United Fresh’s Washington Conference to Return in Person

Annual produce industry event will take place Sept. 20-22

6/16/2021

United Fresh’s Washington Conference to Return In-Person

Members of the produce industry will join together to make their voices heard at the 2021 Annual Washington Conference, taking place in September.

The United Fresh Produce Association has revealed that its 2021 Annual Washington Conference will take place Sept. 20-22 in person at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.

For more than 25 years, the Annual Washington Conference has brought industry leaders to meet with members of Congress and cabinet officials. “From Bill Clinton to Joe Biden, every president’s administration has heard directly from produce leaders during this annual event,” said Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of Washington D.C.-based United Fresh.

“After a year of virtual events, we’re thrilled to bring our industry back together in person for one of the most important events of the year – our opportunity to explain our challenges and voice our concerns with the nation’s top elected leaders,” said United Fresh Chairman Danny Dumas, president of Vineland, N.J.-based Courchesne Larose USA. “And with our new alignment with the Produce Marketing Association coming in 2022, we welcome all PMA members to come experience this unique event at the United Fresh member rate.”

United Fresh and Newark, Del.-based PMA reached an agreement in March to merge and create a new global trade association. The two associations are continuing to operate as independent organizations through 2021, with the new association to be launched Jan. 1, 2022.

United Fresh's Washington Conference includes a Produce Advocacy Bootcamp for those attendees new to communicating with Congress, workshops detailing the most critical public policy issues facing the industry, general sessions with top national leaders, and networking throughout as the industry’s top leaders unite in common purpose to build a stronger business climate.

The 2021 conference will once again include face-to-face congressional meetings, as well as a series of online meetings following the conference. “We’re looking now at how we can get our members together with the most members of Congress, whether on Capitol Hill, at nearby facilities or even in the hotel,” said Robert Guenther, SVP of policy for United Fresh. “We’re also looking forward to new opportunities to deliver the 'Washington, D.C., experience' to first-timers and all of our attendees who have missed in-person gatherings this year.”

Registration is now open online for the conference, with a member rate of $795, non-members at $995, and discounts available for multiple registrants, including member-rate access for PMA members who aren't members of United Fresh.