Now that I've had time to digest the volume of and advancements showcased at the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Summit floor exhibits and after editing video I took of friends and alumni at our hosted UC Davis Welcome Reception, I am overwhelmed by the support of UC Davis and the Postharvest Technology Center!

The annual event landed back in Anaheim for 2014 and was welcomed by a record attendance of over 22,000.  Trying to work through the crowd to find some friends and sponsors of the UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center I can attest that it felt like that record attendance were mostly all there on Saturday.  The show boasts over 1,000 exhibitors, with some very effective and distracting displays.  As it was my first time attending, I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the convention center and the creativity of some of the displays.  I saw many new trends and innovations, especially geared toward motivating kids to eat more fruits and veggies.

With as immense and crowded as that conference floor seemed, the UC Davis reception that evening was just the opposite--personal and inviting. Having sent out invitations to a number of our friends and alumni, and having our sponsors hand out invitations on the PMA floor that day, we enjoyed good food and good company.  One highlight was listening to Dean Helene Dillard champion the quality of our college and the students we graduate.  Another highlight came as I interviewed some of our students and alumni.  Almost all of the people I interviewed expressed a similar sentiment as this quote from alumni Joan Rosen, “UC Davis was, really, a great place for me to get a foundation and the educational portion of postharvest physiology…  In addition, I got to know a very diverse group of people from all over the world, and I gained friendships and relationships with people that I still maintain to this day.  It's been great people, great networking opportunities—a really great community that I have really fond memories of.”

I had a great time and learned much at both the PMA Fresh Summit and at the UC Davis reception. We hope that many of you will be able to join us for our next planned reception. Stay tuned via our e-newsletter for details.

Postharvest Technology Center PMA Reception