Associate Director Vendor Management/Contracts, Stanford University R&DE; and Ron Rainey, Assistant VP, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Reviewing the USDA-DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: Challenges, Opportunities and Collaboration:” will look at the “increasing number of K-12 school districts [that]are turning to the USDA-DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to use their commodity entitlement dollars to source fresh produce.” There will be an opportunity for Q&A with the manager who oversees this program for USDA. Speaker is Kathy Staley, Chief, Program Integrity and Monitoring Branch, Food Distribution Division, USDA.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
For additional information, visit the IFPA Foodservice Conference website at https://www.freshproduce.com/events/the-foodservice-conference/ .
