FMI announces FMI Connect 2016 Keynote lineup

Food Marketing Institute (FMI) announced its three premier sessions at FMI Connect featuring experts in consumer trends, flavor, culinary technique, and dining experiences. FMI Connect will host these speakers, both on stage and in more intimate learning environments, June 20-23 in Chicago.

Steve Case, chairman and CEO of Revolution LLC, an entrepreneur, will share a road-map for how anyone can succeed in a world of rapidly changing technology. Thematically aligned with his new book, the Third Wave, launching in April, Case’s June 21 keynote will explore the intersection between food retail and technology and their increased relevance for food retailers.

FMI president and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin will lead two sessions concentrating on food and foodservice trends. On June 22, she will present findings from FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2016. A separate session will feature her soliciting the thoughts of Mario Batali and Robert Irvine, restaurateurs recognizable from the Food Network, regarding their predictions for the future of the marketplace and consumer. This discussion, Riding the Wave of Food Trends, will inform food marketing strategies, store design, product assortment, and insights into communicating corporate values. Both Batali and Irvine will also have additional activities within the FMI Expo following the session.