If it’s almost April, it’s almost Viva Fresh.
This year’s Viva Fresh, which is presented by the Texas International Produce Association, is hosted at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine April 21-23. And this, the seventh year of the show, is showing it to be a premier event in the produce industry since its conception in 2015.
For a full schedule, go to https://vivafreshexpo.com/
According to the show’s website, Viva Fresh “started in 2015 as a small regional tradeshow with the goal of shining a light on the importance of the Lower Rio Grande Valley as an emerging trade corridor and production zone” and today features a very popular Viva Fresh Open golf tourney as well as receptions, educational sessions, exhibits and an impressive lineup of speakers, including the keynote luncheon guest this year, Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray.
The event’s floorplan is designed for 200 booths, and 2022’s exhibitors/booth numbers, which represent companies from around the country along with a number of international operations, was listed on March 14 to include: Young Guns, Inc #917; Wonderful Citrus #717; Wholly Guacamole #110; West Pak Avocados #308; Vision Import Group #626; Villita Avocados #402; Village Farms, LP #306; Veggies From Mexico #116; ValVerde Vegetable Company #719; Urapa Produce #810; Twin River #901; Triple H Produce #418; Traveler Produce #400; Top of Texas Marketing #900; Tommy Hanka #207; Tom Lange #103; Tive #721; The Oppenheimer Group #303; The Onion House #217; The Fresh Group, LTD. #305; The Flavor Tree Fruit Co LLC #204; Texas Watermelon Association #727; Texas Harvest Co. #300; Texas Green Star, LLC #925; Texas Department of Agriculture #606; Teneza Organics #304; Tampico Spice #106; Tabafresh Farms #219; T. Marzetti Company #704;
Sweet Seasons #611; Super Starr International LLC #508; Sunworks Solar Power #819; Sunview Marketing International #824; SunFed #427; Suja Juice #907; Stella Farms #808; State of Guanajuato #529; Spring Valley Fruits #405; South Tex Organics, LC #206; SMP Southeast #913; Sicar Farms #317; Santis Produce, LLC. #307; San Antonio Wholesale Produce Market #409; Robinson Fresh/C. H. R. #420; Rio Fresh #527; Revol Greens #118;
Renaissance Food Group #705; Red Sun Farms #702; Pure Flavor #716; Produce Team #201; Produce Pay #628; Produce Connection #601; Pro Health LLC #711; Pro Citrus Network #725; Primo Trading Services #320; Premier Produce #426; Port Laredo #325; Phillip Garcia CB #708; Pharr Int’l Bridge #619; Pete’s #923; PERLAG IMPORTS LLC #801; Pear Bureau NW #920; Pandol Bros Inc #809; Packaging Corporation of America #607; Owyhee Produce / Buck Naked Onions #800;
OrganicGirl #817; Onions 52 #503; One Banana #903; North Bay Produce #200; NatureSweet Tomatoes #408; NatureBest Pre-Cut & Produce, LLC. #918; Nature Fresh Farms #111; National Watermelon Promotion Board #208; National Mango Board #700; Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co. #921; N & W Farm Produce, Inc. #806; Murphy Tomatoes #227; Mr. Lucky #310; Montero Farms #411;
Mission Produce #406; MG ALIMENTOS, INC. #226; MexFresh Produce #329; Mesilla Valley Produce, LLC. #500; Meridian Fine Foods, LLC (FreshKampo) #124; Mega Produce LLC #501; McDaniel & Chirico Worldwide #210; MCALLEN TROPIC PAK INC #127; Matthews Ridgeview Farms #211; Mastronardi Produce #218; MAS Melons & Grapes, LLC #804; Mariani Nut Company #818
Marengo #324; Magic Sun Farms #108;
Lone Star Citrus Growers #410; London Fruit #610; Little Bear Produce #621; Limoneira Company #910; Lawton Family Farms #225; Lakeway Foods LLC #316; Lakeside Produce, Inc. #407; La Bonanza Avocados #724; Kitchen Pride Mushroom Farms #505; Kingsburg Orchards #327; Kingdom Fresh #710; KALERA #105; JR Produce Supply/Volm Companies #729; Johanson Transportation Service #728; JM Farms #209; Jade Produce #600; Iron Ox #908; Ippolito International #121;
