(Monterey, CA — June 12, 2023) With one month to go, Organic Produce Summit 2023 is on track to be the largest in the event’s history and will include several new additions to a robust two-day gathering celebrating the world of organic fresh produce.
Over 300 retailers have already confirmed their attendance, and a sold-out trade show floor of 170 organic fresh produce growers and producers from across North America awaits all OPS 2023 attendees.
“OPS 2023 is shaping up to be our highest-attended event yet, providing all facets of the organic fresh produce industry a tremendous opportunity to meet under one roof to address the growth, opportunities, and challenges of the organic fresh produce industry,” said Susan Canales, President of OPS. “From retailer field tours, engaging ed sessions, and a sold-out trade show floor, OPS 2023 will engage attendees on the strengths of the organic fresh produce industry and what the future may look like.”
OPS 2023 is a two-day event specifically designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers, shippers, and processors with retailers and buying organizations from across North America. The seventh annual event will be held July 12-13 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, California
To keep OPS fresh and engaging, several new activities await attendees at OPS 2023:
A pre-reception event for OPS first-time attendees and those new to the produce industry. The pre-reception will be held just prior to the gala opening reception and will provide an outstanding networking opportunity for those who are new to the produce and/or experiencing their first-ever OPS.
The first-ever ed session to be held at the Monterey Marriott hotel. OPS has expanded its venue space this year to include the Monterey Marriot, where a special two-hour keynote session on the growth of plant-based foods will take place.
The expansion of the sold-out OPS trade show floor to include 20 new exhibition booths.
“As OPS continues to grow, our number one objective is providing a place where members of the organic fresh produce community can discuss and share information on the most current and relevant issues we face,” said Canales. “Our educational program is designed to cover the most topical and important issues facing our industry, and our trade show floor is five hours of networking energy that offers both retailer and organic producer leadership an intimate and dynamic opportunity to exchange ideas and information.”
Highlighting the educational program is a pair of keynote presentations. The Retailer Roundtable keynote, What Lies Ahead for Fresh Produce and Grocery Marketing, will feature Daniel Bell, director of produce for Grocery Outlet; Sonya Constable, vice president of produce for Sprouts Farmers Market; and Abhi Rashem, CEO and founder of Misfits Market. The session will be moderated by Kevin Coupe of Morning News Beat.
In the second keynote, Divert Co-Founder and CEO Ryan Begin will share about his company’s leading role in addressing the human and environmental crises created by food waste in a TED Talk-style presentation titled, Protecting the Value of Food: Learning to Value Food at All Stages of Its Lifecycle—from Seed to Wasted Food to Renewable Energy.
In addition to the keynote presentations, a series of engaging and relevant ed sessions will round out the OPS 2023 educational program and will cover topics including sustainability, the growing importance of CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture), new organic rules and regulations, the power of plants, and organic produce sales in an era of inflation.
OPS 2023 will also include a selection of field tours for qualified retailers and buyers, a gala opening night reception, and a sold-out trade show floor featuring over 170 producers and processors of organic fresh produce from across North America and the globe.
Registration to attend OPS 2023 is available at www.organicproducesummit.com.
About OPS:
The Organic Produce Summit was started in 2016 and is the only event dedicated exclusively to bringing together organic fresh produce growers, shippers and processors with retail and buying organizations from across the globe.
