WASHINGTON -- The annual Food Marketing Institute convention in Chicago will hold new potential for independents this year.
According to Tim Hammonds, FMI president and chief executive officer, the institute is attempting to make it easier for independent members to harness their human resources at the convention by introducing an "independent operators" track that will feature highlights of 12 separate workshops in a single location. The FMI convention is scheduled for May 5 to 8 at McCormick Place in Chicago. "A chain that brings a lot of people to the convention can divide them up to attend many workshops. But an independent, who brings fewer people, has a more difficult time getting to as many of the sessions," Hammonds told SN. "This year we're providing another option for independent companies. They can still go to any workshops they wish, but what we'll be doing is providing an alternative -- a concentrated track in one room over two days where they can hear shorter presentations on a variety of important topics that are featured in the workshops. "And if they want more depth, we will be able to supply them with references or the appropriate booths on the exhibit floor or other places to go or other FMI conferences to attend for follow-ups. "We think this approach will fit the agendas of family-owned operations with limited staffs who want to maximize their FMI convention experience in the shortest time." Family-owned businesses with 10 stores or less make up about two-thirds of FMI's members, Hammonds said, "and half of those are single-store operators." He said it is important for independents to get the most out of FMI's annual convention "because they may not go to any other meetings over the course of a year, so maximizing their experience at the Chicago show is a real advantage." The independent track will be held in a 700-seat room on the fourth floor of McCormick Place East, the same building where the workshops are held on the second and third floors. Among the topics to be covered during the two-day independent track are highlights from the Speaks '96 presentation on the state of the food industry, updates on human resources and government relations, food safety, category management, technology and hiring practices. While most presentations will be made by the same people who speak at the workshops, some may be delivered by FMI staff members, Hammonds said. Larger companies are welcome to send representatives to the independent track sessions, he added, "and we don't know what the exact mix will be at these sessions." Among other topics Hammonds discussed with SN:
The convention's closing general session on May 8 -- titled "Seize the Future!" -- will spotlight the likely acceleration of change in the industry and in the daily lives of consumers over the next decade based on the rapid pace of change over the past 10 years. The session will also feature opportunities for interactive responses from the audience. Speakers will include Phil Lempert, a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune; Tom Rubel, managing partner of Management Horizons, Columbus, Ohio; and Stevan Alburty, a New York-based author and consultant.
FMI will offer guaranteed, reserved seating for general workshop sessions at the Chicago convention for the second year in a row. "That's something we tested at selected workshops last year, and this year it will be available for all sessions," Hammonds said. Advance tickets will be available for all workshops in the membership lounge at McCormick Place the day before a workshop is scheduled, he noted. He said only a small number of people took advantage of the reserved seating policy at last year's convention, "but a lot of people didn't even know it was available until they got to the workshop rooms, and we expect more people to use the service this year."
Also, for the second year in a row, FMI will open the exhibit floor at 10:30 a.m. -- while the second morning session is under way -- "to make it a little easier for members to get into the workshops," Hammonds said. Opening the exhibits early accomplishes two things, he explained. "First, now that we've eliminated the exhibit on Wednesday, when attendance was poor, it stretches the total time available for exhibits. And second, by ending the exhibits on Tuesday afternoon, companies can send their people home that night instead of paying for an extra day."
FMI does not contemplate any significant changes on the exhibit floor this year, Hammonds said. However, there will be big changes next year, when a new North building opens at McCormick Place, he noted. The new building will make it possible for all exhibitors to be on a single floor, in the same building as the workshops and all other convention activities, Hammonds said. "The first part of the North building opened two years ago, and some exhibitors who opted to move over there will get preference in selecting new locations on the exhibit floor," he explained. "We've supplied all exhibitors with floor plans of the new building, and we're working our way through the process of assigning new exhibit space -- without undue stress so far." FMI's first-ever AsiaMart show in Hong Kong last fall was "extraordinarily successful for a first show and beyond our expectations," Hammonds said. The second AsiaMart is scheduled for Hong Kong Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. However, he said he doubts that attendance by overseas companies at AsiaMart will cut down the attendance of those companies at the Chicago show. "The Chicago show is the place to see everything in one spot and exhibits from all over the world," he explained.
There are advantages for companies that exhibit at the Chicago convention and FMI's annual MarkeTechnics show or the first Meal Solutions show scheduled for Sept. 8 to 10 in Phoenix, Hammonds said. "The Chicago show and the two special-interest conventions are really different, but there is a relationship between them," he explained. "When we started the technology show several years ago, some companies decided to exhibit there and not at the Chicago show, but after a couple of years, they realized they might need to be at both. "The Chicago show is a top management show, where chief executives and other senior managers might make a general strategic decision based on something they see and then send a team of vice presidents from the operating level to the technology show to look more specifically at each vendor and make decisions on what equipment to buy. "We think the same thing will happen at the Meal Solutions show. We expect a lot of senior management to see things in Chicago and then send their people to the Phoenix show."
