Overview of the Great Lakes Expo 2024
Date & Venue:
- Dates: December 10-12, 2024
- Venue: DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
About:
The Great Lakes Expo 2024 is a premier trade fair dedicated to the fruit, vegetable, and farm market industries. It is one of the largest events of its kind in North America, serving as a hub for industry professionals to explore innovations, network with peers, and participate in insightful educational sessions. The Expo attracts a wide range of stakeholders, including growers, greenhouse operators, farm marketers, and allied industry professionals.
Industry Segments:
Fruit production, vegetable production, greenhouse management, farm marketing, organic farming, emerging agricultural technologies, labor-saving innovations, sustainable farming practices.
Market Size & Overview of the Industry Segment:
The fruit and vegetable industry in the U.S. is valued at over $70 billion, with consistent growth fueled by increasing consumer demand for fresh and organic produce. The greenhouse industry is also witnessing significant advancements, driven by sustainable practices and cutting-edge technologies. The Great Lakes region, known for its robust agricultural sector, is a major contributor to this market, making the Expo a vital platform for industry growth and innovation.
Attendance & Participation:
The Great Lakes Expo 2024 is expected to welcome over 4,500 attendees, including industry professionals, exhibitors, and thought leaders. More than 400 companies will showcase their products and services across a vast exhibition space, making this event a key networking and learning opportunity.
Who Should Visit:
- Commercial fruit and vegetable growers
- Greenhouse operators
- Farm marketers and retail managers
- Agricultural researchers and educators
- Equipment and technology providers
- Distributors and wholesalers in the produce industry
- Policymakers and government representatives in agriculture
This overview sets the stage for understanding the significance and scope of the Great Lakes Expo 2024.
Exhibitor Analysis for Great Lakes Expo 2024
Top 5 Major Exhibitors:
- FieldClock - FieldClock's tools facilitate real-time data collection and management, and compliance management, designed to streamline labor management for farmers. Serving the agricultural industry, enhancing operational efficiency for farms of various sizes., founded in 2015, is a U.S.-based company specializing in app-based farm activity tracking and management solutions. Their platform offers features such as time and attendance tracking, production monitoring, etc.
- Warner Packaging - Warner Packaging focuses on delivering packaging that protects products, a division of Warner & Warner Inc., and differentiates brands., and tapes and closures. Serving a diverse clientele across various industries, corrugated materials, engages customers, flexible packaging, including standup pouches, is a national supplier and distributor of performance packaging solutions. They specialize in custom-designed packaging products, mesh, paper packaging, rigid containers, etc.
- GreenStone Farm Credit Services - GreenStone provides the financial services essential for your farm's growth. Visit our booth to discover how our flexible loans, acres planted, and accounting services can assist in achieving your agricultural goals. GreenStone also offers residential and country home loans, and financing future home sites and recreational land.Whether you're looking to grow your fruit yield, constructing, crop insurance, farm operation or home residence in square footage- turn to GreenStone for all your financial solutions., improving, providing support for purchasing, refinancing homes.
- Huron Fruit Systems - Founded in 2014 by a team of experienced farmers, Huron Fruit Systems specializes in developing innovative agricultural equipment designed to enhance harvest efficiency and fruit quality. Their product line includes self-propelled, aiming to simplify farm management and reduce operational costs., and nursery work carts. These multifunctional products are customizable to various operations and can be utilized across different seasons, bin trailers, chain trailers, dual row hedgers, multi-level harvest platforms, self-propelled bin shuttles, wire spoolers, work platforms.
- Morrison Industrial Equipment - Established in 1953, Mitsubishi Lift Trucks, Morrison Industrial Equipment Co. has been a trusted provider of material handling solutions across Michigan and Northern Indiana. Specializing in the sale, aerial lifts, and Jungheinrich to deliver high-quality products. Morrison Industrial Equipment is committed to enhancing customer productivity through comprehensive services, and industrial floor cleaning machines—the company partners with leading brands such as Cat® Lift, and servicing of a wide range of equipment—including forklifts, and warehouse optimization., including equipment maintenance, operator training, rental.
Participating Countries:
- Total Participating Countries: 5
- Top 5 Countries and Percentages:
- United States: 92%
- Canada: 5%
- Denmark: 1%
- Netherlands: 1%
- Spain: 1%
Major Types of Companies:
- Total Unique Company Types: 147
- Top 5 Types and Percentages:
- Consulting Service: 36%
- Equipment Manufacturing: 35%
- Technology Services: 16%
- Retail: 10%
- Distributor: 9%
Major Product Categories:
- Total Unique Product Categories: 352
- Top 5 Categories and Percentages:
- Consulting and Professional Services: 32%
- Agricultural Machinery & Equipment: 29%
- Information Technology and Software: 16%
- Seeds: 11%
- Packaging: 10%
Major Product Items:
- Total Unique Product Items: 2,061
- Top 15 Product Items (Comma-Separated):
- Agricultural Consulting, Vegetable Seeds, Insecticides, Tractors, Fungicides, Herbicides, Sprayers, Fertilizers, Plant Growth Regulators, Planting Equipment, Crop Monitoring Systems, Organic Fertilizers, High-Tech Greenhouses, Sustainable Irrigation Systems, Precision Agriculture Software.
