Welcome Letter
Renée Goodrich Schneider
Program Organizer
UF/IFAS Food Science & Human Nutrition
Gainesville, FL
Welcome to the 2024 International Citrus & Beverage Conference
Welcome back to Clearwater Beach and the 2024 International Citrus and Beverage Conference! This year’s conference will focus on key issues facing our industry spanning the topics of global juice and beverage operations to the marketing of new and emerging products and ingredients. Please join us for discussions on recent research and consumer insights regarding the beverage category (especially orange juice) and the impact of new regulations and technical innovations on the food, beverage, and value-added industries (including AI). The Friday morning “Hot Topics” session will again focus on research and new approaches to issues facing the citrus industry, including HLB research strategies, both short and long term.
We were happy to have a successful in-person event in 2023, and this year promises an equally rewarding event. Appreciation goes to everyone who has contributed to this year’s conference. We would like to recognize our committee members, whose expertise within academia, industry and government led to the selection and invitation of our knowledgeable speakers. We would also like to give a special thank you to our invited speakers, who enthusiastically agreed to share their insights and knowledge. Lastly, we would like to express a very heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, whose generosity enhances the value, affordability, and uniqueness of this event each year.
We look forward to the next few days of talks and interaction, with opportunities to meet old friends and business contacts and the chance to make new ones. Once again, we hope you will find this conference a rewarding and valuable experience.