Mar 17, 20143 min read

Food is the universal bonding agent that brings people together.  Whether it is preschoolers sharing goldfish and fruit at snack time, the family gathered at the dinner table or a bevy of diplomats congregating around the banquet table, food is the cause that brings us together, providing us with the reason to sit face to face.   Eating together creates the necessary space to pause from the hectic chaos of the day – even if just for the time it takes to chew the servings – and look each other in the eye.  The common experience of food encourages us to share more than the meal, but to also share our thoughts, our experiences and our lives with each other.  Food is the great connector.

In Colin Powell’s recent book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership, the former Secretary of State dedicates an entire chapter to describing what he calls the craft of “hotdog diplomacy.”   In his various official capacities, when Powell was called upon to host visiting dignitaries, he often found it helpful to break away and take his guests to the local hot dog stand - which I’m sure, got all its ingredients from the local supermarket.   There, together, Powell and his guest would share a quick meal within the bustling ambiance of Americana.  Barriers got lowered, rigid positions softened and some of the formal posturing melted away as he and his counterparts just met as people grabbing a hotdog together.  As Powell shares, there is just something about people meeting at the point of their common need for sustenance, sharing the sensual delights that food provides and just being together in the experience.

An industry dedicated to providing food to the public must know something about making connections, because relationships are the unwritten part of every meal plan and social sustenance is the secret ingredient in every recipe.

This is why, when the food retail industry comes together at its annual event, we keep one eye on the food and the other on making connections.  We even call the event FMI Connect: the Global Food Retail Experience because it simply isn’t possible to gather around food without making connections.

To help retailer and wholesaler participants get the most out of their FMI Connect experience, and make the connections they need to make, FMI is initiating a new service called FMI Communities. FMI will help you get connected by offering specialized itineraries and contoured guidance to programs, educational offerings and experiences for the following valued areas of expertise:

  • Store Managers
  • Sales, Marketing and Merchandising
  • FutureConnect Alumni
  • Technology
  • Fresh Foods
  • Food Safety
  • Health and Wellness
  • Private Brands
  • Store Operations
  • Supply Chain
  • Supermarket Chefs
  • State Executives
  • Owners, Presidents and CEO’s
Additionally, FMI Communities will amplify FMI Connect’s value to participants with hands-on sessions with industry thought leaders and customized networking opportunities with specific peer groups, ensuring there are real-world takeaways.  And yes, food will be involved.

Just as family time is centered in the meal event, communities center around the grocery store that helps make those meals happen.  FMI Communities will help find your space at the FMI Connect table. 

I look forward to eating and connecting with you in Chicago, June 11 -13 at FMI Connect: the Global Food Retail Experience.