WASHINGTON -- The Food Marketing Institute expects more than 3,500 supermarket executives, wholesalers, consultants, manufacturers and industry observers -- a 300% increase over the inaugural event's attendance -- at the organization's second annual MealSolutions conference.
os., Oklahoma City; Harris Teeter, Charlotte, N.C.; H.E. Butt Grocery Co., San Antonio; Kroger Co., Cincinnati; Lund Food Holdings, Edina, Minn.; Marks & Spencer, London; Price Chopper Supermarkets, Schenectady, N.Y.; Shaw's Supermarkets, East Bridgewater, Mass.; Supervalu, Minneapolis; Ukrop's Super Markets, Richmond, Va.; Wegmans Food Markets, Rochester, N.Y., and other companies.
Among the four general sessions and 19 workshops, at least one promises some sparks, as three industry consultants known for their diverging views on meal solutions will meet Monday morning. Brian Salus, president of Salus & Associates, Midlothian, Va.; Marcia Schurer, president of Culinary Connections, Boulder, Colo.; and Howard Solganik, president of Solganik & Associates, Dayton, Ohio, will discuss managing, marketing and merchandising meals solutions.
The seminars are organized along four tracks: marketing, merchandising and promotions; implementation and execution; business alliances; and food safety and quality assurance.
Results of consumer research based on CREST and NET data, presented here, will assess consumer spending patterns and decisions on food service.
An extended special program Sunday and Monday will focus on food-safety professionals, with 11 sessions on emerging pathogens, the Food and Drug Administration 1997 food code, the Conference for Food Protection, and hot and cold holding equipment.
