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The Council Connection March 2023

NETWORKING

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

Illuminating the Southern Exposure 2023 Universe

Registration Desk Hours

Location: Dolphin Convention Foyers 1-2 Registration Desk (Level 3)

  • Thursday March 2nd | 1:00pm – 6:00pm
  • Friday March 3rd | 7:00am – 9:00pm
  • Saturday March 4th | 8:00am – 4:00pm

Convention Center Information

Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort

1500 Epcot Resorts Boulevard

P.O. Box 22653

Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Stay Connected

WiFi is complementary during the expo. Charging Stations will be available throughout the conference. Don't forget to share your Southern Exposure experience on Social Media!

Events

This year's conference will be educational and fun-filled, but some of our events require session purchases. Be sure to purchase ahead of time so you don’t miss out! Space is limited

  • Retail & Foodservice Reception: by invitation only; Opening Gala session purchase required
  • Opening Gala: session purchase
  • Keynote Brunch: session purchase
  • Southern Roots Luncheon: session purchase
  • Closing Reception: session purchase

Exhibitor and Attendee Etiquette

  • Exhibitors and non-exhibiting attendees shall not congregate or solicit trade in doorways or aisles.
  • Conduct of exhibitors and attendees shall be professional and courteous at all times.
  • Exhibitors and non-exhibiting attendees may not enter the exhibit space of another exhibitor without express permission. If admission has been granted, exhibitors shall be courteous and move aside when the host exhibitor is showing merchandise to prospective buyers.
  • Under no circumstances shall an exhibitor or non-exhibiting attendees interrupt another exhibitor showing merchandise to a prospective buyer.
  • Exhibitors or non-exhibiting attendees may not have models, signs, or other solicitation devices outside assigned exhibit space or in aisles.
  • No furniture, product or packing materials may be left in the aisle during show hours.
  • No exhibit will be permitted which, in the view of Show Management, is offensive or poses a danger or potential danger to exhibitors or buyers.
  • Exhibitors or non-exhibiting attendees must keep their badge on at all times. Badge swapping is prohibited.

If any company is found in violation, they will lose their right to exhibit and attend the conference.

What Do I Wear?

Overall conference attire is business casual. Use this guide to help decide what to wear throughout the week.

  • Tom Page Golf Classic (Thursday 3/2): Golf attire
  • Educational Sessions & Southern Roots Luncheon (Friday 3/3): Business casual
  • Opening Gala (Friday 3/3): Family-friendly, Star Trek-themed attire or dressy casual
  • Keynote Brunch & Expo (Saturday 3/4): Business casual
  • Closing Reception (Saturday 3/4): Business casual
  • Al Finch Memorial Prayer Breakfast (Sunday 3/5): Business casual

Who’s Attending?

You can access the attendee list by logging in to your registration and selecting “Attendees” within the menu dropdown.

*Please note that any external company solicitation has not been approved by the SEPC.

Produce Donations

If you have any questions, please stop by the Society of St. Andrew table at the SEPC Cares booth in the Atlantic Foyer.

Educational Session I

Educational Session II

Warp Speed to our Southern Exposure Digital Toolkit now available!

Right click on each image to download today!

Email Signature
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Contests & Prizes!

Incoming Transmission! SEPC Starfleet Command has issued the orders for you to compete in our Southern Exposure – Produce: The Final Frontier costume and booth decorating contests! We invite all attendees to participate for a chance to win CASH! Resistance is futile!

Costume Contest

Set a course for our Opening Gala on Friday night, March 3rd in Star Trek-themed, family-friendly attire to compete in our costume contest for a chance to win one of these AMEX gift cards:

  • 1st place: $200
  • 2nd place: $150
  • 3rd place: $100
  • Best Group: $300

Booth Decorating Contest

Have a booth idea that’s out of this world? Decorate your booth with space-age flair on Saturday at the expo for our booth decorating contest! Three of the best decorated booths will receive a prize of one of the following AMEX gift cards:

  • 1st place: $1,000
  • 2nd place: $500
  • 3rd place: $250

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!

SAVE THE DATE!

Mark your calendars to meet us in Charlotte, NC for Southern Innovations held September 14 – 16, 2023. Registration will open THIS WEEK, March 4th, 2023.

