Industry Mourns Passing of Kent Allaway

Kent Allaway, CEM, CMP, IOM, passed away on Feb. 11 following a long illness. Allaway spent the majority of his career at the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), which, along with the United Fresh Produce Association, began operating as the International Fresh Produce Association in 2022.

Allaway retired early from PMA in 2020, after 23 years of service at the organization. His last position was vice president, events and programs. Allaway volunteered much of his time while at PMA in leadership roles at PCMA, serving as Secretary-Treasurer of the PCMA Board of Directors in 2010 and as Chair in 2012. He later took an active role in PCMA’s Always a Leader program, which aims to keep past chairs engaged and connected, saying in 2020 that “having risen through the BOD structure, it can be a bit of a letdown when your service is over, and leave you feeling a little lost. For those of us that still want to be connected to the organization in a meaningful way, the Always a Leader program is an opportunity to stay engaged and continue to provide some benefit to the membership.”

On his LinkedIn page, Allaway shared what made his career fulfilling:

“I am most passionate about the people in the events industry, especially those that I have worked with around the globe. Whether it’s working with them to bring a vision to life or developing them to do great things in the future, it is the people that make this industry so unique and special. In one form or another, I have spent most of my life in this industry, learning from people that knew more than I did along the way….. I have travelled the world, created and executed incredible events large and small, led organizations and teams, and repeatedly given back to the industry over the course of my career. I have loved it all.”

“I am very saddened by the news of Kent’s passing,” said PCMA President & CEO Sherrif Karamat, CAE. “PCMA owes him a debt of gratitude. Kent played a key role in contributing to the association’s success and in elevating the status of convention and trade-show organizers by his example and love of learning. He will always be a part of PCMA’s history.”

You can read his obituary here.