FPJ Live 2017

The early-bird rate is currently available for FPJ Live 2018, so book now to secure your seat at the most talked-about fresh produce conference of the year.

FPJ Live, supported by headline sponsor NFU, takes place on 9 October at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, attracting 200 senior industry figures from across the UK supply, retail, wholesale and associated sectors.

This year's format will include short, punchy on-stage interviews with industry leaders, chief executives and other experts discussing business, the future and how to navigate the current challenges facing the trade.

Major bosses speaking include Jacqui Green, chief executive of Berry Gardens; Tim O'Malley, group managing director at Nationwide Produce; Richard Hickson, managing director at Premier Fruits; and Gavin Knight, managing director of the groundbreaking Halo project at London Gateway.

The retailing session includes Sainsbury's fruit, vegetable and salad category managers Finbar Cartlidge and Julien Roberts. There's also category insight from Kantar Worldpanel's consumer insights director Ed Griffiths and innovation in packaging from Coveris's Eric Duncan.

FPJ Life Stories delves into the fascinating past, present and future of one of the great names of modern farming - the Burgess family - with Produce World directors Andrew, William and Jason Burgess.

Other highlights of the programme include one of the UK's foremost experts in agricultural gene-editing technology, Professor Huw Jones of the University of Aberystwyth, who will explain the potential benefits to UK growers of the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 technology; eminent food industry expert Professor Tim Lang, who gives his honest appraisal of the UK's prospects post-Brexit; Congolese-French chef Mick Elysée, who is creating a stir with his new fusion cooking; the new top team at English Apples & Pears, Ali Capper and Sarah Calcutt; and U40s chair Emily Cliff, who will discuss opportunities for the next generation.

Further big name additions to the programme are due to be announced shortly.

To secure your place, visit www.fpjlive.com. Tickets also include free entry to the FPJ Awards Social on the evening of 8 October, where the winners of the 2018 UK Fruit & Vegetable Awards will be crowned at a fun and informal event at the Ricoh Arena.