Dear Safe Food Alliance Family,
Thank you for your support in joining us in the beautiful city of Monterey from April 1 -4 for the 2019 Safe Food California conference. We welcomed over 400 industry professionals to our annual event composed of more than 25 sessions, certification courses, academy courses, panel discussions and networking events designed to address today’s most pressing questions facing the food industry. This year’s conference offered three tracks spanning from growers, food safety managers to business leaders, with each track addressing pertinent topics for that segment of the food industry. I am constantly inspired by the passion and dedication shown by the SFC attendees, which is an essential component of securing the safe food systems we have today.
Conference Highlights included:
- Pre-conference required FSMA trainings classes Produce Safety Rule in English and Spanish and also the new FSMA Foreign Supplier Verification course
- Pinnacle Club Golf Tournament where member companies were recognized for their excellence in food safety
- Kick-off Exhibitor Reception where Scholarship awards were presented to three recipients who have aspirations for contribution to the food industry
- Academy courses ranging from Food Safety 101 to Implementing Culture Change
- Numerous breakout sessions addressing topics from Farm Readiness; Water, Sustainability and Food Safety; What’s Happening at the Ports and a World Business Outlook.
- Wednesday evening closed with a sold-out “Under The Sea” Evening Gala at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
- The General Sessions were punctuated with great topics from “Building Trust in a Post-Truth, Tribal World”, Where We Came From and Where We’re Going to Food Safety From Europe’s Perspective.
- The “At a Glance: Addressing the Needs of the Food Industry” panel discussion also gave us a better understanding of the latest topics impacting the food system
I am sincerely grateful to all of our sponsors, exhibitors and presenters for making this event a success. A big reason we host Safe Food California is to bring together thought leaders and influencers from diverse parts of the food industry to inform, engage with one another and to assist us in our preparation for addressing food industry’s future needs.
I also recognize and appreciate the dedication of our staff; from the marketing department who carries the heavy load in planning, orchestrating and delivering the conference event, as well as the other staff members who contribute in their own unique ways to the success of the conference.
On behalf of Safe Food Alliance, thank you again for your generous support. We could not have done this without you and look forward to seeing you at Safe Food California 2020 in Monterey, California from March 29-April 2, 2019!
Best regards,
Sam Keiper
President/CEO
Safe Food Alliance