The International Blueberry Organization (IBO) has announced an interesting and dynamic program for its upcoming Summit. It reflects the truly global nature of the blueberry industry and its focus on making blueberries the world’s favorite ‘super fruit’.

The Summit will be held in Lublin, Poland from Jul. 3-6, 2023, and includes in-person visits to some of the world’s largest blueberry farms, where Poland’s leading blueberry growers will share their experiences. 

There will also be a focus on examining how production can be further improved and consumption levels increased globally, while a major session devoted to ‘Making Blueberries the World’s Favorite Superfruit’ promises to be a highlight.

Poland sets a good example of how to boost domestic consumption, with 8% annual growth within the last three years and penetration exceeding 80%.

Daily Schedule

The first day of the Summit will begin with a presentation on the IBO Global State of the Blueberry Industry Report. This will be presented by Cort Brazelton, Co-CEO of Fall Creek, and Colin Fain, CEO of Agronometrics, 2023, it will highlight current trends and the latest production and consumption data. 

The presentation will be followed by a round table discussion on the impact of disruptive production growth in some regions of the world on the future of the industry. Next up will be the ‘Local Spotlight’ session, in which a panel will discuss what is happening in Poland, Ukraine, and Turkey.

Two of the top players in the global blueberry industry, Soren Bjorn, President of Driscoll’s of the Americas, and Juan Ignacio Allende, CEO of Hortifrut, will provide valuable insights on what the future holds for the blueberry industry. This will then lead to several breakout sessions on the topic of innovation. 

“I am excited about the discussion between Soren Bjorn and Juan Ignacio Allende who are two of the industry’s global leaders, in particular, to hear their views on the future of the industry,” said Peter McPherson, President of the IBO.

The first day will conclude with a can’t-miss Gala Dinner.

“The IBO Summit 2023 promises to be an exciting event for the global blueberry community. It will be the first time in four years that the industry has been able to come together and share firsthand its collective knowledge to drive this great industry forward and on to further success,” said McPherson,

The second day kicks off with the ‘Know Your Consumer’ session, with presentations from ZurGroup’s Felipe Silva on the outlook for blueberry consumption worldwide, and from David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at Imperial College London, who will talk about consumer preferences around the world. 

Our ‘Making Blueberries the World’s Favorite Superfruit’ session will feature presentations on the most innovative promotional activities from around the world. This will be followed by a round table discussion on best practices for promoting blueberries. 

Finishing off the second day, Mario Steta, Operation's Director EMEA at Driscoll’s of Europe, will delve into ‘The Sustainability Challenge’, followed by a presentation highlighting the recent findings of health research. 

The third day offers delegates three fantastic farm tours, including one of the largest organic blueberry farm in Europe. On the fourth day (July 6), another optional farm tour, this time to the largest conventional blueberry farm in Europe, will be departing from Warsaw.

“Sponsorship packages are selling fast, and we are happy with the response from the industry to contribute to the event,” said Dominika Kozarzewska of the Summit organizing committee. “Our team can be contacted at sponsors@ibosummit2023.com.”

For more information, please visit www.ibosummit2023.com.