Highlighted Education Sessions

Breakout Schedule

Store Formats and Retail Innovations

Innovation is occurring at a more rapid pace outside of the U.S. Emerging markets offer the opportunity of rapid growth and the chance to leapfrog traditional development patterns. Mature markets face the unique challenges of reinvention to remain relevant in the face of challenging economic conditions. This presentation offers a fast-paced and highly visual look at new format innovations from around the world. It will look at what’s new, what’s hot and what’s pushing the envelope in format innovation. Most importantly, it will look into the key drivers behind change and what it might mean for the U.S. market.

Preventative Maintenance

Energy costs continue to be a major operational expense in our industry, and mechanical equipment accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total energy usage in a store. In many instances, preventative maintenance can help keep equipment running efficiently, decrease future maintenance costs, and reduce shrink. This presentation will highlight the current state of the energy market and discuss how energy used in a supermarket is limited. Strategies for effective preventive maintenance of mechanical equipment will be discussed, with real-life examples of energy savings, as well as practical low-cost retrofit strategies and rebates.

Avoiding the Top 10 Supermarket Real Estate and Store Development Mistakes

This presentation will review the top 10 mistakes that supermarket chains, large and small, make in their real estate, store planning and design and project management activities. We will take a practical look at these topics and put a positive spin on how to better execute store development plans.  Get suggestions on how to avoid mistakes as well as  how to design projects and processes to avoid problems and costly projects that do not deliver the anticipated results.

End User Experience with CO2 based Refrigeration Systems

Carbon dioxide is a natural substance and is being successfully used as a refrigerant in supermarket refrigeration systems. There are many design configurations that exist today using CO2 as a refrigerant. Many leading North American supermarket chains have implemented different designs in various locations. The session will share their experience with such systems. You’ll hear about the different designs of Co2 systems and their pros and cons, learn from end-users about their experience during installation and ongoing operations, and which design has the best cost of ownership for various weather conditions.

Less is More: Getting the Best from Lean Design and Construction

Are you tired of the old saying "Time, cost and quality - pick any two?" Learn how you can increase speed, reduce costs and increase quality simultaneously using lean strategies and techniques developed in the world of manufacturing. Using these lean methodologies, you can substantially improve your design and construction practices, increase sustainability and reduce the stress associated with the management rigors of today's facility development projects.  Learn about  lean techniques to analyze challenges and create innovative solutions that deliver higher value, better sustainability and take less time to deliver.

EPA Update

EPA will provide an update on recent regulatory developments and offer tools to help supermarkets comply with current regulations.  The winners of the GreenChill Partnership’s Annual Environmental Achievement Awards, celebrated at the Awards Ceremony held at the GreenChill Breakfast the previous day, will also be announced.