The latest in its annual series of cutting-edge post show conferences, the United Fresh Produce Association’s Global Conference on Produce Technology Innovation will feature a look at innovation from every produce industry vantage point, highlighted by a keynote address from an expert in the field of business innovation. Inventor and entrepreneur Nicholas Webb will keynote the Thursday morning general session of the conference, giving attendees an inside look at the fields of innovation and customer-driven growth.

Webb holds more than 35 patents and has served as CEO for several technology-related corporations. He is the author of The Innovation Playbook, The Digital Innovation Playbook, and his latest, The Customer Playbook. Webb is currently the CEO of Lassen Innovation.

"Innovation drives the produce industry on every level, every day, and Nick Webb will help our audience embrace this concept and learn how to use innovation to truly drive customer value," said United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel. "This will be a perfect platform to kick off what promises to be a day full of big ideas in produce technology innovation."

Following Webb’s keynote, Global Conference attendees will learn about cutting-edge research to developing better products from the ground up to better meet consumer, grower and marketers' needs for fresh produce varieties in the Pre-Harvest Technology Innovation discussion on "Seed and Product Development for Nutrition & Taste."

Then, the Post-Harvest Technology Innovation session "New Technologies to Drive Efficiencies" will focus on ways technology is helping bring high quality and innovative products to consumers.

Over lunch, attendees will hear from leaders of United’s Grower-Shipper, Fresh-Cut Processor, Wholesaler-Distributor and Retail-Foodservice Market Segment Boards during "Making Innovation a Core Culture," an executive roundtable discussion on how companies can build a culture of innovation.

In the afternoon, attendees will focus on how partners up and down the chain can use information technology to better achieve mutual goals in "Information Management Technology to Empower the Supply Chain Enterprise."

The Global Conference wraps up Thursday afternoon with an exploration of the brave new world of social media and how companies can connect to customers in ways they never thought possible with the Consumer Technology Innovation session "Social Media and New Age Technology to Reach Consumers."

In the three days before the Global Conference, United Fresh 2011 will feature a packed schedule of big ideas, big networking and big solutions, including keynote addresses from NFL Hall of Famer Archie Manning and CNN political analyst James Carville, both Louisiana natives. The show also brings back the most popular features of past United shows, including tailored educational tracks for the grower-shipper, wholesaler-distributor, fresh-cut processor and retail-foodservice market segments, and the highly-attended Demo Centers focused on traceability and logistics as well as food safety.

Registration for the Global Conference on Produce Technology Innovation is included in the United Fresh 2011 All Access Pass, or can be purchased separately and can be done online. An early registration discount is available for attendees who register prior to March 25. More information can be found at www.unitedfresh2011.org.