Exclusive Event for Retailers & Category Managers
19.00 – 22.00
Five Fourteen Vineyards: 91470 Territorial Hwy Junction City, OR 97448
09.00 – 9.15
Arrival of Guests at: Fall Creek Farm & Nursery – Home Place. 39318 Jasper Lowell Rd. Lowell, OR 97452. USA
9.15 – 9.45
Welcome Drink & Breakfast at Fall Creek® Nursery
9.45 – 10.00
Ride to R&D Farm
10.00 – 11.00
Tour of the Fall Creek® Demo Field – Henri Farm guided by our R&D Team
See how our newest mid-high chill variety, Sekoya Fiesta™ ‘FC13-113’ has developed next to all existing and standard varieties.
11.00 – 11.45
Blind Tasting & Unveiling
SEKOYA® Varieties, Fall Creek® Collection, and Stage 5 Selections
11.45 – 12.00
Ride back to Home Place
12.00 – 12.15
‘Welcome & Introduction of our New Category Management’
Hans Liekens, Value Chain & Retail Managerat SEKOYA®
12.15 – 12.35
‘Update on SEKOYA® including Season Outlook Peru’
Mark David, General Manager at SEKOYA®
12.35 – 13.05
‘The Bar is Raised for the Global Blueberry Industry’
Guest Speaker: David Magaña, Senior Analyst Horticulture at Rabobank
13.05 – 13.15
Coffee Break
13.15 – 14.00
‘SEKOYA® Mid-High Chill Blueberry Variety Panel’
Experienced growers share their learnings and thoughts on our SEKOYA® Mid-High Chill blueberry varieties and their potential in the US & Canada.
14.00 – 14.15
‘LIVIE™ Status & Outlook’
Anja Grueterich, Marketing Specialist at SEKOYA®
14.15 – 14.30
Sharing of Blind Tasting Results & Thank You
14.30 – 15.30
Tapas & Drinks
Enjoy your time together, connect, and exchange ideas.
AIRPORTS:
Eugene Airport (EUG) – ca. 45 min by car
Portland International Airport (PDX) – ca. 2 ¼ hours by car
Exclusive Event for Retailers & Category Managers
Hotel Restaurant Brasserie | St. Urbanusweg 11 | 5914 CA Venlo | The Netherlands www.valuas-hr.nl
17.30 – 19.00
SEKOYA® Member Connect
(SEKOYA® Members & Fall Creek® Teams only)
19.00 – 22.00
SEKOYA® Dinner Reception
(all invited guests)
10.00 – 10.30
Arrival of Guests & Welcome Drink at Fall Creek® Driesvenplant B.V. Doctor Droesenweg 4 5964 ND Meterik, NL
10.30 – 10.45
Walk to the Demo Field
10.45 – 11.45
Tour of the Fall Creek® Demo Field guided by our R&D Team.
See how our newest mid-high chill variety, Sekoya Fiesta™ ‘FC13-113’ has developed next to all existing and standard varieties.
11.45 – 12.00
Return to Fall Creek® Nursery
12.00 – 12.15
‘Welcome & Discovery of our New Category Display’
Hans Liekens, SEKOYA® Value Chain & Retail Manager
12.15 – 13.00
Lunch Break
13.00 – 13.20
‘Update on SEKOYA® & European Market Analytics’
Mark David, SEKOYA® General Manager
13.20 – 13.50
‘Status of SEKOYA® Mid & High Chill Varieties in the EU & UK’
Estefanía Rodriguez Arquero, SEKOYA® Fruit Quality & Sustainability Manager
‘SEKOYA® Mid-High Chill Blueberry Variety Pannel’
Experience & Potential in the EU & UK
Leon Driessen, Owner & Directeur bij Driessen Blueberries BVHarry Hall, Managing Partner at Hall Hunter PartnershipCarlo Lingua, CEO of RK Growers S.r.l.George Miclos, CEO of Agricrafters
13.50 – 14.00
Coffee Break
14.00 – 14.20
‘Bringing True Health Benefits Closer to the Consumer’
Guest Speaker: Professor Aedín Cassidy, Chair in Nutrition & Preventive Medicine, Director for Interdisciplinary Research
14.20 – 14.30
‘Update on LIVIE™ & Thank you!’
