On November 28th, 2024 the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) hosted an exclusive burrata brunch in Mexico City, bringing together three media outlets, two renowned influencers, and five distinguished chefs. This event, organized in collaboration with the regional importer, aimed to strengthen connections with chefs from five prestigious restaurants. Attendees included media representatives from Reforma, Cocina Vital, and Gastrolab, as well as influencers such as “La señora del súper MX” and “¿Y qué hago de comer?”.
The main goal of the event was to inspire attendees with new culinary ideas using California burrata, showcased in the preparation of two exceptional dishes: a roasted peach salad with arugula, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes, and a capricciosa pizza with burrata. This initiative highlighted the quality and versatility of this cheese, encouraging attendees to explore its integration into their menus and leverage its potential in haute cuisine.
We participated in the Food and Wine Festival at the Hipódromo de las Américas in Mexico City on Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, 2024 promoting Real California dairy products through tastings. This festival is recognized as one of the most important gastronomic events of the year, offering a diverse program of activities where over 1,100 attendees enjoyed food and beverage pairings, and learning about high-quality products.
Our booth was a highlight of the event, thanks to the tastings conducted by Chef Poncho Hernández, who captivated attendees with his innovative recipes such as mozzarella compote and appetizers. We also distributed promotional items, such as fans and tote bags customized with the Real California Milk seal, effectively capturing the public’s attention and strengthening brand recognition.
We had a presence in three key locations: the general tasting area, two VIP sections, and a Photo Opportunity spot, perfect for branded photo moments. Interest in our products was significant, particularly in the ice cream, as many attendees inquired about where to purchase it. This success underscores the value and quality of Real California products in the market.
On October 19th, 2024, CMAB participated at TEDx San Ángel “Evolution”, both as a sponsorship and with Michael Boccadoro as speaker, as a sustentability expert.
TEDx San Ángel is a independent program of local events, part of TED Talks, a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading ideas.
The event was in Teatro Centenario Coyoacán, around 400 people with very specific profiles, high educational and socioeconomic level, including professionals, entrepreneurs, students, artists attended.
As sponsors we gave samplings of 10 varieties of cheese and 2 of ice cream, we gave a special gift to all the speakers and different gifts to the attendees.
Michael Boccadoro, our speaker, has participated in California’s environmental policy arena for more than 35 years. As president of West Coast Advisors, he specializes in public affairs consulting and has distinctive expertise in environmental, climate, natural resources, and sustainability issues. During his talk “Evolution of Planet-Smart Dairy”, he exposed the efforts and programs that are carried out in California within the dairy industry on issues of sustainability. California is recognized as a world leader in planet-smart dairy farm practices, investing over $2 billion in more than 300 methane reduction projects on the state’s dairy farms.
Imalinx, in collaboration with WUSATA, organized a seafood tasting and technical demonstration event on October 16, 2024, showcasing nine varieties of wild-caught and sustainable seafood from the United States, provided by three companies and served in twelve canapé-style dishes. The event was supervised and supported by the Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association. Among the 18 attendees were 12 importers and distributors, along with five guest chefs.
The event’s objective was to capture the attention of potential clients and business partners, increasing visibility for the 3 participating companies. During the activity, booklets and a detailed presentation highlighted the characteristics and certifications of the various seafood options, emphasizing that all were from sustainable fishing practices. At the conclusion, special interest was noted in the Petrale sole, and a significant opportunity was identified for Coho salmon.
Imalinx and the Southern United States Agribusiness Trade Association (SUSTA) coordinated the trade mission to Mexico City and Monterrey from October 7th – 10th. Three companies from different categories-snacks, groceries, beef jerky, and multivitamins-registered for the mission.
The mission included one-on-one meetings, supermarket visits, and educational sessions by Imalinx and the Farm Bureau to understand the market in each city. Each company had an average of 5 appointments in each city for a total of 41 meetings during the mission, all with buyers who have specific interest in the exporters.
The supermarket visits were in stores such as Costco, City Market, Chredaui, Ingredienta, HEB and Soriana. The companies were able to better understand their competition in Mexico, price range, indirect competition and different formats available in Mexico City and Monterrey.
