On January 13, the FPAA will kick off the first produce show of 2027 with the fourth edition of SWIPE. This year, the show is all about one thing: networking, networking and, yes, more networking.
So much of business is built on connections, and there may be no better place to make them than SWIPE. The FPAA members and staff have put together three days packed with opportunities to reconnect with longtime colleagues, meet new people and build relationships. Each day is designed to get people out of their hotel room and into the action, connecting with peers throughout the industry.
SWIPE has golfers of all levels covered with a fun-focused tournament on one of the best courses in Arizona and with January weather that is hard to beat. A day in the Arizona sunshine, surrounded by green grass and a warm breeze is a great way to relax, reconnect and spend time with industry peers.
“No one on this course is retiring to join the PGA, but we are all there to have a great time with people we know and people we are meeting for the first time,” says SWIPE Golf Chair, Kyle McGrath of EarthBlend.
For the non-golfer crowd, SWIPE is taking the pickleball tournament to another level. Two world-renowned luchadores from Mexico will join the competition this year. The luchadores will play throughout the day, and the tournament’s top team will have to face them for the grand championship. The Lucha Libre Pickleball Paddle Battle is one event attendees won’t want to miss.
“Not being a golfer, I was very excited to see pickleball return. This year they are starting the tournament with a quick warm-up and some Pickleball 101 lessons held by some of Tucson’s top players. It’s a great way for newer players to jump right into the fun, and it’s a great way to start the show while meeting new people,” says Mark Munger of IPR Fresh and one of the SWIPE organizers.
Thursday will kick off with Education Sessions designed to bring value to all attendees. Suppliers and buyers will learn the best steps to negotiating in business, how to leverage the power of social media, and the many ways the Food is Medicine movement can benefit the produce industry. The FPAA is also excited to bring an exclusive look at “Reading the Signals: A 2027 Outlook for the Fresh Produce Supply Chain” by the data experts at the Blue Book.
“We really focused on elevating our education sessions to make them attractive to both buyers and sellers. We went out of our way to make them a place of learning, but also a place to spend time learning together,” said Allison Moore, Executive Vice President at FPAA.
SWIPE reimagined the Women’s Networking Event for an afternoon networking and speaker session, and the committee added a 35 and Under session to bring together more of the younger attendees into the conversation to help build new connections across the industry.
Add in goat yoga, golf lessons, cooking classes, opening and closing parties, and plenty of other activities, and people may start to wonder if they even need a hotel room. The SWIPE team suggest you get one anyway, especially since the JW Marriott’s newly designed rooms are beautiful, comfortable, and a good place to store all of the great take aways from SWIPE.
“We look forward to seeing you in January. Bring plenty of business cards — you’re going to need them,” says Lance Jungmeyer, FPAA President.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Saul Macias
Communications Coordinator
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA)
Cell 520.987.6268
Brett Burdsal
Creative Director
Zubelle Industries
Cell (323) 333.8570
About the Fresh Produce Association of Americas:
Founded in 1944 in Nogales, Arizona, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas has grown to become one of the most influential agricultural groups in the United States. Today, the FPAA provides a powerful voice for more than 100 U.S. companies involved in the importation and distribution of fresh produce grown in Mexico.
For more information about SWIPE 2027, FPAA membership, or upcoming events, please contact the FPAA at (520) 287-2707 or visit www.thefpaa.com or www.swipeexpo.com.
