We already unveiled the schedule and faculty for the Foundational Excellence program here; the Global Trade Symposium here, the Perishable Pundit’s Thought-Leader Panel here, and the Micro-sessions here. We are now pleased to announce this year’s iteration of the Ideation Fresh Foodservice Forum:
Punching Up Produce Profitability
Bottom-line strategies for maneuvering prickly issues
Thursday, December 14, 2017
New York Hilton • Trianon Ballroom
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Registration
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Welcome Remarks/Introduction
8:45 – 9:30 a.m.
TALKING PROMOS AND
PRODUCE WITH
ANDREW FREEMAN
Foodservice expert and master marketer, Andrew Freeman, founder of San-Francisco-based af&co., will offer his take on produce, food trends and how to attract the consumer’s attention.
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Discussion Panel 1: Challenging The Status Quo of What Children Eat in Restaurants
What strategies can restaurateurs use to increase produce consumed among children under the age of 12? Is it even their responsibility to try? What are the benefits if they do and what if they do not? This panel will explore ways to make kids’ menu items more profitable and at the same time healthier by menuing fruits and vegetables alongside the mac and cheese. We know trial is one method of expanding a child’s palate, but how do restaurants accomplish this feat?
Featuring:
Lisa Feldman
director of culinary services
Sodexo
Ben Friedman
president
Riviera Produce
Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak
president and chief executive
Produce For Better Health Foundation
Sharon Olson
executive director
Y-Pulse
Kevin Ryan
executive director
International Corporate
Chefs Association
Mike Turner
vice president of
Culinary and Supply Chain
Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar
Panel Moderator:
Amy Myrdal Miller
president
Farmer’s Daughter
Consulting, Inc.
10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Conversation Break
10:45 – 11:45 p.m. Chef Demo:
Scott Uehlein
Sonic Corp.
11:45 – 12:45 p.m. Discussion Panel 2: Innovation —
Moving Beyond The Tried and True
What is innovation in produce? Does it involve special breeding and varietal development or recipe magic? What are the disruptors for restaurant guests when it comes to produce? What are some examples of foodservice innovation occurring that have changed consumer behavior? This panel will examine innovation — how to recognize it, how to create it, how to execute it and how to connect the dots.
Featuring:
Ron DeSantis
founder and president
CulinaryNxt
Ernst van Eeghen
vice president business development
Church Brothers Farms
Candace MacDonald
director concept strategies
af&co.
Amy Myrdal Miller
president
Farmer’s Daughter Consulting, Inc.
Rafi Taherian
associate vice president
Yale Hospitality
Maeve Webster
president
Menu Matters
Panel Moderator:
Susan Renke
president and founder
Food Marketing Resources
12:45 – 2:00 p.m. Breakout Luncheon
Facilitator:
Tim York
president
Markon
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Discussion Panel 3: On The Money —
Getting More For Your Produce Dollar
Learn from a panel of veteran experts about tactics and strategies engineered to grow profits from produce. What are the challenges that stand in the way of larger ROI and what are ways to circumvent those obstacles? The panelists will examine purchasing, menuing, pricing, plating and execution.
Featuring:
Rich Dachman
vice president of produce
Sysco
Jessica Foust, RDN
culinary director,
Farmer’s Fridge
Chris Harris
vice president of produce
US Foods
Bob Karisny
vice president for menu strategy
and innovation
Taco John’s
Jill Overdorf
director of business development
and corporate che
Naturipe
Susan Renke
president and founder,
Food Marketing Resources
Panel Moderator:
Maeve Webster
president
Menu Matters
3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Wrap Up
******
A great restaurant town such as New York is the perfect place to hold a conference dedicated to increasing produce consumption through the foodservice channel. Chefs are burdened with so many negative admonitions: use less salt, use less fat, use less sugar, etc. – they rejoice in the opportunity to do good by using more of beautiful and delicious fresh produce!
Come join the conversation and help raise the profile of fresh produce in foodservice.
Check out the website here.
Register for the program here.
We look forward to seeing you in New York!