On October 2024, the California Raisins Administrative Commitee participated in the first edition of the Sourdough Seminar with Irving Quiroz and Gluten Morgen, who is a renowned baker on social media with a total of 1.7 million followers.
The course was aimed at people dedicated to baking. During the course, Chef Irving highlighted nutritional information, benefits in baking, and general information about California Raisins.
A Sourdough bread with California Raisins was prepared, which allowed participants to observe the benefits of using raisins in baking.
We had communication on our social networks and on the chefs’ profiles, the participants received a kit with gifts from the account and wore an apron with the California Raisins logo throughout the course.
The course was taught in Mexico City and Monterrey with a total of 80 attendees, who were divided into 4 seminars, and a total of 61,018 impressions of communication on social networks were generated.
On October 1, 2, and 3, 2024, Imalinx, together with the California Milk Advisory Board, participated for the third time in the Espacio Food & Service event in Santiago de Chile, Chile to continue developing relationships with key members of the dairy industry and generate new opportunities for different products such as cheese, butter, ice cream, among others.
The execution of the event included activities such as a presentation of the Chilean market by the United States Agro-Commercial Office in Chile, a visit to the most relevant supermarkets in the region and an area within Espacio Food & Service to do tastings of specialty cheese boards and pizza, appointments with more than 15 interested companies and the follow-up and presentation of promotional programs that the California Dairy Council can manage once the products are on the market.
“The participation of the California Milk Advisory Board in the show, together with the new trends that we see among consumers, will enhance the opportunity for new and specialty products to the Chilean market where we do not have such unique and differentiated varieties.” Dairy Importer in Chile.
USRPA (US Rice Producers Association) , in collaboration with the Colegio Superior de Gastronomía, organized a training session for 6th-semester students who were taking the course on grains and seeds. The event was attended by 14 students and aimed to instruct them on the advantages of using American long-grain rice. During the session, two recipes were developed: rice and shrimp croquettes, and orange rice pudding, where the star ingredient was American long-grain rice.
The collaboration between USRPA and the Colegio Superior de Gastronomía allowed for a theoretical class where the advantages and differentiators of American long-grain rice were explained. Subsequently, the students put these learnings into practice by developing the two mentioned recipes. All participants received a recognition for their participation, highlighting the importance of both practical and theoretical learning. The results of this session were highly positive.
The training session not only achieved its educational objectives, but also inspired students to explore new culinary possibilities with American long-grain rice.
We participated in Grill Master in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico during the month of August promoting Idaho potatoes and the 3-pound HEB package.
Grill Master is one of the most prominent and recognized events for barbecue enthusiasts in Mexico. It brings together the best grillers and a multitude of BBQ fans, creating the perfect environment to be present with Idaho Potatoes and 38,000 people attend.
The attendees enthusiastically received tastings, praising the flavor and freshness of our products. In addition, we took the opportunity to distribute promotional items with the image of Idaho potatoes and our beloved Spuddy Buddy, capturing the attention and interest of the participants, and strengthening the recognition of our brand in the public.
We had the expert support of Chef Humberto Villareal who prepared the potatoes in different ways: Mashed potatoes with skin and butter, Roasted Potato with Pork Belly and Idaho Potato Salad.
Currently, Russet potatoes have broken sales records with the retailer!
The Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA), in conjunction with the Idaho and Oregon Departments of Agriculture and Imalinx, scheduled a trade mission to these states with a delegation of Mexican buyers from the ingredient and foodservice industry to meet new suppliers of grains, seeds, processed products and value-added products.
Imalinx recruited buyers who had one-on-one meetings with 15 companies to develop new business, visits to some of their plants and also visits to supermarkets for end consumers and foodservice where they were able to see new product trends and food and beverage presentations.
“Thank you for the invitation to this trade mission. We have a lot of potential with new products such as khorasan and teff. We must follow up with the companies as necessary to be able to enhance the results of new business opportunities.” Added Value Buyer