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The 2006 Food Export Marketing Forum took place October 1-5, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Now in its fifth year, the forum has evolved into a dynamic educational and networking event. It brought together over 40 food and agricultural companies, marketing experts from 16 countries/regions, Midwestern and Northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies, staff members from Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (Food Export – Midwest) and Food Export USA – Northeast (Food Export – Northeast), and other organizations supplying resources to help grow export sales.
Bringing together these participants has helped leverage knowledge and expertise to support and increase trade between Midwestern and Northeastern food and agricultural companies and countries around the globe. “Sharing best practices and brainstorming ideas collectively is a powerful tool for continuous growth and improvement,” said Tim Hamilton, Executive Director of Food Export – Midwest and Food Export – Northeast.
U.S. Companies Take Part for the First Time
U.S. food and agricultural companies were invited to attend the Forum for the first time this year. Representatives from each company were able to sit across the table from international food marketing experts to discuss their products’ potential in foreign markets. According to Nick Vandervelde, Export Sales Manager at Sturm Foods based in Wisconsin, “We’ve received a lot of great feedback on our products, and a lot of interest, too. The international food marketing experts and state representatives have been very helpful in identifying potential new markets for our products.”
Throughout the Forum, there were numerous opportunities to network and learn about global trends shaping the food and agricultural industry. A variety of informative general sessions, smaller breakout sessions, networking activities, and one-on-one meetings helped companies discover how significantly international trade can impact their businesses and strengthen their exporting future.
Companies also learned about the value of Food Export – Midwest and Food Export – Northeast programs and services to assist with exporter education, market entry, and market promotions. “The Forum has been terrific. To make these contacts and find out about what’s available as far as services is invaluable,” said Michael Effron, Regional Manager from Efco Products based in New York.
Exporting For the Future
Agricultural exports are an important part of the world’s economy. Export sales have soared in recent years in response to consumers’ growing purchasing power and lower trade barriers. In fact, exports of consumer food products are growing three times faster than domestic sales. Events like the 2006 Food Export Marketing Forum help prepare companies for the continued growth of U.S. agricultural and food exports well into the future.
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