When the fifth edition of The London Produce Show and Conference (LPS) gets underway next week at the Grosvenor House hotel on 6-8 June, attendees from across the global fresh produce supply chain can expect to benefit from a broad range of activities to meet, share, learn and grow. One such opportunity is presented by the event’s popular Educational Seminar Programme, which takes place across two stages and runs concurrently to the trade exhibition and live chef demonstration kitchen on Thursday 7 June.
Each year, the LPS Educational Seminar Programme explores the hottest industry topics and a broad range of global issues which impact directly or indirectly on the working lives of every show attendee. As such, these inspirational seminars are designed to help attendees to run their business or to do their job better through an approach that’s both enlightening and engaging. Here is a preview of what to expect from this year’s Educational Seminar Programme.
SEMINAR STAGE 1: THE GREAT ROOM BALCONY
10.00am
Pacific Alliance: Panel Discussion
- Moderator: John Giles, Divisional Director, Promar International (UK)
Panelists:
- Ignacio Fernández, Director, ProChile (UK)
- Felipe Ángel Campo, Executive Director, ProColombia (UK)
- Julián Gustavo Salazar, Trade and Investment Manager, ProMéxico (UK)
- Jaime Cárdenas, Director, Peru Trade & Investment Office in the UK
Learn about the advantages and the opportunities of sourcing fresh fruits and vegetables from the Pacific Alliance countries: Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.
Latin America remains a hugely important and significant source of counter-seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables for buyers across the Northern Hemisphere. Listen to our panel of trade experts discuss the Pacific Alliance with regards to its potential to jointly promote produce, improve access to markets and facilitate the movement of labour.
The panel will also describe how the fresh produce offer is evolving from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru with new exportable products, in addition to the latest agricultural developments taking place and the investment opportunities within each of the four countries.
11.30am
Innovative logistics: Remote Container Management
- Captain Peter Wedell–Neergaard, Senior Reefer Specialist, Maersk
Understand the rationale behind this ground-breaking innovation in refrigerated technology, and the full visibility it provides to users across the reefer supply chain.
Remote Container Management (RCM) allows users to monitor the conditions inside containers from the moment goods are locked inside, right up to delivery at their final destination.
Captain Peter will discuss RCM, how it has developed and the advantages it offers customers throughout the reefer supply chain.
More on Maersk here
12.30pm
Sourcing from Serbia: An emerging supplier
- Alex Pavlović, Director of USAID Competitive Economy Project, Serbia.
Discover the opportunities to buy fresh fruits from Serbia – an emerging, sustainable source in South East Europe for apples, berries, stonefruit and vegetables.
Having traditionally focused on the Russian market, Serbian exporters now have their eyes firmly set on finding long-term partners within the UK’s retail, import and wholesale sectors.
As Serbian fruit and veg production expands and facilities modernise with the latest technologies, Alex will guide attendees on what Serbia has to offer UK buyers in terms of quality standards, volume expectations, sustainable supply, and competitive prices.
More on Serbia here
1.30pm
Shopper marketing: The importance of understanding the shopper vs. the consumer
- Nick Kirby, Shopper, eCommerce & Analytics Director, Bridgethorne
Learn how to focus on understanding the shopper to drive sales at retail.
Even though the majority of shoppers claim they know what they want to purchase prior to entering a store, research has shown that, surprisingly, almost 20 per cent will buy on impulse in categories from which they had no intention of purchasing.
In today’s highly competitive retail environment, the shopper must be at the heart of commercial and marketing strategies to avoid losing sales in the last fifty yards of the shopper journey.
Nick will demonstrate how to improve shopper understanding, build engagement, and, ultimately, win in the battle for share of spend.
2.30pm
Buying British: The big opportunity
- Jack Ward, CEO, British Growers
Find out about the big opportunity to expand British fruit and vegetable production, the advantages of increasing local supply for buyers, and the new retail analytics available.
British Growers has outlined a future in which it believes there are extensive opportunities to raise the competitiveness, profitability and UK market share for British producers of fresh fruits and vegetables.
With the UK heavily reliant on produce imports, the uncertainty surrounding post-Brexit supply, and the ‘Buy British’ ethos remaining strong, Jack will highlight the ways in which buyers stand to gain from expanding domestic production.
More on Buying British here
3.30pm
Citrus from Chile: A buyer’s guide
- Monserrat Valenzuela, Manager, Chilean Citrus Committee
Hear about the latest production and market developments taking place under the Chilean Citrus Committee, which forms part of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) and whose members represent 78% of Chile’s citrus exports, including clementines, mandarins, navel oranges, lemons and grapefruit.
