United Fresh returning to in-person events with Washington Conference

United Fresh Produce Association will use its annual Washington Conference to get back to having regular in-person events.

Members of the produce industry will join together to make their voices heard at the 2021 Washington Conference, which is set for Sept. 20-22 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C.

“After a year of virtual events, we’re thrilled to bring our industry back together in person for one of the most important events of the year — our opportunity to explain our challenges and voice our concerns with the nation’s top elected leaders,” said United Fresh Chairman Danny Dumas, president of Courchesne Larose USA. “And, with our new alignment with the Produce Marketing Association coming in 2022, we welcome all PMA members to come experience this unique event at the United Fresh member rate.”

For more than 25 years, the Annual Washington Conference has brought industry leaders to meet with members of Congress and cabinet officials throughout the Administration.

“From Bill Clinton to Joe Biden, every president’s administration has heard directly from produce leaders during this annual event,” said United Fresh President & CEO Tom Stenzel.

The Washington Conference also includes a Produce Advocacy Bootcamp for those attendees new to communicating with Congress, workshops detailing the most critical public policy issues facing the industry, general sessions with top national leaders, and networking throughout as our industry’s top leaders come together in common purpose to build a stronger business climate.

The 2021 conference will once again include face-to-face Congressional meetings as permitted in September, as well as a series of online meetings following the conference.

“We’re looking now at how we can get our members together with the most members of Congress, whether on Capitol Hill, at nearby facilities, or even in the hotel,” said United Fresh Senior Vice President of Policy Robert Guenther. “We’re also looking forward to new opportunities to deliver the ‘Washington, D.C. experience’ to first-timers and all of our attendees who have missed in-person gatherings this year.”

Registration is now open, with a member rate of $795, non-members at $995, and discounts available for multiple registrations, including member rate access for Produce Marketing Association members who are not members of United Fresh.

For more information and to register, visit www.unitedfresh.org. For questions about the event, contact Angela Tiwari, United Fresh Director of Grassroots and Political Action, at [email protected] or 202-303-3416.