CANCUN, MEXICO - The sound of the sea, business meetings with the backdrop of warm sandy beaches, and luxurious accommodations and exciting events—you could almost forget Asociación Mexicana de Horticultura Protegida AC’s (AMHPAC) 11th Annual Convention was work at all. But believe me, work was done. As Mexico’s fresh produce supply chain becomes even more essential to feeding the world, industry members converged in Cancun, Quintana Roo, to discuss the issues of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.

I spoke with a few industry members to get their take on the three-day event that brought us all together at the Iberostar Cancun, and why the convention’s timing is important more now than ever. With topics ranging from NAFTA, aeroponics, and renewable energies to dumping, data management, and the natural and organic markets, the event was teeming with moments to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones.

“The AMHPAC conference is all about reinforcing our relationships with our growers and meet new ones, in addition to having planning sessions with them for the upcoming season,” General Manager Jaime Garcia of Kingdom Fresh shares with me. “It’s a great show for our procurement team and we are excited to see what is on the horizon for the rest of this year and next as we build our long-term goals as an organization.”

Along with days rich with sessions and simultaneous trade floor action, AMHPAC offer attendees the unique opportunity to arrange appointments for strategic business conversations among growers and marketers to leverage the occasion cultivate relationships.

"AMHPAC brings together industry members to inspire conversations about policy, practices, and the direction of the industry while also strategically bringing together the best of the best to determine the direction of Mexico's agricultural future. It is an event I look forward to every year," Jeremy Stockwell, Director of Sales and Procurement for Double Diamond Farms, tells me as we discuss the climate of the industry and demands of the business.

While the dialogue was flowing and the conversations were dynamic and productive, the show was also a hit on the entertainment front and bookended by an opening reception on the beach at sunset and a closing ceremony and party at the Mandala Beach Club. And I can’t possibly forget the networking dinner on Thursday night that brought everyone together near the beach, clad in white, for an evening of delicious food and libations, and more opportunities to strike up a chat or five.

To further cultivate the value of the event in addition to the sessions tailored to discuss challenges with specialists in the field, AMHPAC also held meetings with banks and insurance agencies to get conversations started and resources in the hands of industry members.

The event, now in its 11th year, has been growing in leaps in bounds, keeping everyone in the industry engaged in the direction of Mexican produce.

“The work that AMHPAC is doing is very good and necessary, especially right now that NAFTA is in the midst of renegotiation,” Wilson Produce’s General Manager, Guillermo Martinez, shares. “I think this annual event is a great conference and for us, as distributors of fresh produce, we hope to see AMHPAC create more and more avenues to bring growers to the table and create more value for us all.”

Well said Guillermo, and a huge thank you to AMHPAC for inviting AndNowUKnow to another excitement-packed event! We will see you all at the next one!

AMHPAC