OAK BROOK, Ill. -- CSP Information Group announced the educational programs for its upcoming Foodservice at Retail Expo (FARE) to be held August 11–13 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, Schaumburg, Ill. In addition to more than 140 exhibit booths, FARE will feature 18 foodservice-focused educational sessions, plus a half-day program sponsored by the American Wholesale Marketers Association (AWMA) on supply chain issues.
Three general sessions are planned, along with nine concurrent sessions and six breakfast forums sponsored by FARE Diamond Sponsors.
Michael [image-nocss] Sansolo, food and consumer trends expert, will open FARE with a two-part general session beginning with Overriding Consumer Dynamics, in which he will explore the way America shops, cooks and eats. According to Sansolo, “There are evolutionary and revolutionary trends that are reshaping the food marketplace from economic issues to competition. I 'll be examining the increasingly complex needs of today 's shoppers.”
Sansolo will then moderate a cross-channel panel on the state of the foodservice industry from multiple perspectives. Panelists include: Jack Cushman, vice president of foodservice for Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, Canastota, N.Y., and James Aulds, vice president of HEB Grocery Co., San Antonio. An executive from food and facilities management services company Sodexo, Gaithersburg, Md., also will take part.
“FARE convenes an important segment of the food industry; the on-the-go industry is growing in new and interesting ways in all forms of retail,” said Sansolo. “There are so many common issues across channels from c-stores to supermarkets to travel centers, drug chains, mass merchandisers, military stores and college/university settings that it just makes sense to share our challenges and discuss opportunities together.”
Following early-morning breakfast forums, Tuesday morning continues with a general session featuring Ron Paul, president of Technomic Inc., Chicago. Paul 's presentation, “Trend Translation,” will help foodservice retailers translate trends to gain new customers. Paul will explore important trends that are driving consumer behavior and how retailers can capitalize on new opportunities.
The closing session on Wednesday afternoon features Ira Blumenthal, president of CO-OPPORTUNITIES, Acworth, Ga., presenting “Theory Into Action!” where he will outline how retailers and suppliers can tie all of the theories and trends presented during the previous two days into actionable plans.
“Our advisory council has done an excellent job of identifying the most pressing foodservice issues for us to feature in our educational sessions.” said Paul Reuter, president & CEO of CSP Information Group. “We are committed to delivering the most relevant and comprehensive foodservice-focused program available anywhere for retailers, operators and manufacturers.”
In addition to the three general sessions, FARE offers nine concurrent educational sessions, plus an AWMA-sponsored six-hour session and six breakfast forums presented by FARE diamond sponsors: Kraft, Sara Lee, S&D Coffee, Piccadilly Circus Pizza, Mother Parker 's and General Mills.
Concurrent session topics and speakers include:
Positioning Strategy Development at Retail; speaker: Joseph Bona, president, CBX Strategic Branding Advertising & Promotions: Drawing them into your property Purchasing Refrigerated Food; speaker: Deborah Holand, foodservice consultant, b2b solutions, LLC Innovation: Ingredients, Packaging, Shelf Life; speaker: H. Louis Cooperhouse, director of Rutgers University Food Innovation Center Distribution: Maintaining a quality food chain has its own challenges; moderator: Scott Ramminger, president & CEO, AWMA; panelists include: Doug Eisenhart, Dot Foods Inc.; John Paul, Eby-Brown Co.; and Chad Prast, Village Pantry Hiring & Keeping the Best Employees; speaker: Richard P. Finnegan, president, Finegan-Mackenzie Marketing Foodservice—It 's All About the Senses; speaker: Ira Blumenthal, president, CO-OPPORTUNITIES Inc. Customer Expectations; speaker: Barbara Stuckey, executive vice president, Mattson & Co. Contingency Plans—Being Proactive to Avoid Foodservice Tragedies; speaker: Tara Paster, president, Paster TrainingFor more details, registration and hotel information, go to www.foodserviceatretail.com. Retailers and foodservice operators are invited to attend FARE complimentary. Manufacturers who are interested in exhibiting at FARE should contact Jane Berzan at jberzan@cspnet.com.
FARE, the first multi-channel conference and tradeshow for the on-the-go foodservice industry, brings industry executives together to share best practices, to hear from foodservice experts representing multiple channels and to see the latest foodservice products, programs, equipment and technology solutions at the tradeshow.
CSP Information Group, publisher of CSP Magazine and CSP Independent magazine, is a business-to-business communication company specializing in the convenience and retail petroleum industry. In addition to CSP Magazine and CSP Independent magazine, CSP Information Group 's other business units include CSP Daily News daily e-mail newsletter, CSPNetwork CyberConferences, CSPTV, CSP Leadership Conferences and Events, 24-7 Connect Virtual Expo and CSP Consulting.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.