Sue Klug, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Commerce, California-headquartered Unified Grocers, and Jerry LeClair, senior vice president for sales and merchandising at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-headquartered Giant Eagle, will serve as keynote speakers during the upcoming 23rd Annual Executive Conference of the US National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association’s (NFRA).
The conference will open on April 13 at 1 PM in Tempe, Arizona, with the Greater Penguin Open Golf Tournament and the NFRA Fishing Tournament, followed by the evening’s welcome reception.
Ms. Klug will kick-off the Tuesday morning session on April 14, followed by Eddie Yoon and Tim Joyce of The Cambridge Group who will discuss identifying super consumers and how retailers and manufacturers have acted on insights to boost growth.
Darren Seifer of The NPD Group will talk about how shifts in the US population impact the country’s eating behaviors and what lies ahead, while Larry Levin of IRI will explore Baby Boomers and their involvement and interactions with the frozen and dairy aisles.
Retail food industry consultant Michael Sansolo will delve into how Millennials’ use of technology differs from that of their parents, and the importance of management understanding how to use these tools to communicate with Millennial Generation consumers and employees.
Tuesday’s afternoon sessions will begin with a retailer keynote speech by LeClair, followed by Ken Harris of Cadent Consulting Group discussing the transformation of consumer packaged goods manufacturers and industry efforts to return to the “basic fundamentals.”
The conference is scheduled to close early on Wednesday following breakfast and a review of lessons and prescriptions for business success presented by Sansolo.
As the organizer wishes to preserve an informal atmosphere that encourages group discussion and more personal interaction, the conference is limited to 150 attendees. A registration form and additional details will be found by visiting NFRAexecutiveconference.org.
About NFRA
Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. It is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, and October Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program.
