FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ray Gilmer or Barbara Wunder
Phone: 321-214-5200

MARKET SMART! AT FLORIDA FRUIT & VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION
63rd ANNUAL CONVENTION

Marketing, Farm Labor and the 2007 Farm Bill Highlight Convention Sessions

MAITLAND, Fla. (July 7, 2006) - Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association's 63rd Annual Convention, September 17 through 19 at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Florida, will offer many opportunities for those in the fresh produce industry to learn how to bring their products to market with distinction.

Keynote Speaker Joe Calloway has built a 20-year consulting career showing companies how to achieve true differentiation over competitors - and not settle for just being first among equals. For FFVA 2006, this popular business author shares how extraordinary companies transcend commodity and defy comparison with his presentation, "Indispensable: Stop Being a Commodity."

"In today's marketplace, buyers of almost everything see sameness among products, and this certainly holds true for the agricultural market," said Calloway. "If you are perceived as a commodity, then the only way you can win is with price. Clear differentiation is the only way to keep from being pulled into the downward spiral of a price war." To learn more, join Calloway at FFVA's Annual Cracker Breakfast, Tuesday, September 19.

Educational sessions will keep producers up-to-date on recent trends in the industry. The first session, "Understanding the Produce Customer: Building a New Brand for Fruits and Vegetables," will explore the landmark research that helped create the "Fruits & Veggies: More Matters" brand for fruit and vegetable consumption. The brand, which is managed by the Produce for Better Health Foundation with participation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health authorities, won't be launched until next March, but FFVA 2006 attendees will get a sneak preview into this huge effort by retailers and leading industry partners.

As growers start a new season with an uncertain supply of labor, FFVA's second educational session tackles the tough issue of immigration reform and what farm employers can do now to ensure a steady workforce. Producers will hear the latest news about legislative and regulatory changes that will likely have a significant impact on farm employers.

And a third session, "Building a Stronger Produce Industry: The New Farm Bill," will explain how a national industry coalition is building congressional support for exciting new federal agriculture policies. Specialty crops, including fruits and vegetables, now constitute as much as 50 percent of our nation's crop value. With that in mind, industry leaders will update producers on the industry-wide effort to bring about substantive changes to federal programs to enhance market access, research, nutrition, conservation assistance and more.

The Ritz-Carlton in Naples is consistently ranked as one of the world's top resort hotels. It's a great place to get away from the daily grind and soak up life's pleasures.
FFVA will again conduct its Annual Benefit Auction, featuring a silent and live auction, with proceeds dedicated to a new migrant scholarship fund. The live auction will take place during the final event, a fifties sock hop theme party!

Convention attendees also have the opportunity to enjoy golf, tennis and fishing events.

To register, call (321) 214-5200 or visit www.ffva.com to register online and view a complete schedule of events.

Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association is an agricultural trade organization representing Florida's producers of fruits, vegetables and other crops.

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The FFVA 2006 convention logo and photos of Joe Calloway and the Ritz-Carlton, Naples, are available via email from barbara.wunder@ffva.com.