October 28, 2021
Newark De. and Washington, D.C. – International Fresh Produce Association Co-CEOs Cathy Burns and Tom Stenzel were joined by industry leaders to share updates about the new produce and floral association. During the briefing, IFPA Executive Committee member Dwight Ferguson shared that the Floral Marketing Alliance will launch with the new association in January 2022.
“International Fresh Produce Association will be the association for the floral marketing community that has been growing since the 1970s,” said Ferguson, president and CEO of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation. “In launching the Floral Marketing Alliance, we are furthering our commitment to the floral community and formalizing our role as an association representing our floral members across the supply chain by actively partnering with organizations who promote the consumption of mass-market floral.”
The Floral Marketing Alliance will be driven by the highly engaged floral volunteers and will be an addition to the portfolio of programs, resources and insights the committee generates for the industry. There will be further details for members on how to volunteer to support the programs and initiatives supporting the floral industry.
In addition, the floral community will be represented on the International Fresh Produce Association Board of Directors by industry leaders Carlos Oramas, CEO of Gems Group, Inc., and Debora Steier, Vice President of Floral at Albertsons Companies.
Floral members are encouraged to mark their calendars with at least 4 events in the coming year where the industry can come together and connect with new partners, hear about the latest research, and discuss industry efforts to address challenges facing the mass market floral supply chain. These events include:
- January 7 – Floral Buyer Sourcing Meetings
- March 29 – The Floral Conference, Anaheim, California
- May 24 – The Floral Conference, Miami, Florida
- October 27- 29 – The Global Produce and Floral Show, Orlando, Florida