Sunday, April 12, 2026
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
First-Time Attendees Reception
Sunstone Terrace
Monday, April 13, 2026
8:30 am – 11:00 am
Registration
Gemstone Gallery
11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Greater Penguin Open Golf Tournament
The Legacy Golf Club, Phoenix – visit website
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Welcome Reception
Skysill Rooftop Lounge
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
6:30 am – 7:45 am
Breakfast
Sunstone Terrace
8:00 am – 8:45 am
Retailer Keynote
Opal Ballroom
Tim Lowe, President, Lowes Foods
9:00 am – 9:45 am
Navigating Macroeconomic Trends: Implications for Frozen & Refrigerated Foods
JP Frossard, Vice President, Consumer Foods at Rabobank
As economic pressures reshape household budgets and health trends redefine eating habits, the frozen and refrigerated food industry faces both challenges and opportunities. This session will explore the evolving global landscape and what it means for temperature-controlled categories.
We will delve into how affordability concerns influence purchasing decisions and the direction of consumer spending. Additionally, we will examine the impact of health and lifestyle factors, such as MAHA initiatives and the increasing influence of GLP-1 medications on eating habits. Our discussion will cover consumer preferences for both value and premium products, the continued rise of private labels, and the growing interest in less processed foods amidst ongoing attention to ultra-processed items.
9:45 am – 10:00 am
Break
10:00 am – 10:45 am
Optimizing Value with Today’s Consumer
Cara Loeys, VP & Industry Advisor, CPH & Food & Beverage, Circana
The food & beverage landscape is evolving faster than ever, driven by shifting shopper behaviors, economic pressures, and heightened expectations for personalization and value. This presentation explores shifting consumer needs and strategies to optimize value for today’s consumer—balancing affordability, quality, and convenience.
10:45 am – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 am – 11:45 am
Retailer Spotlight: A Q&A with Kristin Popp, Executive Vice President, Woodman’s Food Markets
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch
Sunstone Terrace
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
The AI Advantage: How to Think, Work, and Create in a New Era
Joe Parrish, Partner, The Variable
Back with an update (version 2.0), Joe Parrish will help empower NFRA members to confidently navigate the new era of AI. Through practical education, the session will demonstrate how to use AI to work smarter, think more creatively, and make more informed decisions—ultimately driving greater impact for your businesses, customers, and the broader frozen and refrigerated foods industry.
1:45 pm – 1:55 pm
Break
1:55 pm – 2:40 pm
Optimizing Retail Media to Build Shopper Loyalty
Tiffany Williams, Group VP, Sales, Inmar Intelligence
As food retailers face shifting consumer behavior, rising costs, and margin pressures, alternative revenue models have become essential to sustaining long-term growth. Across the frozen and refrigerated aisles, new revenue pathways—including retail media, loyalty and data monetization, digital incentives, and emerging in-store media channels—are creating opportunities to drive incremental profit and grow shopper loyalty.
This presentation will explore how retailers and brands are evaluating these opportunities, building internal alignment, and operationalizing programs that deliver measurable financial value and stronger shopper engagement. The session will spotlight both on-site and in-store activation, including merchandising, signage, digital shelf touchpoints, and full omni-channel integration. Attendees will gain practical insight into how diversified revenue streams can complement the core grocery business while improving relevance for today’s shopper.
2:40 pm – 2:50 pm
Break
2:50 pm – 3:35 pm
Inside the Retail Channel: Macroeconomic Forces, Competitive Dynamics, and Consumer Retail Trends
Aubrey Jones, Research Associate, Cleveland Research Company
Michael Konrad, Research Associate, Cleveland Research Company
Cleveland Research Company provides a focused look at how the current economic and supply chain environment is shaping retail performance. The session highlights key macro drivers, shifting competitive dynamics across channels, evolving consumer behavior, and freight market trends to outline implications for suppliers going forward.
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm
Membership Committee Meeting (invite only)
Turquoise Room
Supply Chain Open Forum
Jade Room
Cold-chain leaders are under increasing pressure to provide excellent service while promoting sustainability and building genuine resilience. Based on real-world evidence from a year-long study led by Western Michigan University, this Supply Chain Forum session shows how infrastructure, operations, and planning must work together to meet these challenges effectively. Stage One explores coordinated, asset-based infrastructure planning, design, and operation. Stage Two demonstrates daily management amid imperfect demand signals and limited visibility. Together, these stages move beyond fragmented “best practices” to deliver an integrated, industry-tested framework that strengthens demand–supply alignment and elevates shopper service.
Join us to gain actionable insights!
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Tuesday Evening Reception
Sunstone Terrace
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
7:00 am – 8:00 am
Breakfast
Opal Ballroom
8:00 am – 8:45 am
Working Through the Research: An Insider’s Perspective
Ashley Kim, Research Manager, Morning Consult
NFRA and Morning Consult spent the past year digging into how shoppers think about the frozen and dairy categories. Ashley Kim, Research Manager, will walk attendees through the clearest takeaways from that research — what drives purchases, what slows them down, and how trends like social media, weight loss medications, and air fryers are reshaping habits. We’ll break down how consumers judge value, where they look for nutrition information, and what motivates them to try something new. You’ll leave with a sharper picture of today’s shopper, and the opportunities brands can act on right now.
8:45 am – 9:00 am
Break
9:00 am – 9:45 am
Food Waste as a Business Imperative: NFRA’s Report and Roadmap for Cold-Chain Leadership
Eva Goulbourne, Founder, Littlefoot Ventures
Food waste is a significant financial and operational risk for the U.S. food industry, with 30 – 40% of the food supply going uneaten. For consumers, this amounts to roughly $800 in wasted food per person each year; for retailers, it represents an estimated $28 billion in lost product value, labor, disposal costs, and missed sales. Rising inflation, fuel prices, and supply-chain pressures further squeeze margins and strain ESG commitments across the sector.
NFRA is spotlighting its new Insights Report on food-waste reduction opportunities in the cold chain, released late last year. The report provides category-level insights, industry and consumer trends, peer case studies, consumer-engagement tools, and outlines actionable strategies that will deliver real business value for NFRA members. Eva Goulbourne will present the report’s findings, highlighting the highest-leverage opportunities and practical pathways to implementation. Attendees will leave with clear next steps on how cold-chain companies can drive measurable improvements to their bottom line, all while supporting consumers and contributing to a more sustainable food system.
NFRA Executive Conference 