The SEPC Southern Roots Committee is honored to announce Melissa Pine as the Southern Roots Member Spotlight for February 2023. Please take a moment and get to know Melissa!

Cultivating Ideas – Growing Relationships – Producing Results

Each year, the SEPC strives to curate an impactful series of industry programs and networking events for our members. The SEPC Virtual Garden is our newest platform through which we will continue to keep members abreast of the latest developments in produce—whether those are happening in the soil, in the cloud, or anywhere in between.

Through the SEPC Virtual Garden, we have begun planting the seeds from our founding pillars – Networking, Innovation, Community, and Education – so that our members will reap the benefits of harvesting quality experiences guaranteed to increase the value of their membership.

In case you missed them, several sessions are available on demand!

The key to the success of our SEPC Virtual Garden is the community who tends it, and we are eager to serve alongside our SEPC family to see what we can grow together.

INNOVATION

Thank you to all who have registered to attend our annual Cocktails & Careers, where STARS students will have the chance to meet with invited SEPC member companies to discuss job opportunities available within the produce industry.

Unable to attend?

Visit the app or our website to learn more about these outstanding students!

SEPC STARS – boldly taking students and companies where they have never gone before!

COMMUNITY

Community Updates

Our Featured Charitable Partner for March is Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. For the past few years, SEPC has been the Title Sponsor of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life Superhero Sprint and gives away fresh, free produce to event attendees. All proceeds benefit Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Strong4Life program, which helps Georgia families raise healthy, resilient kids.

We invite you to join our team each year as we support this super benefit, or if you aren’t up for the run, but would like to help out, we would love for you to volunteer with us!

EDUCATION

Congratulations to our 2023 Vorhees Vision Scholarship recipients!

Scholarship Details

Recipients of the SEPC Member Scholarship will each receive a scholarship of $1,000 towards their educational goals for the upcoming school year. The SEPC is proud to have awarded 59 scholarships ($59,000) in 2022 thanks to the dedication of our members.

The SEPC Member Scholarship application can only be submitted online through our link which will be provided beginning March 13, 2023. The application deadline is April 28, 2023 at 5pm EST.

SEPC Annual Membership

Membership Registration for 2023-2024 will open April 3rd!

Join the SEPC Today and Thrive

As an SEPC member, you’ll join a diverse group of like-minded produce professionals, from farmers to distributors and retailers to chefs. It’s about growing your knowledge, sharpening your skills, sharing your passion with others, and enjoying what makes this corner of the country extra special: its long tradition of bringing people together through food that is grown, distributed, and cooked with love.

Please review the membership information on our website and select which annual membership* best suits your company's needs.

*Please note that our annual membership period runs June through May of the following year. We do not prorate our membership fees.

**All conference attendees are required to be SEPC members in order to attend any events. Exhibitors are required to maintain a corporate membership.**

Our Sponsors

SEPC sponsors are a vital part of our existence. Simply put, sponsor contributions help us bring more to the table for everyone. Like better networking and education events, fresh talent, and a broader awareness of best practices throughout our industry. And of course, when you help us promote produce, your organization will gain crucial exposure at our events and engagements throughout the year.

Interested in becoming an SEPC Sponsor?

We thank you for your support and look forward to boosting your business in return.

Check out this month’s Sponsor Spotlights on our social media platforms to learn more about each of our SEPC Level Sponsors!

Congratulations to Michelle Jacobs of Jackson Farming Co. for being the first to answer our February SEPC Fruit & Veggie Trivia Question correctly!

March Trivia Question

BE THE FIRST TO ANSWER CORRECTLY AND WIN A $25 GIFT CARD!

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a bit of Irish trivia for you: this hearty meal originally hailed from Scotland, but when it made its way over to Ireland, they skipped the pastry and used their abundance of potatoes instead (calling into question its pie status). Technically, you can only call it by this name if it contains lamb or mutton.

Can you name it?

Contact us

Please note that our mailing address has changed! See our new mailing address below in the contact information.

242 North Masonic Street | Millen, GA 30442 | 877.720.SEPC (7372) | info@seproducecouncil.com