Mar 24, 2020

PMA to host first Virtual Town Hall meetings for members  

Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has announced it will host a Virtual Town Hall for members on Wednesday, March 25, at 12 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (U.S. and Canada). The Virtual Town Hall: Industry Responds to COVID-19 will be the first in a series of virtual meetings to provide expert insights and cross-industry discussions on the challenges facing the entire produce and floral supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The current COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly reshaping our world as consumers react and the supply chains adapt to a global crisis we’ve not seen before. In fresh produce and floral we’ve seen markets shift overnight in some cases, then shift again. Our members are seeking solutions as well as a sense of community as they navigate through these changes and uncertainties,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “That’s why we’re actively curating and developing resources to help our members and the industry, including hosting this Virtual Town Hall. Our goal is to identify opportunities and strategies to support one another during this challenging time.”  

The Virtual Town Hall will provide an opportunity for members to engage with PMA experts and with each other. The March 25 virtual meeting is designed to first provide an overarching view of current developments impacting the industry, then virtual roundtable discussions will follow. These roundtables will be smaller group discussions around specific topic areas, including grocery/retail, trade, growers/shippers, supply chain/transportation, floral, and foodservice. Attendees can choose which roundtable they wish to join.   

PMA invites all interested members to register here for the hour-long March 25 Virtual Town Hall. Registration closes at 9 a.m. EDT on the day of the event. A Zoom account is required to participate and can be set up for free here.   

PMA will host a second Virtual Town Hall on April 1 at 12 p.m. EDT (U.S. and Canada) that will focus on the floral industry. This hour-long event will bring together the PMA floral community and supply chain to continue the dialogue to understand and address immediate challenges in mass-market floral. All interested participants can register here, and can sign up here for a Zoom account. You do not need to be a PMA member to register for the PMA Virtual Town Hall: Floral event.  

PMA is a leading trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain.