Annual Meeting & Product Showcase '25
The Annual Meeting & Product Showcase ’25 will be held October 28-30, 2025 at the Omni Downtown in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Registration
Registration Fees
| Registration Type | Before Oct. 2 | After Oct. 2 |
|---|---|---|
|
Member |
$835 |
$895 |
|
Additional Members (2-7) |
$730 |
$790 |
|
Additional Members (8+) |
$625 |
$685 |
|
Non-Member |
$1,450 |
$1,510 |
|
University/Researcher/Spouse |
$225 |
$280 |
|
Spouse Activity |
$45 |
$45 |
Advance Registration Deadline: Thursday, October 2, 2025
Registration Cancellation Policy: Registrations canceled after October 2, 2025 will be charged a $100 processing fee plus the cost of meals.
Spouse Registration Includes: Welcome Reception, President’s Breakfast, Keynote Luncheon, Grand Reception, and Breakfast Session on Thursday (OPTIONAL ADD-ON Spouse Activity)
Substitutions: Attendee substitutions may be made at any time prior to the event, provided that the substitute is from the same organization.
Photo/Film Policy: PPI may take photographs and film the event. By participating in the event, you authorize PPI, without limitation, the right to reproduce, copy, exhibit, publish or distribute any such film or photograph, and waive all rights or claims you may have against PPI and/or any of its Affiliates, Subsidiaries, or Assignees.
Data We Collect: By completing the following event registration form, PPI collects your name, email, address, company affiliation, personal preferences and payment information so that PPI can facilitate, process and confirm your registration for the meeting.
Registration Questions/Group Registrations: If you have any questions, please contact Richelle Adams at 202-331-2456 or [email protected].
Hotel Information
Omni Charlotte Hotel
132 E. Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704) 377-0400
Website: Omni Charlotte Hotel
The group rate is $259.00 per night plus taxes and fees. All reservations must be accompanied by a first night room deposit guaranteed with a major credit card.
Book your group rate for PPI 2025 Annual Meeting & Product Showcase
The group rate is available until noon (ET) on October 11, 2025. PPI recommends you make your room reservations as early as possible to ensure rooms are available.
Check-in time is at 4:00 PM and check-out time is at 12:00PM.
Valet Parking is $48/day. (the hotel does not have electric vehicle charging stations)
Hotel cancellation policy: For guest rooms, the cancellation policy is 48 hours prior to arrival.
Schedule of Events
Schedule is subject to change
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
8:30 am – 10:00 am
Manufacturing & Technology Committee Meeting
10:30 am – Noon
Agricultural Research Committee Meeting
Noon – 1:30 pm
Executive Committee Meeting and Luncheon
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Board of Directors Meeting
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Welcome Reception
Product Showcase
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
7:00 am
Coffee Time in the Product Showcase
7:30 am
Breakfast Buffet
8:00 am
President’s Breakfast
Monetary Masala
Dr. Anirban Basu
Chairman & CEO
Sage Policy Group
Is the US economy headed for recession, or can America weather emerging trade wars, associated cost increases, and uncertainty? This presentation focuses on US and regional economic performance with an eye toward identifying emerging risks to what has been the world’s most envied economy. Among variables of interest are interest rates, employment growth, real estate valuations, and a variety of leading economic indicators.
Anirban Basu is Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., a Baltimore-based economic and policy consultancy he founded in 2004. He serves the chief economist function for many organizations, including the Maryland Bankers Association and Associated Builders and Contractors. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010. In 2022, he entered the Daily Record newspaper’s Circle of Influence. He is the Distinguished Economist in Residence at Goucher College, where he teaches History of Economic Thought. He holds four graduate degrees, including a J.D. and a Ph.D.
10:30 am – Noon
Charlotte’s Southern Charm Historical City Tour (Spouse/Guest Activity)
Experience the best of Charlotte in award-winning style! Enjoy a 5-star guided tour through the heart of the city aboard luxurious limo golf carts. Cruise down Main Street and explore Charlotte’s rich history, iconic landmarks, and warm Southern hospitality.
Your expert guide from Southern Charm will share fascinating stories dating back to the 1700s—including the origin of the “Queen City” nickname, gold mining history, the site where Elvis once performed, and the hidden gems of the Fourth Ward neighborhood. Along the way, you’ll learn about the city’s first hospital, the famous “medicine man,” the legendary Bootlegger House, and Charlotte’s vibrant art and museum scene, as well as scenic photo opportunities.
Pick-up and drop-off: In front of the Omni Hotel.
