ABC Discovery | Who Should Attend | How it Works | Chairman's Club

Trading Partner Efficiencies at ABC.

Meet with several business partners in one place—saving you time and money!

Join in at Food Marketing Institute Annual Business Conference (ABC) and you can take advantage of tremendous opportunity for CPG suppliers to interact with their retail/wholesale trading partners.

Within the ABC program, participants can communicate strategies, goals, and operational concerns in an effort to achieve greater efficiency and profitability.

New in 2017! We have added +Discovery where you can network while gaining awareness on category trends, menu insights, and/or store format trends.

See who's coming Know Before You Go

ABC Discovery

ABC + Discovery represents an expansion that takes into account the rapidly changing face of the food retailing industry.

In addition to valuable private meetings, you will now gain insights with ABC + Discovery. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday will wrap up with a briefing by industry experts who will give attendees insights into the categories their shoppers are looking for, store format trends shifting the focus of the industry, and the new players in the marketplace that can help grow your bottom line.

Takeaways will be the valuable information you can use:

Sunday, September 17th | Category Insights + Networking Reception | 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Discovery Lounge in the Burnham Ballroom

Which product category innovations taking place in food retailing do I need to know about?
Which categories are underrepresented in my stores?

Presented by Boston Consulting Group & IRI

Monday, September 18th | Menu Trends + Networking Reception | 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Discovery Lounge in the Burnham Ballroom

You know your customers are demanding new brands. Where are these brands and how can you connect with them?
What’s new in store formats? How do you format a sales floor today to wring the most profit from every available square inch?

Presented by Technomics

Tuesday, September 19th | Discovery Hour featuring Store Format Insights | 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Discovery Lounge in the Burnham Ballroom

What’s new in store formats?
How do you format a sales floor today to wring the most profit from every available square inch?

Presented by Planet Retail RNG

Join us at ABC + Discovery and gain insights for your retail business.

Who Should Attend:

We have added a new content element to the ABC event this year, + Discovery, based on attendee requests.

C-level and key senior executives for marketing, merchandising and/or supply chain from FMI retailer and wholesaler member companies
Distributor and supplier senior executives with responsibilities for overall corporate goal-setting, business development and strategic alliances.

How it Works

We have added a new content element to the ABC event this year, + Discovery, based on attendee requests.

Private meetings are hosted by participating CPG supplier companies and are 45 minutes in length, with 15 minute breaks between meetings.
Retailers and Suppliers make private appointments directly with each other using FMI's user-friendly, online scheduling tool.
Participants are able to control their schedule and the number of trading partner appointments they wish based on needs and availability. FMI encourages all participants to make and take as many appointments as possible but cannot guarantee any confirmed appointments.
Each company will be responsible for securing its own trading partner meeting schedule and setting a discussion agenda.
An executive and scheduler contact list is provided by FMI to facilitate networking.
The conference dress code is business casual.

Chairman's Club

Open to all who participate in the Annual Business Conference
Continue your business in this relaxed networking lounge over breakfast, lunch and afternoon cocktails and refreshments
Business center services, airline check-in and boarding pass printing will be available.