All agenda items listed below are subject to change.
| Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | |||||
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| 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM | Petco Park Tour | Explore America's #1 Ballpark on one of our daily guided tours. Experience the ballpark as only players and staff do. Led by a tour guide, this historical, behind-the-scenes tour allows guests to experience the ballpark while learning about the history of Petco Park and the San Diego Padres. | |||
| 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Gaslamp Quarter Food & Drink Tour | Explore San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, the historic heart of America’s Finest City. Experience what makes this neighborhood one of the top destinations for dining, entertainment, and nightlife. This San Diego food tour will uncover the district’s intriguing past. On these tours, you will learn the secrets behind the district’s historic buildings, and travel back in time to when thousands arrived in the port town of San Diego. This popular food and drink tour will not only satisfy your taste buds, but your curiosity, too!
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| 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM | Registration Open | Registration opens at 4:00pm on Wednesday, November 18 | |||
| 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM | Exhibitor Move In | ||||
| 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM | Happy Hour Welcome | Join us for a cocktail and appetizers to start the conference! | |||
| Thursday, November 19, 2026 | |||||
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Continental Breakfast & Coffee | ||||
| 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Registration Open | ||||
| 8:30 AM - 9:10 AM | Welcome & Opening Session | Emiliano Escobedo - Hass Avocado Board | |||
| 9:10 AM - 9:35 AM | Inside the Peruvian Avocado Industry: Production, Seasonality, Market Signals & Opportunities Ahead | ||||
| 9:35 AM - 10:00 AM | Inside the Colombian Avocado Industry: Production, Seasonality, Market Signals & Opportunities Ahead | Manuel Michel - Colombia Avocado Board | |||
| 10:10 AM - 10:30 AM | Break | ||||
| 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM | Avocados on the Menu: Foodservice Trends, Consumer Cravings and Menu Opportunities Driving Demand | Samantha Biljan-McElheny - Datassential | |||
| 10:45 AM - 11:15 AM | Serving the Next Wave of Avocado Demand: Foodservice Leaders on Menu Growth, Consumer Appeal & What the Industry Must Deliver | ||||
| 11:15 AM - 11:40 AM | Inside the California Avocado Industry: Production, Seasonality, Market Signals & Opportunities Ahead | Ken Melban - California Avocado Commission | |||
| 11:40 AM - 12:05 PM | Inside the Chilean Avocado Industry: Production, Seasonality, Market Signals & Opportunities Ahead | Francisco Contardo Sfeir - Avocados from Chile | |||
| 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Lunch & Exhibit Hall Networking | ||||
| 2:30 PM - 2:55 PM | Inside the Mexican Avocado Industry: Production, Seasonality, Market Signals & Opportunities Ahead | Luis Javier de la Rocha Zazueta - APEAM | |||
| 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM | TBD | ||||
| 5:00 PM | Evening at Leisure to Explore San Diego | ||||
| Friday, November 20, 2026 | |||||
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Breakfast | Sapphire Ballroom | |||
| 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM | Registration Open | ||||
| 8:30 AM - 9:15 AM | Avocados in a Changing World: Global Production Outlook, Trade Flows and the Demand Challenge Ahead | Eric Imbert - CIRAD/FRUITROP | |||
| 9:15 AM - 9:55 AM | The State of the Economy | Arjun Chakravarti - Cogknition Analytics | |||
| 9:55 AM - 10:25 AM | Growing Yield and Farm Profitability: Key growing practices and strategies with proven infield success across California growing regions | Daniel Klittich, PhD - Mission Produce | |||
| 10:25 AM - 10:45 AM | Break | ||||
| 10:45 AM - 11:30 AM | Proof from the Grove - Growers of Every Size Share Practical Paths to Higher-Yielding Operations | Jason Cole - California Avocado Producer Jim Miller - Villa Pacifica Ranch in Cayucos, California | |||
| 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | The Retail Reality Check: How Shoppers, Channels, Merchandising and Fresh Trends Are Reshaping Avocado Growth | Jonna Parker - Circana | |||
| 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM | Lunch & Expo Open | ||||
| 2:30 PM - 3:15 PM | Leading Through the Avocado Inflection Point: CEO perspectives on the Forces that Will Define the Future of the U.S. Market | John Pawlowski - Mission Produce Ricardo Uribe - Cartama Juan Pablo Cerda - Cabilfrut S.A. Jose Antonio Villaseñor Zurita - Atzecavo S.A.P.I. DE C.V. Percy Muente Kunigami - Agricola Cerro Prieto | |||
| 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM | Winning the Produce Aisle: Retail Leaders on the Trends, Expectations & Execution That Drive Avocado Growth | ||||
| 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM | San Diego Bay Sunset Cruise Reception | Close out the conference while networking and enjoying sweeping views of San Diego Bay during a private three-hour yacht cruise aboard the new California Spirit. Just steps from the hotel enjoy this unique evening with food and drinks included. *RSVP and ticket required. Limited capacity. | |||