Educational Programming Breakout Session
Educational Programming is Organized in a Single Track This Year at PPI – At previous meetings, PPI hosted two different education tracks, one for Agricultural Research topics and one for Manufacturing & Technology. For this year’s meeting we’ve created a single educational track, but the emphasis is noted as Agricultural Research or Manufacturing & Technology. Registered attendees are welcome to attend any session.
Educational Sessions – Open to All Registered Attendees
See the Whova Mobile App for Session Updates
9:00 – 9:30 am
Disease Defense in Cucumbers and Peppers: Tracking Fungicide Resistance, Testing Solutions
Lina Quesada-Ocampo, Ph.D.
William Neil Reynolds Distinguished Professor, University Faculty Scholar and Vegetable Pathologist
NC State University
Cucurbit downy mildew and Phytophthora capsici remain two of the most challenging diseases for vegetable growers. This presentation will cover integrated management strategies for pickling cucumbers and peppers, with a focus on recent research tracking fungicide resistance. Highlights include the use of genetic diagnostic tools and field efficacy trials to inform practical, up-to-date recommendations. Learn how resistance monitoring is shaping smarter, more sustainable disease control.
9:30 – 10:00 am
Reborn & Optimized, The NC State Cucumber Breeding Program
Roberto Fritsche-Neto
Assistant Professor – Vegetable Molecular Breeding
North Carolina State University
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department of Horticulture Sciences
Plant Breeding Consortium
Restarting a cucumber breeding program after over eight years is challenging, especially when using old germplasm. Older lines may not perform well under today’s growing conditions or meet modern market demands. Getting the program going again also takes resources—setting up trials, collecting data, and finding people with the right skills to manage and grow the breeding effort.
Another big challenge is the strong competition from imported cucumbers, especially those from Mexico. These imports are cheaper, available year-round, and often meet retailers’ desired quality standards. With few active cucumber breeding programs left in the U.S., especially in the private sector, there’s little new development happening domestically. This makes it even harder for a revived program to stand out, but it also shows how important it is to invest in local breeding efforts to meet specific regional needs and support U.S. growers.
This presentation will describe Roberto Fritsche-Neto’s plans to rebuild the NC State cucumber breeding program, modernize, and optimize it using state-of-the-art tools, such as genomic selection, high-throughput phenotyping, Environics, and stochastic simulations.
10:00 – 10:30 am
Cost Comparisons of Cucumber Fungicide Programs
Melinda Knuth
Assistant Professor
Horticultural Sciences
North Carolina State University
Downy mildew, caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis, remains one of the most economically damaging diseases of cucurbit crops, particularly pickling cucumbers in the eastern U.S. While fungicide efficacy is routinely studied in field trials, economic decision-making tools for growers are limited. This study integrates field trial data with real-world fungicide pricing to evaluate 25 fungicide formulations and nine spray programs for their cost per acre, re-entry interval (REI), disease control, and yield outcomes. A cost-efficiency index, expressed as dollars per kilogram of marketable fruit, was introduced to quantify the economic return on fungicide investment under high disease pressure.
Findings demonstrate that high-cost fungicides do not necessarily result in improved disease control or profitability. Products such as oxathiapiprolin and fluopicolide + chlorothalonil showed the best balance of biological efficacy and economic value. In contrast, some complex rotational programs, while aligned with resistance management principles, did not significantly outperform simpler regimens in yield or disease suppression. The study emphasizes the importance of evaluating REIs alongside input costs, as labor access can be a hidden but significant expense. These results provide actionable insights for growers and crop advisors aiming to select cost-effective and biologically robust fungicide programs for sustainable cucurbit production.
10:30 – 11:00 am
Optimizing Weed Control for Yield and Quality in Picking Cucumbers
Katie Jennings
Associate Professor
Vegetable and Small Fruit Weed Science Program
Department of Horticultural Science
North Carolina State University
Weeds pose a major challenge in pickling cucumber fields by competing for water, nutrients, and sunlight, reducing yield and fruit quality. Tall weeds like pigweeds block light, interfere with harvest, and reduce fungicide effectiveness. Pigweed species are especially aggressive, with the potential to reduce yields by up to 99%. Research shows that planting cucumbers earlier, before soil temperatures favor weed germination, can reduce competition. Perennial nutsedge species are also problematic and difficult to control due to limited herbicide options. This presentation will review key weed species, critical weed control timings, chemical and nonchemical control methods, and how growers can build effective season-long weed management strategies tailored to their specific field conditions.
