In the world of protein and food distribution, networking plays a crucial role in establishing and strengthening business relationships. The National Protein and Food Distributors Association (NPFDA) convention is held every winter at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Georgia, bringing together over 900 attendees from across the country. NPFDA provides a unique platform for industry players to connect, collaborate, and explore new opportunities.
The convention offers many networking events, from casual collaborative sessions to structured business meetings. Informal gatherings, such as networking dinners and cocktail receptions, allowed for more personal interactions, building on relationships that might only be face-to-face once a year.
Our sales team has been lucky enough to attend the NPFDA convention for the last 30 years. One of the highlights for Eastern Quality Foods (EQF) was our Meet and Greet halfway through the week. Conference attendees had the chance to join the team in our hospitality suite. Over hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, we enjoyed meeting new members of the industry as well as seeing many familiar faces.
As EQF grows, our sales team has spread across the country with over 12 locations from the corporate office in Ponte Vedra Beach to sales offices in Mexico City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. NPFDA provides an outlet for Eastern traders to gather in the same city and spend time team building. We even had the chance to showcase our retail brands, Nature’s Best Seafood™, Paradise Kitchens™, and Tiantang Asian Cuisine™, and share about their products.
Every year, NPFDA serves as a catalyst for the company’s growth organizing events such as the NPFDA Protein Supplier Showcase and the chance to hear from Tyler Harper, the Georgia Agricultural Commissioner. We are looking forward to 2024 to further develop the relationships that began at NPFDA and grow existing ones. See you next year!