Thank you for joining us this year! GOPEX 2024 is just around the corner! Save the date:

January 22-24, 2024
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, FL

.

GOPEX 2023 AGENDA 

Join us for the 2023 GOPEX – Global Organic Produce Expo!

GOPEX 2023 is set to draw scores of retailers, grower-shippers, wholesalers, importers, exporters and other decision-makers from across the fresh produce industry. This year, GOPEX will feature the theme: Reaching the Conscious Consumer. Increasingly, consumers make purchasing decisions they believe will improve their health and the health of the planet — while also having a positive social, environmental and economic impact.

From sustainably sourced superfoods to indoor agriculture to imported fruits and vegetables grown by socially and environmentally responsible companies, GOPEX 2023 will gather the organic, social and environmental leaders who are moving fresh fruit and vegetables forward.

Additionally, the popular BizMatch meeting scheduler will be offered throughout the event to pair organics suppliers with qualified retail and wholesale buyers.

Monday, January 30, 2023

1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Registration Open

Location: Center Registration Desk

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
*Separate registration required
 
Sponsored by:  Trinity Fruit, CMI Orchards,
Mucci Farms & AgSquared

Location: Buses will transport attendees
from Hard Rock to marina & back

Buses will depart at 2:00pm and
return back to the hotel at 6:00pm

5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Dinner on Your Own

  

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Opening Reception & Concert
(included with your registration)

 
Sponsored by:  Vitalis Seeds 
& Internatural Marketing

Location: Entice Night Club
(within the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel)

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

8:00 am - 8:30 am

Breakfast

Seminole Ballroom C-F

8:30 am - 9:15 am

Is Food as Medicine the Future of Food?

More and more mainstream grocers have launched food as medicine programs. All fresh fruit and vegetables qualify. This session will explore how grocers and suppliers are working together to drive produce sales and improve the health of consumers across the nation.

 

Moderator: Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, Former Director, Produce for Better Health Foundation

Panelists: Karen Falbo, Natural Grocers
Lisa Coleman, Giant Food
Daniella Velazquez de Leon , Organics Unlimited

Location: Seminole Ballroom C-F

9:15 am - 10:15 am 

The Convergence of Indoor and Organics

Indoor agriculture uses less resources than outdoor farming, while at the same time, it allows retailers to offer hyper-local produce grown in-store or literally in their backyard. A panel of indoor ag experts and the leading retailers who have embraced vertical and greenhouse farming examine where the dynamic space of CEA is headed.

Moderator: Tom Stenzel, Executive Director, CEA Alliance

Panelists:  Joe Merenda, President, Misionero
Brian Cook, President, Local Bounti
Jose Covarrubias, Wholesum
Marc Oshima, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder, Aero Farms


Location: Seminole Ballroom C-F

10:15 am  - 10:45 am

BREAK

Location: Seminole Foyer

10:45 - 11:30 am

The Rise of the Conscious Consumer: Emerging Opportunities for the Produce Industry 

Paul Rice, Founder & CEO of Fair Trade USA, the leading certifier of Fair Trade products in North America

Location: Seminole Ballroom C-F

11:30 am  - 1:00 pm

Lunch  & Table Topic Discussions

Table Topics Include:
Labor
Packaging
Marketing
Social Media + Influencers
In Store /In Person Promotions
Import/Export
Food as Medicine
Controlled Environment Ag/Indoor
Social Responsibility
New National Organic Standards

Location: Seminole Ballroom C-F

Special Guest:  Jonathan Veley, Director of Trade Systems, USDA

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

How the U.S. and its southern neighbors ensure fresh produce is always in season

A panel of retail and import/export experts share their tips for navigating the supply chain, raising consumer awareness for South American fruit and vegetables, and developing successful promotions that drive sales.

Moderator: Allison Myers, Chilean Fresh Fruit Association

Panelists: 
David Posner, Founder, Awesum Organics
Martha Montoya, AgTools
Bob Harrington, Specialty Produce
Manolo Reyes, ProducePay


Location: Seminole Ballroom C-F

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Under the Influence: How social media is driving fresh produce consumption

When it comes to increasing consumption of fresh produce, influencers have become powerful agents of change. Together with the original nutrition influencer — the retail dietitian—social media influencers are helping to change the way people eat for the better. A panel of influencers, suppliers and retail dietitians explore how produce companies and retailers can implement social campaigns that bolster their brands and drive produce sales.

Moderator: Leah Halverson, Ten Acre Marketing

Panelists: Liz Della Croce, The Lemon Bowl®
Amy Petersen, Coborn's
Kevin Miller, The Fresh Market
Patrice Sadd-Molnar, The Fresh Market
Auna Lundberg, Stemilt


Location: Seminole Ballroom C-F

3:30 pm - 6:30 pm

BizMatch

Seminole Ballroom A-J

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Reception

Sponsored by:  Wholesum

Hard Rock Pool Deck

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

8:00 am - 9:30 am

Breakfast

Location: Seminole Ballroom C-F

8:00 am - 9:30 am

Biz Match

Location: Seminole Ballroom A-J

9:30 am

Expo Open

Location: Seminole Ballroom B-G

12:00 pm

Lunch Served on Expo Floor

Location: Seminole Ballroom B-G

2:30 pm

Expo Closes