This season (2018), Chilean citrus exports are forecast to rise by 17%, compared with the 270,000 tonnes supplied in 2017. With planting and exports on the up, Chile’s citrus sector has recognised the need to diversify its destination markets, which currently include North America (receiving 82% of the export total), followed by Europe (6%) and Asia (8%).
In particular, the Committee views the UK as a highly competitive market where channel evolution is opening up new opportunities for Chilean exporters. During this seminar, Monserrat will explore the new developments underway in Chile, as well as the volume projections going forward, and where Chile fits into today’s global marketplace.
SEMINAR STAGE 2: THE BUCKINGHAM SUITE
10.00am
Global forces: The global produce industry and the implications for the UK
- Professor Miguel Gómez, Associate Professor Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, USA
Gain an insight into the key trends shaping the international trade of fresh fruits and vegetables; from the primary factors affecting produce industry globalisation to the implications for the fresh produce industry in the UK.
Miguel will also analyse both the situation and the outlook for the UK’s key fresh produce trade partners, as well as address important contemporary issues, such as Brexit, US-China trade disputes etc., and their possible impacts on the produce industry of the UK.
More on global implications of produce on UK here
11.00am
New buzzwords: Food Tech & Open Innovation
- Alessio d’Antino, CEO, Crowdfooding
Understand the Food Tech movement, and how to tap into the concept of Open Innovation.
Having emerged in the USA some years ago, Food Tech is taking Europe by storm as start-ups increasingly use technology to transform the dynamics of the food sector. At the same time, Open Innovation is a new concept whereby corporates and start-ups are finding new ways of collaborating to embark on future innovation strategies together.
Alessio will talk about the latest Food Tech trends and highlight some local UK companies involved in the movement, while detailing the future of Open Innovation and the innovation benefits that larger companies can expect to garner from working with entrepreneurial-minded start-ups, and visa versa.
More on Crowdfooding here
1.00pm
Plant-based diets: The latest consumer research
Carolyn Hudson, Marketing Manager, England Marketing
Access the latest consumer opinions on plant-based diets, together with the inside track on the leading movers and shakers within the industry.
UK consumer eating trends are changing; requiring growers, farmers and retailers to respond to new market requirements. Recent research evidences that vegetarian and vegan diets are on the up thanks to an increasing interest and popularity among consumers committed to plant-based eating, as well as a growing number of adults eager to reduce their intake of animal-based protein.
Carolyn will unveil brand-new research about one of the hottest food trends of the moment, by presenting consumer opinion alongside current thinking from industry leaders, including the opinions of retailers, producers and leading standards organisations.
More on England Marketing here
2:00pm
Ag-tech: Why it adds value for the entire supply chain
- Dr. Ed Moorhouse, Director, Agri-Food Solutions
Discover the latest precision farming technologies – from drones, satellites and sensors to robotics, artificial intelligence and biotechnology – and the added value for the entire fresh produce supply chain.
Billed as ‘the future of farming’, ag-tech is expected to play a key role in the management and security of food production in the future, particularly in view of the post-Brexit demand for innovation.
This session will deepen your understanding of the solutions that can optimise growing conditions, better forecast yields, improve consistency, remove variabilities, reduce risk and increase yields. Ed will examine various ag-tech innovations, and how they can add value and cut costs for both fresh produce suppliers and their buyers.
3:00pm
Energy: Ways to mitigate rising costs
- Craig Watson, Business Client Lead, nPower
Find out about the future energy cost panorama and how to make savings and reduce costs via the various energy management solutions available to fresh produce buyers and their suppliers.
Energy costs in the UK are forecast to rise by 15-20% by 2021, meaning unless businesses manage their energy spend efficiently, ultimately the burden of this additional cost could reduce turnover and potentially profits.
From LED lighting, back-up generators and wind turbines, to energy supply contracts, optimising in-store energy usage and staff training, Craig will detail how retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators and fresh produce growers can mitigate and reduce rising energy costs.
More on nPower here
4.00pm
Routes to market: How to compete for supply
John Giles, Divisional Director, Promar International
Explore the many routes to market that are developing in the UK and understand what fresh produce suppliers will expect realistically from their buying customers in the future and visa versa.
The routes to market are changing fast in the UK, meaning well-organised growers and distributors have more options than ever before to get their produce to customers. Buyers in all their guises therefore can no longer expect supply to come automatically, be it from the UK or overseas.
Each of these routes to market – whether they are large and mature or niche and expanding – are in competition with each other; making the job of choosing to be in the right one more demanding than ever before, and the task of buying more complex than in the past.
The London Produce Show and Conference 2018 takes place on 6-8 June at the Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane.