This analysis provides a snapshot of the diversity and innovation represented at the Great Lakes Expo 2024.
Interesting Insights
Exhibiting Countries of Top 5 Company Types
- Consulting Service - United States, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands
- Equipment Manufacturing - United States, Canada
- Technology Services - United States, Canada
- Retail - United States, Canada
- Distributor - United States, Canada
Exhibiting Countries of Top 5 Product Categories
- Consulting and Professional Services - United States, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands
- Agricultural Machinery & Equipment - United States, Canada
- Information Technology and Software - United States, Canada
- Seeds - United States, Canada
- Packaging - United States, Canada
Exhibiting Countries of Top 10 Products
- Agricultural Consulting - United States, Canada
- Vegetable Seeds - United States, Canada
- Insecticides - United States, Canada
- Tractors - United States, Canada
- Fungicides - United States, Canada
- Herbicides - United States, Canada
- Sprayers - United States, Canada
- Fertilizers - United States, Canada
- Plant Growth Regulators - United States, Canada
- Planting Equipment - United States, Canada
Top 5 Exhibiting Countries and Their Product Details
- United States
- Consulting and Professional Services, Agricultural Machinery & Equipment, Seeds
- Consulting Service, Equipment Manufacturing, Retail
- Agricultural Consulting, Tractors, Vegetable Seeds, Sprayers, Herbicides
- Canada
- Agricultural Machinery & Equipment, Fertilizers, Precision Agriculture Software
- Equipment Manufacturing, Technology Services, Retail
- Fertilizers, Crop Monitoring Systems, Field Equipment, Planting Equipment
- Denmark
- Agricultural Machinery & Equipment, IT Software, Organic Fertilizers
- Equipment Manufacturing, Technology Services
- FarmDroid FD20 Robots, Advanced Sprayers, Organic Fertilizers, Seed Drills
- Netherlands
- Consulting Services, Agricultural Machinery, Organic Seeds
- Consulting Service, Equipment Manufacturing
- Harrow Machines, Precision Tine Weeders, Fertilizer Spreaders, Crop Sensors
- Spain
- Sustainable Irrigation Systems, Packaging, Organic Fertilizers
- Agriculture, Manufacturer, Distributor
- Crop and Grain Bags, Flexible Packaging Solutions, Seed Sprayers
Key Highlights
Key Industry Segments
The Great Lakes Expo 2024 focuses on a wide range of agricultural and horticultural segments, reflecting the diversity and innovation within the industry. Key industry segments include:
- Fruit Production:
- Addressing trends in orchard management, pest control, and labor-saving technologies.
- Emphasis on sustainable and organic practices.
- Vegetable Production:
- Insights into soil health, disease management, and hybrid seed technologies.
- Innovations in mechanical harvesting and drip irrigation systems.
- Greenhouse Management:
- Sustainable solutions for year-round crop production, including advanced climate control and energy-efficient greenhouses.
- Focus on high-value crops like tomatoes, herbs, and leafy greens.
- Farm Marketing:
- Digital marketing strategies for direct-to-consumer sales and branding for local produce.
- Enhancing customer engagement at farmers' markets and retail outlets.
- Emerging Agricultural Technologies:
- Precision agriculture, robotics, and AI-driven farm management solutions.
- Tools for monitoring crop health and optimizing input usage.
- Sustainable Farming Practices:
- Adoption of renewable energy and water conservation techniques.
- Encouraging regenerative agriculture to enhance soil fertility and biodiversity.
Market Trends
The agricultural and horticultural industries are evolving rapidly, influenced by technology, consumer demand, and sustainability priorities. Key trends shaping the market include:
- Sustainability and Organic Farming:
- Growing consumer demand for organic and sustainably grown produce is reshaping production and supply chains.
- A rise in biodegradable packaging and eco-friendly farming practices.
- Technology Integration in Agriculture:
- Expanding use of robotics, IoT sensors, and AI for labor efficiency and crop optimization.
- Precision agriculture is driving profitability and resource management.
- Labor-Saving Solutions:
- Development of autonomous tractors, weeding robots, and mechanized harvesters to tackle labor shortages.
- Increased investment in tools that enhance productivity without reliance on manual labor.
- Climate Resilience:
- A surge in adaptive farming techniques to address challenges like extreme weather and water scarcity.
- Technologies for drought-resistant crops and controlled environment agriculture.
- Consumer-Centric Innovations:
- Enhanced focus on farm-to-table initiatives and traceable supply chains.
- Innovations catering to the health-conscious consumer, such as functional foods and nutrient-enriched crops.
- Greenhouse Revolution:
- Rising adoption of high-tech greenhouses for controlled, year-round production.
- Advanced systems integrating renewable energy and automated climate controls.
- Globalization of Agriculture:
- Increasing collaboration across countries, with technology and knowledge transfer enabling growers worldwide.
- Participation in trade fairs like Great Lakes Expo fosters global networks and partnerships.
This section underscores the Expo's role as a platform to address current challenges, showcase innovation, and shape the future of agriculture.
Conclusion
The Great Lakes Expo 2024 stands as a pivotal gathering for the agricultural and horticultural community, offering unparalleled insights, networking opportunities, and exposure to cutting-edge innovations. With its focus on sustainability, technology, and market trends, the Expo not only addresses today’s challenges but also sets the stage for the future of farming.
