A star-studded lineup of speakers and panelists including retailers, exporters, marketers and breeders from around the world has been announced for the first-ever edition of the Global Grape Summit, which takes place in London on June 5, 2019. Numerous educational sessions have also been scheduled to provide attendees with insights they need to be successful in a fast-moving industry.

The commercially-focused, one-day conference, which is co-organized by Produce Business magazine and Yentzen Group, will be held at the luxurious JW Marriott Grosvenor House in Mayfair as part of The London Produce Show and Conference, the largest event in the UK -- the 5th largest economy in the world -- for the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. The Global Grape Summit will take place one day before the London Produce Show’s one-day trade exhibition.

(Clockwise from top left) Jim Prevor, Produce Business; Tania van der Merwe, Freshmark; George Liu, FrutaCloud; Rupert Maude, El Ciruelo; Manuel Jose Alcaino, Decofrut; Ricardo Koch, Rio Blanco; Don Goodwin, Golden Sun Marketing; Josep Estiarte, SNFL

Kicking off the day, Manuel José Alcaíno, President of Decofrut (Chile), will present “The Global Table Grape Panorama”, providing insights into every prominent supply country, from their current plantings to the evolution of their latest advances.

Then, during the session titled, “Consumer Response to New Varieties”, Joe Shaw Roberts of Kantar Worldpanel will present research on the topic, following which Jim Prevor, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Produce Business magazine, will moderate a panel that includes Phil Macy, Category Buyer for Grapes and Stonefruit at Sam’s Club (U.S.); George Liu, CEO of e-commerce platform Frutacloud (China); Josep Estiarte, Director of Special New Fruit Licensing, SNFL (Spain); Tania van der Merwe, Senior Buyer for Freshmark (South Africa); and John Pandol, Director of Special Projects at Pandol Bros. Inc. (U.S.).

A session called “Fast-Forward to 2029” will delve into what the next decade holds for the global table grape industry, looking at where the industry is headed as well as the critical opportunities and challenges, from over-production to new varieties and emerging markets. Presentations by Oscar Salgado of SanLucar (Spain) on “New Production Areas Around the World”, and by Garth Swinburn, Vice President of Licensing at Sun World Innovations (U.S.) on “The Breeder’s Paradox”, will be followed by a panel including Gary York, Vice President of Global Sales at C.H. Robinson (U.S.); Ricardo Koch, General Manager for Chile-based exporter Río Blanco (Chile); Rupert Maude, Commercial Director at El Ciruelo (Spain); and Nitin Agrawal, Managing Director of EuroFruits (India).

There will then be presentations by Don Goodwin, President & Owner, Golden Sun Marketing (US) on “Marketing Grapes for Success”; by George Liu, CEO of Frutacloud (China) on “Maximising Online Retailing in China”; and by Alejandro Fuentes, General Manager, Agrícola Don Ricardo (Perú) “Supplier Spotlight on Peru”.

Rounding off the day will be a session called “Retail Opportunities in the UK”, which will help attendees come to grips with one of the leading global import markets for table grapes. A panel made up of Louisa Read of Marks and Spencer (UK) and Paul Farmer of Sainsbury’s (UK) --  moderated by Carlo Berardi of Agrimessina (Italy/UK) -- will provide in-depth analysis of grape category trends and opportunities in the UK where grapes are one of the most frequently purchased fruits.

“The Global Grape Summit promises to quickly become the single most important event on the table grape industry’s calendar,” said Jim Prevor. “An incredible day of top-quality educational sessions will provide attendees with the insights and knowledge they need to ensure success in this dynamic and exciting industry.”

“We have an absolutely fantastic lineup of expert speakers and panelists for the inaugural Global Grape Summit,” said Gustavo Yentzen, General Manager of Yentzen Group. “This event will be a unique meeting point for the table grape industry to come together and analyze the biggest challenges and opportunities they are facing.”

The Global Grape Summit will conclude with The London Produce Show and Conference’s Opening Cocktail Reception, which all delegates will be able to attend. The next day will include the Thought Leader Breakfast Panel session, a full-day trade exhibition, and optional seminars, sold at an additional fee. On the final day, there will be a series of optional industry tours.

For more information about the Global Grape Summit, including tickets, booths and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.globalgrapesummit.com or contact grapesummit@yc.cl.