Meet the Expert: Preparing for an International Buyer Meeting

As consumer demand for plant-based foods continues to grow in markets across the world, more and more companies find themselves navigating the complex process of going global with their products—and inevitably, finding and securing buyers is top of the priority list. Our next Meet the Expert call will help you do just that: Join Food Export to get in-depth guidance on how to successfully prepare for meetings with international buyers, and how to execute your follow up in a way that builds meaningful buyer relationships and creates long-term export opportunities for your brand.

Burning topics this call will cover include:

• Guidance for finding the right buyers and countries for your products
• Resources and tools to help you prepare
• Key information and materials to have with you for the first meeting
• Tips and best practices for follow-up from these meetings
• Government support that can cover 50% of your expenses for international trade shows, trade missions, and other opportunities to meet with international buyers

About our expert: 

Ron Tanner is president of Tanner Food Group, a specialty food consultancy focused on international trade, industry preparedness and regulatory activities. Ron is a former executive team member of the Specialty Food Association, the leading trade association for the $170 billion specialty food industry. His last role after a 33-year career with the trade group was Vice President, Education, Content and Advocacy. Ron worked for the SFA and its 3,900+ members from 1987 – 2020, helping them understand and succeed in the specialty food business. His responsibilities included education, content, marketing, public relations, industry relations, awards, government relations and philanthropy. Ron holds a Master of Science degree in Journalism from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science degree in English and Communications Studies from Oberlin College.

About our Meet the Expert series:

PBFA's Meet the Expert series brings together top industry voices to connect with our community and offer their candid advice, strategic know-how, and savvy perspective on what it takes for plant-based foods to thrive in the marketplace.

During Meet the Expert events, our community have the opportunity to engage face-to-virtual-face with distinguished leaders in food service and retail to help you hone your strategy and achieve your goals.

During the first half of these hourlong sessions, you'll hear from our expert in an intimate, fireside chat-style presentation of the latest and greatest insights in their respective field. The second half of these virtual gatherings will provide you the opportunity to connect with these industry leaders (and each other) and ask burning questions. Don't miss out on these meaningful moments to learn—be sure to log on prepared with all your questions!