Katie is an associate professor and leads the research and extension program for weed management in vegetable and small fruit crops at North Carolina State University. She maintains an active research program focused on control of Palmer amaranth, nutsedge species, and other troublesome weeds. She works with growers of over 20 vegetable and 4 small fruit crops. Much of her work has been directly adopted by growers in North Carolina and many other states. Katie has mentored 19 MS and 11 PhD students. Her students have been very successful as they have won 102 awards for oral and poster competitions. Her students are professionally working in farming, academia, and industry.
11:00 – 11:30 am
Tariffs and Trade: Opportunities and Vulnerabilities in a Changing Landscape
Ambassador Douglas McKalip (Ret.)
FarMarkets Trade Consulting LLC
Today’s international trade policy environment represents an-ever changing landscape with historic application of new tariffs on a wide range of products and trading partners. For U.S. food companies, successful navigation of the changing policies is vital to ensuring competitiveness and continued production in uncertain times. Ambassador Doug McKalip, former Chief Agricultural Negotiator of the United States, will review current trade conditions and policies around the globe, with a focus on how pickle production can maintain supply chains and maintain open market access in times of realignment. He will also help appraise opportunities for U.S. production and how companies can manage risk for the future.
11:30 – Noon
Always a Big Dill: Rise & Brine with Pickle Trends
Claire Conaghan
Datassential
Claire Conaghan is an Associate Director and Trendologist at Datassential. In this role she is in charge of the syndicated content (including Datassential’s industry leading trend curves, the Menu Adoption Cycle) for Datassential’s Report Pro. She’s been part of the Datassential team for nearly 15 years. When she applied for her role at Datassential her cover letter stated “I am not only passionate about market research and data analysis, but have a love for all things culinary. I enjoy dining out, cooking in, and introducing people to new foods.” which holds true today. Datassential’s tools are her happy place and a job that allows her to spend all day finding new food and beverage trends and playing with data is a dream come true. She has a BS in Decision Science and a BA in Hispanic Studies from Carnegie Mellon University. She is a hobby veggie gardener and mom to two budding foodies and pickle lovers.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Keynote Luncheon Featuring:
Ziggy Gruber
Delimaven/Chef/Owner
Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen Restaurant & Bakery
Houston, Texas
Join PPI for our Keynote Luncheon featuring celebrated deli maven and restaurateur, Ziggy Gruber. Ziggy is a deli man, like his father and grandfather before him. In fact, his grandfather, Max, opened the first deli on Broadway, The Rialto Deli, in 1927. Gruber is part New Yorker (he was born and grew up there), part entertainer and now part Texan, having moved to Houston a quarter-century ago to open the city’s top deli, Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen Restaurant & Bakery.
From a key spot on “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” to recognition as one of the country’s most authentic, remaining Jewish-American delis in David Sax’s book “Save the Deli,” the country has taken notice. Ziggy’s story was also told in the film documentary, Deli Man, which shed light on the men behind the food behind the tradition of delicatessens in Jewish culture. While it includes delis from all regions of the country, Ziggy is center stage at Kenny & Ziggy’s, a place the film’s producer calls “arguably the finest delicatessen restaurant in the U.S.”
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Future Leaders Committee Meeting
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Suppliers Advisory Committee Meeting
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Grand Reception
400 E M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28202
Join fellow NASCAR fans and explore the history of the sport while engaging in interactive exhibits, including the Pit Crew Challenge and Racing Simulators.
(10 minute walk from the venue)
Thursday, October 30, 2025
7:30 am
Breakfast Buffet
8:00 am
Closing Session
Door Prizes & Meeting Adjourns by 11:00 am
Product Showcase
Product Showcase “Open” Hours
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Welcome Reception
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 7:00 am – 8:00 am – Coffee in Product Showcase & President’s Breakfast
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 11:30am – 12:30 pm – Keynote Luncheon
Sponsorships
Your support will be recognized by all and allows PPI to continue offering excellent educational programming and exceptional networking opportunities.
Tiers of Sponsorship
| Sponsorship Type | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
|
Platinum |
$4,500 |
25-word company advertisement in Mobile Meeting App Company banner flag prominently displayed Company presented with Sponsorship Award Recognition on table cards at Breakfast on Wednesday and Thursday Includes all benefits listed below |
|
Gold |
$3,250 |
Recognition at Keynote Luncheon |
|
Silver |
$2,750 |
Logo featured in promotional emails Includes all benefits listed below |
|
Bronze |
$1,200 |
Listed in Mobile Meeting App Logo recognition on the PPI website Ribbon on name badge identifying company attendees as a sponsor Logo recognition on slides during the conference |
Thank you to our sponsors!
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
