The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has announced its three premier sessions for the upcoming FMI Connect conference featuring noted experts in consumer trends, flavor, culinary technique, dining experiences and the practical artistry of home cooking. FMI Connect will host these business and food trend-spotters, both on stage and in more intimate learning environments, at the event in Chicago June 20-23.
Revolution LLC Chairman and CEO Steve Case, who made the internet part of everyday life and orchestrated the largest merger in the history of business, will share a road-map for how anyone can succeed in a world of rapidly changing technology. Thematically aligned with his new book, the “Third Wave,” launching in April, Case’s June 21 keynote will explore the intersection between food retail and technology and their increased relevance for food retailers.
Technology is enabling a faster-paced food retail environment, and the industry’s need for awareness of shoppers’ experiences has taken on new levels of importance—revolutionizing supermarket communications and merchandising channels. To help address these emerging industry needs, FMI Connect will be grounded in the latest trends, business intelligence, data and best practices, according to FMI.
FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin will lead two sessions concentrating on food and foodservice trends. On June 22, she will present findings from FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2016, guiding FMI Connect participants on a fact-filled journey into the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of today’s consumer in the quest for food. Complementing Sarasin’s consumer trend analysis, a separate session will feature her soliciting the thoughts of Mario Batali and Robert Irvine, successful restaurateurs recognizable from the Food Network, regarding their predictions for the future of the marketplace and consumer. This discussion, Riding the Wave of Food Trends, will inform food marketing strategies; store design; product assortment; and insights into communicating corporate values. Both Batali and Irvine also will have additional activities within the FMI Expo following the session.