Your produce may look ready for a retail shelf, but is this the right show to put it in front of buyers? The Global Produce & Floral Show brings that question into focus. Here is what the Orlando event offers, and what your first exhibit needs to make possible.
Orlando dates: three event days, two expo days
The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) runs The Global Produce & Floral Show for the fresh produce and floral industry. The 2026 event takes place October 14–16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The expo runs Thursday, October 15, and Friday, October 16. IFPA exhibitor information
This distinction matters when you arrange buyer meetings. October 14 is part of the overall event, but it is not an extra public expo day. The current exhibitor guide lists expo hours as 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on both days. Keep installation and product deliveries on their own schedule. 2026 quick reference guide
If your team saved an earlier 2026 prospectus, check the dates again. That PDF still says October 15–17; the live website explicitly announces the move to Wednesday–Friday, October 14–16. Use the current schedule when arranging travel. Current event notice · Earlier prospectus
The audience is relevant, but it is not one buying group
IFPA identifies retailers, foodservice operators and distributors among its buyer audience. Its exhibitor page also describes growers and processors alongside suppliers of packaging and other industry services. You are entering a professional supply-chain event where attendees have different reasons to stop at a booth. Who the show brings together
For your retail produce business, the useful conversation is specific: can this buyer use your product during the season you supply? A tasting may start that conversation, but your team also needs to explain the pack format and where the product can be delivered. Bring the retail pack you intend to sell, rather than relying entirely on a decorative pile of fruit.
The floral side is a real part of the show, not simply decoration around produce exhibits. Business solutions also have a substantial place on the floor, including retail technology and packaging. The breadth can help you find partners, but it makes total attendance a poor substitute for identifying your own target accounts. Official show overview
The show belongs on your shortlist if you can already describe a credible retail supply program. If your product is still only a concept and you cannot answer where or when it will be available, attending to learn may be a better first step than building an exhibit around an unready offer.
Use the exhibitor list and floor plan to place your product in context
The official directory lets you explore exhibitors by product or service, country and show-floor segment. It also separates first-time exhibitors and offers a meeting planner. Use it to see how businesses in your category describe their offer before choosing the display you need. 2026 exhibitor directory
For example, if you sell a retail-ready berry pack, look for the berry suppliers and pack formats buyers will compare with yours. Your booth should make the relevant difference visible. That might be the pack itself or the season you cover; it does not automatically call for a larger structure.
The directory is a list of exhibitors, not proof that a particular retail buyer has agreed to visit you. Separate competitor research from your meeting list. A named account with a relevant buying need is more useful for planning the exhibit than an assumed share of the crowd.
A fresh product display needs more than attractive shelving
Two practical conditions can change what you can show in Orlando. First, the 2026 guide directs perishables to the show site separately from booth materials; the advance warehouse has no refrigerated storage. Second, sampling requires a Sampling Approval Form. The guide names Sodexo Live as the official caterer and limits food and nonalcoholic beverage samples to 2 ounces. Perishables and sampling guidance
Decide whether buyers need to inspect a whole product, examine a retail pack or taste a prepared sample. Those are different demonstrations. For a tasting, leave room inside your booth for serving and the next conversation, rather than letting the sampling line occupy the only place to discuss supply.
IFPA lists daily delivery from refrigerated storage to your booth as a complimentary service. Electricity, utilities and furniture are not included with the standard booth, and required booth flooring is purchased separately. Free product delivery therefore should not be read as an equipped refrigerated display. Confirm the storage arrangement and the power your chosen display needs before approving its layout. What the booth includes
Check the booth type before approving the design
The show has separate display guidelines for different booth configurations. Its island-booth guidance allows fixtures up to 20 feet and discourages solid walls that obstruct neighboring sightlines. That height is not a general allowance for every booth. Give your designer the contracted configuration and the current guidelines together. IFPA booth display guidelines
IFPA decides exhibitor eligibility. Its rules also require prior written approval for outside installation and dismantling contractors, with the required application and liability insurance. Treat contractor approval as part of preparing your exhibit, not something resolved by purchasing the space. 2026 exposition rules, sections 2 and 14
Questions before your first exhibit
Do first-time benefits depend on taking a pavilion booth?
No. IFPA says all first-time exhibitors receive access to an experienced exhibitor contact, first-time booth signage and recognition in the online list. The pavilion adds promotional benefits. Compare that added exposure with the location of the product categories you want buyers to associate with your business. First-time exhibitor benefits
Can a Trade Show Only Pass get a team member in for setup?
No. The published booth inclusions distinguish expo-only admission from Booth Worker Badges, which cover setup and teardown access as well. Allocate the booth's registration credits to the people who will actually prepare the exhibit before using the remaining credits for customer invitations. Registration credits and access
Why do some listings still call it PMA Fresh Summit?
Older trade materials use that name. WUSATA’s 2023 pavilion information identifies The Global Produce and Floral Show with the former PMA Fresh Summit name. For your current application and travel plans, use IFPA’s current event name and 2026 pages; an old-name listing may also carry an outdated date. WUSATA pavilion information
Decide what a buyer should be able to evaluate
Before committing to the exhibit, choose the retail product you can support with a real supply conversation. Then establish how a buyer will examine it in Orlando and confirm the services that demonstration requires. That gives you a useful basis for choosing space and briefing a booth designer.
