The demonstration which was focused on products from western United States was undertaken in the Higher Education Centre of San Angel (CESSA) in Mexico City. Taught by chef Rod Jessick from the Coeur Dálene Resort in Idaho, who developed a menu with products of western United States for future chefs and media.
The section Buena Mesa of the newspaper Reforma published an article regarding the innovation of the United States’ cuisine.
In the culinary forum for universities, the participating entities were the University of Claustro de Sor Juana, the University of Anahuac del Sur and the University of the Valle de Mexico.
On the other hand, during the culinary forum of blueberries the future chefs had to integrate them into Mexican dishes and present their dishes before the evaluation of five critics in gastronomy.
Exporters and distributors of Chilean wine gathered in a large wine tasting to learn regarding new labels and strengthen relationships with current marketers.
Within the restaurant Hacienda de Los Morales, a pairing event was organized as well as a presentation of over 40 Chilean wineries. Different varieties were featured such as Carmenére and Late Harvest, which are currently available in premium retail stores in Mexico.
During a limited time, Imagination Farms together with Disney, launched a program in Mexico integrating exporters, importers and distributors with the objective of showing the fun side of produce through the alignment of already known Disney characters and selected fruits such as apples, pears, grapes and citruses.
The materials were developed with high care regarding the uses of licenses and promotions in point of sales were undertaken in Chedraui stores as they became the Ambassador Chain of the program. This exercise was a temporary program to explore the potential of licensed products in the fresh department; and part of the learning included the development of packaging and seasonal activities with supermarkets.
The Idaho Potato Commission elaborated a market research in frontier states with the United States in order to explore the positioning of Idaho as the main origin of potatoes and the use of Russet potatoes in comparison with other varieties.
The conclusion showed that there exists a big opportunity to communicate the presence of different varieties of potatoes other than the white potato, especially in the eastern region of Mexico; as well as communicating the high-quality standard of Idaho as an origin which is recognized in the United States.
A two-week promotion was undertaken in stores of Gigante in Reynosa and Matamoros. The program included a massive exhibition of potatoes in the produce department where a free potato and educational materials were given away to each client who visited the store. Sales increased to double digits.