Agenda

The 2020 NFRA Executive Conference has been cancelled. Please see the full statement on our homepage. 

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2020

2020 Agenda Printable PDF

11:30 am – 5:30 pm
Greater Penguin Open Golf Tournament
The Raven Phoenix Golf Club

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Welcome Reception

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2020

6:30 am – 7:45 am
Breakfast

8:00 am – 8:45 am
Retailer Keynote
Barry Craft – VP of Merchandising, Marketing & Procurement, Bashas’

8:45 am – 9:30 am
A Look Into the Future of Food
Colleen McClellan – Director/Sommelier/WSET III, Datassential
Datassential is the food industry’s leading knowledge agency, providing a data-centric approach to understanding flavor trends, consumer behavior and more. This session features a look at emerging food trends and consumer behaviors that will drive innovation for years to come.

9:30 am – 10:15 am
The Digital E-Commerce Journey Continues
Kristin Gorski – Director, Business Development, Nielsen
Join this session to hear new research from Nielsen on the projected digital impact on food and beverage retailing. Findings suggest that not all retailers will be impacted to the same degree while center store will continue to be impacted and subscription & auto-replenishment will play a greater role going forward.

10:15 am – 10:45 am
Break

10:45 am – 11:30 am
The Future of Eating
Darren Seifer – Food & Beverage Industry Analyst, The NPD Group
Millennials and Boomers are often targeted as growth areas but not all forecasts show growth with them. This session will delve into the generations, life stages, and population trends driving consumption in the coming years. We’ll also examine the growing role technology plays in the American kitchen allowing new foods, flavors, and recipes to make their way to the table.

11:30 am – 12:15 pm
E Grocery Micro Fulfillment in the Digital Age
Curt Avallone – Chief Business Officer, Takeoff Technologies
This presentation will describe the economics surrounding the use of robotics, artificial intelligence and temperature control technology to profitably develop E grocery operations through hyperlocal micro fulfillment centers that can be attached to existing retail outlets or developed as stand-alone facilities.

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm
Lunch

1:15 pm – 2:00 pm
Reimagining the Last Mile of Grocery E-tailing
Jon Hauptman – Senior Director, Analytics Solutions, Inmar Intelligence
Ecommerce is the fastest growing segment of the retail food industry. However, few retailers or suppliers have figured out how to drive profitable growth through this channel, with much of the blame focused on the high cost of delivery, i.e., fulfilling the last mile and ensuring groceries are delivered to each shopper’s home. This session will examine:

  • Key trends in ecommerce grocery and how retailers are responding to those trends.
  • The role data and technology are playing as ecommerce grocery evolves grows.
  • How retailers and suppliers will embrace new practices to reduce costs, and in turn profitably fulfill against the last mile.

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm
Benchmarking the Frozen & Refrigerated Categories Against Other Departments in the Store
Bill Bean – EVP of Research/Insights, Shopper Intelligence
Research from Shopper Intelligence shows that the traditional category management definitions conceived years ago are more aspirational and theoretical than actual. Learn how using data to show how actual behavior of categories relative to others in the store is a better guide to how they should be merchandised, promoted, and marketed in and out of store.

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
NFRA Committee Meetings
Frozen Promotions, Refrigerated Promotions, Ice Cream & Novelties

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Conference Reception

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2020

7:00 am – 8:00 am
Breakfast

8:00 am – 8:45 am
Wrap Up Discussion
Bill Bean – EVP of Research/Insights, Shopper Intelligence
Join Bill as he gives attendees a sneak peek at Shopper Intelligence’s latest technology, Store Impact. This new AI-guided technology captures real-time video of shoppers’ actual trips in store as they shop, providing insight into purchasing behavior and decision-making. Already in pilot in Australia and the UK, here’s a chance to see and experience what could be heading next to the US.

9:00 am
Adjournment