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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
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At the beginning of the week, Retailers will be able to view short presentations from each supplier on demand - and at their leisure. These short presentations will allow Retailers to learn about Supplier's latest products, innovations and category offerings. Buyers have an opportunity to set up one-on-one time with Suppliers to discuss their own products, service needs and their future plans so that Suppliers may better serve them - all from the comfort of your office or home!
Thursday, August 20, 2020
11:00am (East Coast timezone) Disrupting Specialty Cheese Retail
Thirteen years ago Kroger partnered with independent specialty brand Murray’s Cheese to launch a disruptive new model in the specialty cheese space. In this virtual keynote, Murray’s former VP, Liz Thorpe, speaks about how the best practices developed for that program and the importance of universal standards that will maintain your cheese program’s competitive advantage in this current era of Covid-19 specialty retail.
Liz Thorpe is one of the country's leading experts on cheese and cheese retail. She was the first Vice President of Murray's Cheese in New York City and managed the company's expansion into wholesale, import, e-commerce and a licensing partnership with Kroger. After Kroger's acquisition of Murray's in 2012 Liz left to start her consulting company, The People's Cheese. She helps producers and retailers in the specialty food space achieve their goals of business expansion, increased profitability and competitive differentiation. Liz is the author of 3 books on cheese and is regularly sought by media outlets as diverse as The Kelly Clarkson Show, Rachael Ray, Supermarket News, The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine and more
11:30am - 12:15pm (East Coast timezone)
Open Discussion with the Experts
Liz Thorpe, Moderator
Panelists:
Nathan Aldridge, ACS CCP, Education & Team Member Enrichment Manager, Gourmet Foods International
Angela Bozo, ACS CCP, Education Director, IDDBA
Trevor P. Thomas, ACS CCP, Manager of Retail Merchandising & Cheese Education, Lactalis Deli
Immediately following the keynote presentation from Liz Thorpe, we will have a panel of specialty food retail experts join us for a live Q & A! Retailers, suppliers, producers, distributors, and importers are facing many of the same challenges. This will be a virtual round table designed to help offer solutions to the big issues currently plaguing our industry.
12:15pm (East Coast timezone) Scheduled Private 1on1 Virtual Meetings
In order to compete in today's highly competitive business environment, prepared foods, specialty cheese, charcuterie and deli buyers need access to the most effective, highest–value solutions for creating new business relationships.
Deli and Cheese 1on1 brings purchasing executives from leading restaurant chains, foodservice management companies, hotels, resorts & casinos, cruise lines, together with executive-level and senior sales staff from high-volume producers, manufacturers, processors and importers of deli, charcuteries, prepared foods and specialty cheese products, for a day of 1on1 product vetting, networking and industry intelligence gathering.
Product Presentations +
Thought-Leadership Education +
Product Samplings
A Sample of Past Participants include:
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“This past February was the first time I was able to attend the First Source Event in place of Lee French our Vice President of Deli/Foodservice at Price Chopper. All I can say is “WOW”. This event was put together very well. The event brought you in, taught you all that you wanted to know about a particular topic and then put you in direct contact with those folks that drive the market. And all this took place in just a few days”.
Jamie Bouchard
Director of Deli
PriceChopper