PMA FreshEd Academy and Foodservice Delivered expand digital opportunities for produce industry

The best minds in the produce industry have joined forces and pivoted quickly, responding to current circumstances created by COVID-19 while at the same time maintaining dynamic market and trade connections worldwide.

Nowhere is the pivoting more evident than in industry trade shows, with the virtual United Fresh Live! now underway and enjoying enthusiastic participating. As United wows, PMA Foodservice: Delivered is readying to open digitally in July.

And ahead of Foodservice: Delivered, PMA is hosting FreshEd^® Academy, now live at https://vimeo.com/390875086. FreshEd Academy is PMA’s educational platform for produce and floral, created to provide members with innovative and affordable solutions to drive their businesses forward.

Partnering with Intertek Alchemy, a developer of produce safety eLearning solutions, the organizations created an online certification course called the Essentials of Produce Safety. This training program is “uniquely designed for produce mid-level professionals” and is entirely online. Providing in-depth training that “covers the key challenges and best practices in produce safety,” the course is taught by PMA’s Dr. Robert Whitaker and Afreen Malik.

“The Essentials of Produce Safety is available to individual learners and employee groups alike, with all enrollees benefitting from: Enhanced produce safety proficiency; Improved communication across the organization and supply chain; and Immediate application of learnings to the work environment.

While the onion industry stays abreast of food safety matters, it can also look forward to Foodservice: Delivered online July 20-24. The decision to postpone the annual in-person event in Monterey, CA, to July 2021 was announced May 1 when an email told members the association was shifting to a digital formal.

PMA CEO Cathy Burns explained, “We’ve been in constant contact with the industry around the world and it is clear that now, more than ever, our members seek opportunities to make meaningful connections, spur innovative solutions, and share key insights that will help our entire industry move forward.”

The virtual event is structured with varying “Theater/Gallery” foodservice options for exhibitors. The options include “Quick Service,” “Fast Casual,” “Family Dining” and “Fine Dining.” Each level of exhibition is priced differently, with registration available now at https://www.pma.com/events/foodservice-delivered.

The Quick Service Level offers the opportunity to highlight “product/service/innovation to buyer-identified challenges to all attendees in a ‘theater’ with a link to your company video (up to one minute long) and link to your theater home page; opportunity “to connect directly with buyers via your video and theater home page, including chat features” and display of company logo, with PMA/Center for Growing Talent branding, featured on Foodservice: Delivered website and event site.

The Fast Casual Level offers the same benefits as Quick Service as well as an “activation of your choice, selecting from one of the following: “a 15 second commercial during breakout sessions during one day of the event”; or “featured “Behind the Scenes” video content (up to 15 minutes), produced by the sponsor, part of the official schedule and promoted by PMA (must be approved by PMA).”

The Family Dining Level includes all benefits of Quick Service as well a “`Behind the Scenes’ video content (up to 15 minutes), produced by the sponsor, part of the official schedule and promoted by PMA (must be approved by PMA)”; recognition “as sponsor of one the Main Entrée (General Session) speakers”; opportunity “to show a 15 second Commercial during one Main Entrée (General Session)”; and “premium logo placement on the Foodservice Delivered virtual environment.”

The Fine Dining Level has all the benefits of Quick Service as well as “1Behind the Scenes’ video” video content (up to 15 minutes), produced by the sponsor, part of the official schedule and promoted by PMA (must be approved by PMA)”; “Recognition as presenting sponsor of one day of the event”; “Opportunity to show a 15 second Commercial during the Main Entrée (General Session)”; :Opportunity to show a 15 second Commercial during the breakout sessions”; “Recognition on email correspondence regarding the event and on the schedule as one of our partners”; and “Recognition on PMA’s Social platforms Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.”

There is also an “A La Carte Menu” that offers sponsorship opportunities at varying levels.