International Paper #511; Index Fresh, Inc. #114; IFCO #526; iDeal HarBest, LLC #126; Idea Fresh, LLC #825; Idaho Potato Commission #927; Hwy Haul #229; House of Avocado #401; Highland Ag Solutions #805; Henry Avocado #102; Hazel Technologies #220; Harvest Specialty Company #119; Harvest Best #827; Harry H Price & Son #122; Hampton Farms #117; GrubMarket #629; Growers Union, L.L.C. #909; Grow Farms Texas #424; Grande Produce Ltd. Co. #617; GR Fresh #321; Gourmet Xpress #816; Gold Coast Packing, Inc. #726; GM Produce Sales, LLC #328;
Frutas Finas de Valles de Michoacán, S.A. de C.V #915; Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation #821; Frontera Produce #502; FreshPoint #507; Freshcourt #701; Fresh Innovations LLC / Yo Quiero #326; Fresh Harvest #924; Fresh Farms #504; Fresco Produce LLC #509; Frello Fresh #202; Franks Distributing #528; Fox Packaging #625; Fortune Growers #605; Field Fresh Farms, LLC #828; Farmers Marketing Service #112; Farmer’s Best #718; Farm Direct Supply #319;
EV Produce International Inc #916; Eagle Eye Produce #911; Don Hugo Produce #309; Dominguez Produce #811; Domex Superfresh Growers #301; Delina Fresh #205; Dayka & Hackett, LLC. #703; Daily Veggies #109; Dade Service Corporation #709; D Produce Company #428; Continental Fresh LLC #104; Colimex #720; Coast Tropical #510; Chula Brand #609; CHEP #404; Chelan Fresh #602; Chanitos International #125; Catania Worldwide #318; Caraveo Papayas, Inc. #802; Cameron County International Bridge System #904; Calavo Growers #707; Cabefruit Produce LLC #224;
Bushmans Inc. #302; Bowery Farming #905; Blue Book Services #311; Bland Farms #107; Bellflower Produce, LLC. #926; Bebo Distribution, Inc. #416; Babia #706; Avocados From Mexico #627; Amore Produce #429; America Berry Farms, Inc. #902; Always Fresco #906; Altar Produce #820; Allen Lund Company #608; Aguacates Chahena & Mas #221; Agrolatinos #216; Abokados / Boka Foods #826; A. Medrano Produce, LLC. #604; and 4Earth Farms #807.
Viva Fresh kicks off Thursday, April 21, with two for-fun events – the Grapevine Wine Experience tour from noon to 6 p.m. and the Viva Fresh Open starting at 1:30 and followed by the 19th Hold Celebration from 7-9 p.m.
Friday is day two of the tourney with tee off at 8 a.m., Dallas Cowboys Clubhouse.
An expo meet-and-greet breakfast leads into the first education session, which starts at 8:30. The second session, Cybersecurity: The Real Cost of Malicious Digital Attacks, runs from 10-11 a.m., followed by a TIPA Women in Produce reception from 1 am. to 1 p.m.
The education session Power of Reputation Management runs from 1:30-2:30 p.m., and the Aggies for Fresh reception will be held 4-5 p.m. That reception is followed by Y-TIPA reception from 5:30-6:30.
Viva Fresh’s welcome reception will run from 7:30-9:30.
Saturday gets going with exhibit hall prep, and the keynote luncheon will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring speaker Gary McGillivray. The expo hall will be open from 1:15 to 6 p.m., and from 5-6 p.m. the hall will host an Expo Happy Hour.
Dave McGillivray, renowned not only as race director for the Boston Marathon but also as a philanthropist, motivational speaker, accomplished athlete, businessman, author and a “professional with a purpose,” has racked up an amazing list of accomplishments.
In addition to directing the Boston, he has also “logged more than 150,000 miles, completed 161 marathons, which include 48 consecutive Patriots’ Day marathons (33 run at night after his race director duties of the Boston Marathon are fulfilled).” He’s run coast to coast, completed ironmans and the Seven Marathon, Seven Continents, Seven Day Challenge all while raising millions of dollars for charities.”
The owner of DMSE sports, McGillivray has helped organizations and communities execute more than 1400 events and road races across the country and solve problems as they occur – including what to do when a bomb goes off during the Boston Marathon, how to pivot your business during COVID, and even how his business and experience in logistics would leave him overseeing the setup and logistics of Boston area COVID vaccine clinics.
And at age 67-year-old McGillivray continues to celebrate each birthday by running his age in miles, a habit that dates back to his teens.
