Two months before the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) annual Fresh Summit Convention and Expo, held in Anaheim, CA, in October, organizers realized they needed to do more to address the industry’s most pressing current challenge. So instead of adding a few more educational sessions, planners quickly developed the Traceability Learning Center (TLC), an entire mini-show focused on the concept of traceability, the ability to trace the origins of a particular apple, head of lettuce or other produce item from the farm to the retail store. Not only did the TLC address the industry’s most important issue at the moment, but it also attracted 24 exhibitors, selling out its available space, and helped boost the show’s attendance to an all-time record of 19,070.

The previous year, PMA had joined two other associations in creating the Produce Traceability Initiative, which aims to make electronic traceability standard across the produce distribution chain, from field to retail store, by 2012. Much like barcodes allow consumer goods manufacturers to track their products, the Produce Traceability Initiative aims to bring similar standardization to produce. Through the TLC, the association hoped to “educate everybody about the Initiative, what it means and how to do it,” says Julia Stewart, PMA’s Public Relations Director. “We also wanted to provide attendees a chance to meet with vendors who have traceability solutions.”

The TLC covered 6,300 square feet of the show’s total 670,000 square feet. It included a classroom theater with a stage and 50 seats, and booths surrounding it. During show hours, the TLC hosted workshops on traceability topics and Q&A sessions with industry leaders, which drew traffic to the floor. All the TLC workshops drew standing-room-only crowds. “Attendees loved the fact that it was one-stop shopping,” Stewart says. “It made it easier for them that we brought together everything about traceability, from education to exhibits.”

For exhibitors, being part of a special area focused on a hot trend was important. The new area served as a draw for new exhibitors, as most of those who purchased booth space in the TLC were new to the show. And for those exhibitors that were on both the main floor and in the TLC, “they said they got better traffic in the TLC,” Stewart says.

While Fresh Summit, always held in October, is normally sold out a few months in advance, the 2009 show still had available space in August. That’s when association staff working on traceability solutions presented the idea for a TLC to meeting planners. “We knew it was something that would benefit the industry, and we were glad to have space still available to do it,” Stewart says. “Everyone from concept and design to marketing worked quickly to put it together. Our business development team didn’t have their usual summer off, but it gave them an opportunity to bring some vendors to the show who wouldn’t normally be there. It worked out for everybody, and the entire show ended up 99 percent sold out.”

Based on the success of the TLC, planners are considering developing other learning centers focused on other important issues for future shows. “We’ll likely do the TLC next year because it will still be a timely topic, but we’ll probably make it a little bigger,” Stewart says.

PMA’s Strategy

GOAL: To educate attendees about the new Produce Traceability Initiative and to provide attendees with a chance to learn about exhibitors’ traceability solutions.

STRATEGY: Create the Traceability Learning Center (TLC), a showwithin- a-show at Fresh Summit.

RESULTS: The first TLC sold out with 24 exhibitors, most of which were new to the show, and the education sessions got rave reviews from attendees.