AFFI-CON is the premier event for frozen food and beverage makers, industry suppliers and logistical partners. It brings together over 600 companies in a single location, allowing them to meet one-on-one to discuss current and future opportunities. President and CEO, Alison Bodor talked to me about this upcoming edition.
By Dan Orehov
Which are some of the novelties this edition presents?
This is the frozen food industry’s leading business event. This year we are putting more of an emphasis on the industry itself to encourage attendees to learn, network and conduct business to grow the industry. This event is a great business value because it can set any frozen food company up for their entire year. As we continue to grow this venue, we encourage attendees who are attending AFFI-CON for the first time to take advantage of the resources available on our website to get the most out of your time at AFFI-CON. AFFI’s industry spotlight is AFFI’s largest education event at AFFI-CON. The industry spotlight will run March 2nd at 7:15 a.m., and will include a panel discussion on AFFI’s new Power of Frozen in Foodservice research, the induction of 2020’s Frozen Food Hall of Fame recipients and a look at AFFI’s 2019 accomplishments. Following up on the success of our Power of Frozen in Retail report at last year’s event, we are excited to launch the next edition in our research series this year – the Power of Frozen in Foodservice. This research examines the frozen food landscape in foodservice to uncover operator attitudes, perceptions and opportunities for our industry. Most importantly, it identifies how frozen food manufacturers and distributors can most effectively meet operator needs to strengthen demand for frozen food in foodservice.
Please provide details about the educational program during the event.
Education sessions will be held at AFFI-CON on Saturday afternoon and Monday morning. All three education sessions will focus on regulatory issues surrounding the frozen food industry. Our first two sessions will specifically focus on food safety. The first education session, Incorporating Food Safety into Enterprise Risk Management will provide attendees with unique perspectives from a scientific, legal and business lens to build a case for assessing food safety risk relative to other risks a food company faces. This session will teach employees how to use novel insights like testing, new data and analytic and risk assessment to incorporate into a systematic approach to risk management. The second session, Produce Safety: How to Minimize Disruption in the U.S. Marketplace will cover research and regulatory concepts developed to control pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes and Enteric Viruses that have challenged global regulatory agencies and food manufacturers alike. Finally, the final education session will give an overview of gene editing. Thanks to innovation and deeper understanding in genetics, scientists can make targeted genetic improvements to plants and animals to address some of society’s most urgent challenges including climate change, sustainability, hunger and improving health and wellness. Our final education session, Gene Editing & Seed Science will answer questions related to gene editing’s regulation and what to expect in the business of frozen fruits and vegetables.
What is the main focus of the event for this particular edition and what is the reasoning behind it?
The AFFI-CON 2020 theme is harvesting growth through frozen ingredients. Our attendees tell us over and over again that the business meetings they conduct at this event form the blueprint for their entire year in business. This year we are focusing on all of the ways our members can harvest more business growth through AFFI’s other membership offerings. For example, last year during AFFI-CON 2019 we launched our Power of Frozen in Retail series to examine consumption, purchase drivers and use of frozen foods. This year, we will unveil our Power of Frozen in Foodservice report to uncover the drivers behind foodservice operator perceptions around frozen food. This research fills in missing data to equip frozen food manufacturers and their retail partners with opportunities for continued growth. AFFI-CON also provides a unique forum for our members to form personal relationships. It provides a central gathering for attendees to meet face-to-face to buy and sell their products and plan the rest of their year.