When the United Fresh Produce Association announced earlier this spring that it would convert its convention and trade show to a virtual format due to the coronavirus pandemic, many wondered just how that would work and whether or not it would provide a good return on investment.
While most polled by The Produce News said they missed the face-to-face element of the show, they were impressed with United Fresh’s ability to quickly pivot to the virtual platform and praised the association for putting on a show that was, by and large, considered a success.
“I have to admit, while I was supportive of United Fresh moving us into a virtual format, I was also a bit skeptical about how effective a virtual trade show would be,” said Mark Munger, vice president of sales and marketing for 4Earth Farms. “After a week of engaging conversations with customers and potential customers, all of us on the 4Earth Farms team have become believers.”
“Without the ability to have an actual in-person show opportunity, this was a great solution to bring a specific group of people together during a specific time at a specific location to talk about a specific topic, which is growing the industry to help increase fresh produce consumption,” said Chris Veillon, chief marketing officer at Pure Flavor.
Diana McClean, senior director of marketing for Ocean Mist, said, “The virtual trade show has been a learning experience for both the marketing and sales teams. I'm pleased that United Fresh found a solution during the pandemic to carry on with the committed event.”
“The virtual show was a great way for our team to talk to customers about new products and innovations,” said Pepe Bonfiglio, vice president of sales for greenhouse grower Sunset Produce. “While we can’t replace the benefits of having products to touch, feel and sample as we would on the tradeshow floor, we were able to educate those who visited our booth through other media like video and sell sheets.”
In actuality, the convention program was like any other at a United Fresh convention, with workshops, general sessions and networking opportunities offered throughout each day, in addition to show floor hours. But the virtual format offered the advantage of being able to participate in live sessions as well as watch recordings of other sessions that were made available on demand.
“The education tracks at the event were really, really good,” said Paul Lightfoot, chief executive officer of BrightFarms. “Having experts present remotely does not appear to diminish the quality of the presentations or the engagement of attendees.”
Munger agreed, saying, “One of the unexpected values was our ability to attend and participate in the quality educational programs. The Coffee Talks were engaging and I was able to connect with old friends and meet new ones. And the content of the workshops was excellent. I’m usually too busy to participate in much of the educational programs during live shows, so it was a real treat to get to attend.”
Exhibitors also cited the technological advantages of the virtual show, despite a few quirks.
“I love the data reporting tool,” said McClean, referring to the control panel that exhibitors were afforded to monitor activity at their booth. “So although I did not see everyone when they entered or visited the booth and engaged with our content, we have a data portal to tell us who did.”
She added, however, that it was a disadvantage not being able to control competitors’ engagement with content. “We had to be very selective on what we wanted to share with everyone,” said McClean. “So I'd like to see some element of control over who was able to engage with content.”
“The platform was user-friendly and allowed for exhibitors to get a bit creative with their booths,” said Bonfiglio. “The platform also made it easy for customers and suppliers to reach out in live chats or directly with our team. It was easy to navigate through the show and attend the many informative seminars, workshops and networking events.
Veillon also appreciated the ability to track data at the Pure Flavor booth. “We can track when someone lands on the page, and we can also get summary reports to see what they have engaged, which shows their intent and interest,” he said.
McClean, however, said that there was room for improvement with some of the technology.
“The text chat seemed to be slow in transmission,” she said. “I would notice someone wanted to chat, and by the time I responded, they had left chat. Also, I would like to see an option for video chat at the booth.”
For Ande Manos of Babé Farms, the virtual experience was a mix of good and bad. “While this format has made it easier to track leads with built-in tracking and attendee profiles, it’s not as impactful and exciting as the in-person experience, as we’re missing the opportunities to create a strong positive association with our target audience,” she said.
Others agreed with missing the in-person experience, but appreciated United Fresh’s ability to adapt and offer value in the virtual format.
“Progressive growth companies appear to be adapting well to this format,” said Lightfoot. “BrightFarms is enjoying the experience, and I know we're not the only ones. We invested in our presence here, we are staffed solidly, and we are working hard. And it is paying off.”
“I think we can all agree on the importance of staying connected within our industry and the virtual tradeshow was able to bring us all together at a time when we have no choice but to be apart,” said Bonfiglio. “Thank you United Fresh for putting on a terrific virtual show and persevering through the challenges presented to us by COVID-19.”
Added Munger, “While I miss the energy of a live show, United Fresh took a risk on the virtual format and knocked it out of the park!”
