The pace of global business is more feverish than ever before. Innovation, branding, design and execution are no longer enough; in addition, successful firms must gather knowledge and personal connections from a variety of places. TheCenter for Retail Leadership's Executive Forum 2013 is just such a place. Industry leaders and experts from a myriad of fields will convene and share knowledge critical to operating a 21st century business. You are invited to share in this cross-pollination of ideas.
Schedule
11:30 am: Registration
12:00 pm: Student-Industry Connection Luncheon (Free to attend)
Meet our Students! Find out what interests them about the industry and offer advice!
We will also honor our student of the year at this lunch! Don't miss it!
1:00-5:00 pm: Executive Forum Sessions ($75.00 to attend all sessions)
- 1:00 pm Relevance of Local/Regional Products, Laurie Demeritt, CEO Hartman Group http://www.hartman-group.com/ Laurie Demeritt is CEO of The Hartman Group, a leading consulting and market research firm founded over 20 years ago. The Hartman Group specializes in the analysis and interpretation of consumer lifestyles and how these lifestyles affect the purchase and use of household goods, with an emphasis on food and beverage. Laurie oversees all financial and operational aspects of the company including the Market Research, Strategy and Worldview divisions. Her background includes a B.A. from Cornell University and MBA from University of Washington.
- 1:45 pm Break out Sessions
"The Art & Science Of Getting New & Local Products Into Stores"
Panel: New Seasons; Whole Foods, Fred Meyer/Kroger. Moderator Kevin Coupe,MorningNewsBeat.com
It is like a perfect storm. Consumers want local and regional products. Retailers are looking for product innovations that will meet this demand. And vendors - new and old - are deluging buyers with products, proposals and marketing plans. And yet, there always is the opportunity for more. In this informative, nuts-and-bolts session, learn from some of the best retail buyers in the business about what works best and what they want from vendors.
Focus: How It Can Help You Become the Leader You Were Meant To Be: Professor Alan Cabelly
Are you stuck? Is something holding you back? Why can't you achieve what you want as a leader? How can you take that next step? You'll look forward to see what you need to do to become that great leader, to identify what you need to do to move forward. You'll look at what's stopping you, you'll set goals, and prepare yourself for that next move. Liftoff!
Break
- 2:45 pm Break out Sessions
Innovator Panel "Experiences of Getting into Retail":
Learn from the experiences of several innovative new food companies in developing retail distribution.
What can new vendors and food retailers do together to get innovative products into the store and grow the business.
"Everything You Need To Know About Your Next Job But Were Afraid To Ask"
As the economy improves, there is every expectation that employment opportunities in the food industry - both at retail and on the supplier side - will begin to grow. And yet, the recessionary mindset has not completely gone away, and companies are being careful to make their hiring decisions at every level count. A panel of experts in the field will offer advice and opinion about what companies are looking for in job candidates, what potential employees can do to improve their chances, and what skills and talents need to be developed - including by students - in order to be successful in a 21st century economy. Our moderator: Kevin Coupe, Content Guy for MorningNewsBeat.com.
- 3:30 pm The power of moments to accelerate paths to purchase, Dave Lundahl http://www.insightsnow.com/expertise/blog/author/dave-lundahl Whether you are a store manager seeking to increase visits and basket ring or a category manager seeking to increase volume, success or failure ultimately comes down to impacting paths to purchase behavior. This talk will discuss the power of moments of truth in impacting paths to purchase. It will provide case studies into how research can generate insights helping retailers, marketers, and manufacturers innovate to accelerate paths to purchase to achieve a more competitive edge.
- 4:15 pm Wrap up
- 5:00-8:00 pm: Reception and Dinner, With Keynote speaker Sam Martin, CEO A&P ( $249.00)
How Healthy is a Company’s Core?
Companies must cultivate various areas of business to keep their organizations healthy. But culture-based projects aren’t typically on a company’s strategic initiatives list. That’s a mistake – and A&P President and CEO Sam Martin will tell you why. As Mr. Martin speaks about the transformational journey of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company from the nation’s first and largest supermarket chain to emerging from Chapter 11 in 2012, he’ll share thought-provoking insight on the key link between a company’s internal culture and its success in the marketplace. Sam will share Five Culture Investments that your company should be making, and he details how these investments will yield a good return. Participants will also have the opportunity to ask Sam direct questions in order to apply what they’ve learned to their unique business contexts. At the end of the session, participants should walk away with a new perspective on investing in their companies, their teams and themselves.