Anja Grueterich, SEKOYA® Marketing Specialist
A special surprise awaits you! Be the first to see our newest innovation!
14.30 – 15.15
Networking with Tapas & Drinks
Meterik is very close to Venlo, Netherlands.
AIRPORTS (ca. 45 min transit by train):
Eindhoven, Netherlands (close train station with connection to Horst)
Dusseldorf, Germany
Weeze (Ryanair), Germany
Amsterdam, Netherlands (ca. 2 hour transit by train)
TRANSPORTATION:
Shuttles to and from to the dinner location are available.
HOTELS:
https://www.asteria.nl (ca. 20 min from nursery)
www.nobis.nl (ca. 20 min from nursery)
Please ask for the event code to receive your discounted rate (listed on registration page).
SEKOYA® has a clear Mission: Supply exceptional berries, every day. To achieve our mission, we are proud to announce Mastronardi Produce as a new SEKOYA® Member.
Mastronardi Produce brings experience to SEKOYA® through their premium concept and premium policy which will add value in the US market. Every SEKOYA® Member brings a unique set of skills, perspective, and dedication to the table, all of which have been instrumental in driving our progress to date. We are confident Mastronardi Produce will contribute to our projects and shared initiatives moving forward.
A pioneer and industry leader in the gourmet greenhouse industry, Mastronardi Produce grows and markets award-winning products under the SUNSET®, Backyard Farms®, BerryWorld®, and Queen of Greens® brands. Mastronardi Produce has been family-owned for 70 years and prides itself on producing consistently flavorful tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, berries, and lettuce.
As part of Fall Creek Farm & Nursery®, SEKOYA® is a B2B platform designed to deliver the LIVIE™ Eating Experience – crunchy, long-lasting, big, and tasty blueberries of consistent quality – 52 weeks per year via 15 SEKOYA® Members who operate globally. The platform aims to make delivery of quality blueberries at scale easier, more predictable, and available for retail and e-commerce buyers because of its unique design and selected members.
Initially SEKOYA® started with 15 members, and we now go back to 15 members. We believe with this highly professional group of independent grower-marketers, we are close to our optimum of supplying all our core consumer markets globally via direct sales.
The SEKOYA® Field & Forum is an exclusive event for retail buyers & category managers.
Contact us at marketing@sekoyafruit.com for the registration link.
Fall Creek® R&D Farm | Seville, Spain
(Directions provided on registration page)
March 11th from 20.00 – 23.00 h
Eurostars Torre Pelli Sevilla (Salón Feria – Planta 34)
The SEKOYA® Field & Forum is an exclusive event for retail buyers & category managers:
Contact us at marketing@sekoyafruit.com for the registration link.
Click here to see photos of SEKOYA® Dinner Reception (password required)
Company | Booth No. | Contact Retail | Contact Sublicensees |
SEKOYA Fruit | Hall 5.2 | C-71 | Hans Liekens | Holger Brandt Marianela Rodriguez Bejarano |
FALL CREEK Farm & Nursery® | Hall 3.2 | C-50 | Michel Kaczmarek | Michel Kaczmarek |
abb Growers | Hall 3.2 | C-44 | Fred Douven | Fred Douven |
AGROVISION EUROPE B.V | Hall 1.2 | A-22 | John Early | Todd Mauritz |
Alpine Fresh | 25 Stand | C-28 | Emily Ohenwalder | Lucas Rosello |
AgroBerries / Berry Fresh | Hall 25 | B-08 | Max Emden | Catalina Vives |
Berries paradise | Hall 25 | C-28 | Carlos Madariaga | Mexico: Karime Andrade International Affairs: Roberto Sámano |
Core Fruit | Hall 26 | H-50 | Mike Grobbelaar | Theo Lombard |
Fresh Produce Group | Not attending | Anthony Poiner Robert Nugan | Anthony Poiner Robert Nugan |
Joy Wing Mau Fruit Technologies Corporation Limited | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Dani Geng (Geng Yaxiong) | Dani Geng (Geng Yaxiong) |
North Bay Produce, Inc. | Hall 25 | A-11 | Philip Symons | Aaron Bagwell |
Prize | Hall 25 | B-08 | Cristóbal Rodríguez | Cristóbal Rodríguez |
Rainier | Not attending | Marvin Record | Marvin Record |
SanLucar | Hall 27 | D-70 & D-80 | Jaime Sanchez | Jaime Sanchez |
SUREXPORT | Hall 18 | C-03 | Carmen Perez Andrade | Andres Morales Vilar |
RK Growers | Hall 2.2 | B-22 | Carlo Lingua | Carlo Lingua |
ZurGroup | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Felipe Silva | Felipe Silva |
* Please message us for contact information.
