Miami, FL (November 21, 2022) — The first IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show, held last month was a huge success this year for all industry attendees and featured a who’s who list of exhibitors (both large and small) not only from fresh produce, but other related categories including floral, retail solutions, business solutions, first time exhibitors and complementary items. With over 17,000 in attendance, the trade show floor provided the perfect venue to bring together all members of the supply chain to forge new relationships and identify business development opportunities.

Highlights of the 3-day trade show included:

• Thought Leadership—topics included a current state overview of the Fresh Produce/Floral industry, and some of the latest trends like “Food Is Medicine” touching on the importance of eating healthy fresh foods and the impact this has on the health/health care of the global population. Sustainability, metaverse retail & marketing opportunities and the importance of promoting a unified message within the Fresh category (“Rising tide lifts all boats”) were other matters of focus.
• Networking—possibly our favorite part of cultivating old and existing relationships in the industry while also meeting new faces.
• Competition—understanding what client competitors and other brands are doing (ex. branding, promotion, marketing collateral, POS, packaging, exhibit assets, on-pack labeling, innovation, attendee engagement) and applying those ideas and concepts to current client opportunities.
• Moxxy-vangelism—strengthening Moxxy brand and visibility through handshakes, breakfasts, cocktails and sharing our expertise with brands across the showroom floor.

As with any show, Moxxy walked the aisles sampling beautiful fruits, vegetables and snacks while connecting with brands across a wide spectrum of specialties to better understand their marketing needs and sharing our tips for a successful tradeshow appearance. We were happy to connect with current partners like Procurant, DLF International, Shuman Farms, GFVA, Pecan Nation and many others. 

So what really stood out in the sea of colors, flavors and scents? Exhibitors that were able to maximize their footprint through creative set ups, bold branding and engaging experiences for show-goers rose to the top. Some of our favorites examples included:

• The use of live talent like mariachi bands to serenade our ears and our palates, mascots to represent the brands and holiday themed characters for fun photo ops. The use of full-sized, trucks and sheds was also an attention getting feature.
• The ability to sample unique and healthy fruit and vegetable juice combinations whether it was prepackaged samples, or chefs conducting real-time cooking demonstrations with a variety of fresh ingredients.  
• The presence of booths that offered a more immersive experience by recreating a store atmosphere, being fully interactive and were well-planned and executed making the best use of their space.
• While bold colors were expected, some booths that chose more muted, natural tones actually stood out visually by comparison.
• And the always popular giveaway-from bags to iPad raffles-is still a sure-fire way to draw in a crowd.

Overall, Moxxy was thrilled with what we saw and our team is excited to see what 2023 has to offer.