The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association kicked off its annual expo and trade show on Sunday, featuring a strong lineup of speakers and a show floor filled with both vendors and innovative merchandising displays from throughout the industry.
“I love our speaker lineup,” Carol Christison, executive director of Madison, Wis.-based IDDBA, told SN. “If you look at not only who is on the program but what they're talking about, you'll see that the topics all dovetail together to create a picture of what's going on, not just in retailing and business, but the world in general. Survival in today's economic environment means investment spending. But it has to start with your time and ideas. You have to know what the competition knows, and you have to be smart enough to figure out what it means, not just for your company, but for your customers.”
Christison added that the “Show & Sell Center” will likely be a major draw for retailers again this year. This year's theme for the area will be “Extreme Retailing” concepts.
“Idea Central,” as Christison describes it, has proven so consistently popular that this year, for the first time, IDDBA plans to professionally photograph the displays in the Show & Sell Center and send a photo CD to any show attendees who request a copy.
The CD “will be a visual library of great merchandising ideas, decor, product, marketing and creativity,” she said. “And, of course, we provide a full resource book with lots of tips and tricks to help sell product. We like to think of this whole area as our retailing theater or Idea Central.”
Attendees looking to relax with friends and colleagues after the show on Monday won't want to miss the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board's party at the Astor Classics Event Center at 1045 South East St. in Anaheim.
Party-goers will enjoy a selection of fine cheeses, amid a collection of movie memorabilia, classic cars and antique telephones and radios.
For more of Christison's thoughts on recent industry trends, attendees can check out her presentation on Monday morning, and see Page 65 of this issue for her extended Q&A with SN.
SUNDAY, JUNE 3
7:30-7:50 a.m.
Nondenominational Worship Service
8:00-8:40 a.m.
Liars and Tyrants and Bores! Oh My!
Harold Lloyd,
Harold Lloyd Presents
8:45-9:30 a.m.
A Championship Vision
Emmitt Smith, NFL all-time leading rusher
9:30-10:20 a.m.
Building an “Innovation Machine” in a Disruptive Age
Tom Peters, management author, motivational speaker
10:20-10:40 a.m.
Coffee Break
10:40-11:40 a.m.
Inside Looking Out: A Global Perspective
Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State
11:40 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Eating Patterns in America
Harry Balzer, the NPD Group
12:30-5:30 p.m.
Expo and Show & Sell Merchandising Pavilion Open
MONDAY, JUNE 4
8-8:15 a.m.
It's Not Easy Being Green
Dave Peterson, Bel Brands USA; president, IDDBA
8:20-9:20 a.m.
Food Trends: From Easy to Extreme
Carol Christison, executive director, IDDBA
9:20-10:20 a.m.
Untold Stories: Frontline to Nightline
Ted Koppel, newscaster
10:20-10:40 a.m.
Coffee Break
10:40-11:30 a.m.
Double-Digit Growth: How Great Companies Achieve It — No Matter What
Michael Treacy, author
11:30 am-12:30 p.m.
All Marketers Are Liars, Purple Cows, and Free Prize Inside
Seth Godin, entrepreneur and author
12:30-5:30 p.m.
Expo and Show & Sell Merchandising Pavilion Open
6:30-9:30 p.m.
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board Backstage Party*
*MUST BE OVER 21 AND HAVE IDDBA SHOW BADGE TO ATTEND.
TUESDAY, JUNE 5
8-9 a.m.
I'm Only Here for the Food: Innovation, Gadgets, Science, and Trends That Will Change the Way We Cook, Live, and Work
Alton Brown, Food Network host and author
9-10 a.m.
Go Deep and Keep Your Eye on the Ball
Terry Bradshaw, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Expo and the Show & Sell Merchandising Pavilion Open
6-10 p.m.
Reception and Awards Banquet