December 2023
The SEKOYA® B2B Network, known for its high-end blueberry varieties, continues to grow, bringing in two new team members from the industry to meet the increasing worldwide demand. Marianela Rodriguez Bejarano joined the team in October 2023 as additional Business Operations Specialist, and Mark W. David will strengthen the team as General Manager in the Americas.
“We are very pleased that Marianela and Mark chose to join us. With the strong talent in our SEKOYA® Team, we are well-equipped to execute our goals for 2024,” says Holger Brandt, General Manager of SEKOYA®. Marianela and Mark both have worked in the industry for many years and bring the fundamental experience we were looking for.
Marianela’s 14 years of management and project development experience in the fresh produce business make her a valuable asset as Business Operations Specialist for SEKOYA®. In her career, Marianela has managed the commercial businesses of citrus giant CPF (Consorcio de Productores de Fruta) in Peru, interacting with 55 associates/growers and more than 100 clients. In 2017, Marianela joined SanLucar Fruit in Spain where she spearheaded projects for exotic fruits, managing the company’s procurement of 7 different products. Her insights in field production and export operations positions the SEKOYA®B2B platform well in their global expansion strategy.
“I am very happy and excited to start a new chapter in my professional life and be part of the SEKOYA® Family. Although blueberries are a new product for me, I am sure my background and experience qualify me well in supporting the inspiring vision and approach that attracted me to SEKOYA® in the first place. I look forward to the many new insights and great experiences that lie ahead.”
Mark David takes on the role of General Manager North America where he will lead SEKOYA®’s strategy and innovation projects as the B2B Network continues its global expansion.
Mark brings over 15 years of Sales and Marketing experience in the fresh produce industry having worked for large growers in Australia and across the Americas. With most of his career focused on supplying major retailers around the globe, this role positions him well to drive SEKOYA®’s strategic initiatives and continued growth trajectory.
Prior to joining SEKOYA®, Mark served as Director of Sales for four years with United Exports (OZblu®). He earned a Bachelor of Business Degree and Diploma in Marketing from Auckland University in New Zealand. “I’m humbled to join the team at SEKOYA®. I’ve admired the progress they have made in the premium blueberry category, especially as it relates to innovation and providing a solution for 52-week supply with the new SEKOYA® high chill varieties. I look forward to putting my experience in building brands and growing customer engagement to use at SEKOYA®. Our goal is to drive both consumption and category growth by ensuring customers can have the best eating blueberry experience every week of the year. I’m excited to work with the talented team at SEKOYA®, our grower members and retailers to achieve this.”
Company | Booth No. | Contact Retail | Contact Sublicensees |
SEKOYA Fruit | Hall B – 2886 | Hans Liekens | Holger Brandt Lauren Potter |
FALL CREEK® | Hall B – 2858 | Val Shepler | Val Shepler |
abb Growers | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Fred Douven | Fred Douven |
AGROVISION (The Fruitist & Paradise) | Hall A – 4155 | John Early | Todd Mauritz |
Alpine Fresh | Hall D – 559 | Chris Elmer | Austin Yager Jose Centurion |
Berry Fresh (AgroBerries) | Hall C – 2449 | sales@berryfresh.com | Bruce Turner |
berry lovers | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Rodrigo Lopez | Gerardo Lopez |
Berries Paradise (The Fruitist & Paradise) | Hall A – 4155 | Carlos Madariaga | |
Core Fruit | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Mike Grobbelaar | Theo Lombard |
Fresh Produce Group | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Anthony Poiner Robert Nugan | Anthony Poiner Robert Nugan |
Joy Wing Mau Fruit Technologies Corporation Limited | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Dani Geng (Geng Yaxiong) | Dani Geng (Geng Yaxiong) |
North Bay Produce, Inc. | Hall B – 2861 | Ryan Lockman | Aaron Bagwell |
Prize | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Cristóbal Rodríguez | Cristóbal Rodríguez |
Rainier | Hall D – 1269 | Blake Belknap | |
SanLucar | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Raquel Hernandez | Marcos Echenique |
SUREXPORT | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Carmen Perez Andrade | Andres Morales Vilar |
RK Growers | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Carlo Lingua | Carlo Lingua |
* Please message us for contact information.
