National Olive Oil Promotion Board Webinar

Today, consumers have more choices for cooking and salad oils than ever. Olive oil industry can strengthen its position in the marketplace by telling its unique, compelling story through a collaborative and effective unified voice. Attendees of this webinar will learn how the trade can create, fund and manage an industry-wide research and promotion effort specific to olive oil. Producer-funded marketing programs have worked well for commodities such as almonds, walnuts, avocados and mangos; this webinar will explain how the olive oil industry could replicate these successes. We encourage all domestic olive oil producers and importers to attend, especially those who annually handle at least 5,000 gallons (or 18,000 liters).

SPEAKER

WILLIAM WATSON, THE FRESH APPROACH

William Watson is the organizer of the Commodity Roundtable, (CR) an informal share-group of CEOs and Executive Directors who come together to solve issues facing their respective agriculture research and promotion boards. Examples of these grower organizations include The Cotton Board, National Pork Board, National Dairy Board, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, Mango Board, Watermelon Board and the United Soybean Board. Watson has been with the Commodity Roundtable since its inception, in 2003. He is also the Managing Director of the newly created Colombia Avocado Board.

Prior to the Commodity Roundtable Watson served as the Executive Director of the National Mango Board, (NMB) from 2006-2014, and the Executive Director of the National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), 1990-2003. He is currently the managing director of the newly formed Colombia Avocado Board.

From 1988-1989, he served as Assistant to the Manager of the Texas Vegetable Association and Texas Citrus Mutual. Watson began his career growing and shipping sweet onions, watermelons and blueberries from Tyler, Texas, where he also owned and managed a retail/wholesale produce market and a herd of registered Black Angus cattle.

When he is not creating organizations to help growers, Watson pursues his passion of photography while hiking, biking or kayaking throughout Florida’s wilderness.

Growing Olive Oil Consumption in the United States

How a national olive oil promotion board can bring new consumers into the category and increase usage by current users.

Free Registration

Representatives of the North American Olive Oil Association and American Olive Oil Producers Association will also be on hand to answer your questions during the Q&A session.

	How other promotional boards for non-traditional American produce like avocados and mangos have been very successful in educating consumers about the value of their products and significantly growing consumption.
	How the industry could work together to establish an olive oil board, how assessments could be collected from both importers and producers, and how the funds could be spent (including limitations on how they may be spent).
	Q/A Session