Viva Fresh 2019 registration open

Organizers of the Viva Fresh Expo have seen exceptional growth since the show’s first outing in 2015. To that end, they’ve opened registration for the 2019 event in San Antonio even earlier.

Viva Fresh is scheduled for April 25-27, 2019 at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa in San Antonio.

The regional show started small but has seen buyer attendance grow more than 110%.

“This Tex-Mex corridor has grown to become one of the most promising and important regions for fresh produce year-round,” said Tony Fisher, director of sourcing for Walmart Inc., Bentonville, AR, in a news release. “Viva Fresh offers a great opportunity to connect, learn and gain an inside perspective on companies that make this region so successful, which is why I look forward to attending every year.”

The Texas International Produce Association, Mission, expects more than half of all U.S. produce imports from Mexico to cross through Texas by 2025, and Texas crossings have grown 107% since 2007. Viva Fresh is focused on connecting this growth to retail and foodservice buyers, and focuses exhibitor spaces on grower-shippers from Texas and Mexico, said Dante Galeazzi, TIPA president & CEO, in a news release.

“We’ve been determined to create a more intimate and relaxed trade show experience, which is why we have limited the expo to 168 booths,” he said. “The expo has been described by buyers as being ‘more manageable,’ providing access to regional suppliers and growers often not able to exhibit at larger industry expos, thus expanding vendor options.”

Information, and registration is available at www.VivaFreshExpo.com. A hosted buyer program is available for qualified retail and foodservice attendees.