By Sebastian Ramírez from FreshFruitPortal.com on October 11, 2023.
To fulfill growing market demand for blueberries, one of Germany’s largest retailers, REWE, has decided to guarantee quality by selling fruit exclusively from the Sekoya network.
The Livie logo, which is used uniquely to recognize the highest quality Sekoya varieties, will be placed on the packaging for the company’s value-added brand REWE Beste Wahl and serves as a guarantee of the quality in the firmness, taste, and size of its blueberries.
“We were able to observe that the quality of a Sekoya blueberry performed significantly better compared to other varieties,” Marco Migliore, senior category buyer at REWE tells FreshFruitPortal.com.
“We are convinced that the key to success for better sales lies in ensuring consistent quality. Here Sekoya has been significantly more homogenous,” adds Migliore.
Increased consumption
As in many global markets, blueberry consumption in Germany has increased steadily in the last couple of years, meaning that consumers are more and more demanding with the fruit they are buying.
Regarding consumer trends, Migliore says: “In recent years there has been a noticeable increase in demand for blueberries. The customer uses the fruit in a much more varied way than a few years ago. Be it snacking, on salads, in a muesli, or in smoothies.”
Migliore is keen on the fact that quality plays a decisive role and that it must always be impeccable.
“If the customer is disappointed once, he will refrain from buying again for a few weeks and this not only costs sales but also customer confidence,” he comments.
The Livie branded blueberries will be available in REWE Southwest and consumers will be able to buy them in the South West Germany region from late October (week 43).
The exclusive provider of the fruit will be Agrovision, the first Sekoya member with fully approved Livie farms.
Company | Booth No. | Contact Retail | Contact Sublicensees |
SEKOYA Fruit | Hall 9 – Stand 9F02A | Hans Liekens | Holger Brandt Lauren Potter |
FALL CREEK Farm & Nursery® | Hall 9 – Stand 9F08 | Michel Kaczmarek | Michel Kaczmarek |
abb Growers | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Fred Douven | Fred Douven |
AGROVISION EUROPE B.V | Hall 9 – Stand 9F14 | John Early | Todd Mauritz |
Alpine Fresh | Peru Hall – Stand No TDC | Walter Yager | Lucas Rosello |
AgroBerries / Berry Fresh | Hall 4 – Stand 4C14 | Yamile Razuri | Catalina Vives |
berry lovers | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Rodrigo Lopez | Gerardo Lopez |
Berries paradise | Hall 4 – Stand 4C24 | Carlos Madariaga | Diana Mejía |
Core Fruit | Hall 1 – Stand 1A09B | Mike Grobbelaar | Theo Lombard |
Fresh Produce Group | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Anthony Poiner Robert Nugan | Anthony Poiner Robert Nugan |
Joy Wing Mau Fruit Technologies Corporation Limited | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Dani Geng (Geng Yaxiong) | Dani Geng (Geng Yaxiong) |
North Bay Produce, Inc. | Hall 8 – Stand 8A14 | Philip Symons | Aaron Bagwell |
Prize | Hall 4 – Stand 4B18 | Cristóbal Rodríguez | Cristóbal Rodríguez |
Rainier | Please visit the SEKOYA® Stand | Marvin Record | Marvin Record |
SanLucar | Hall 8 – Stand 8E02 | Jaime Sanchez | Jaime Sanchez |
SUREXPORT | Hall 9 – Stand 9E02 | Carmen Perez Andrade | Andres Morales Vilar |
RK Growers | Hall 8 – Stand 8C19 | Carlo Lingua | Carlo Lingua |
* Please message us for contact information.