The 2024 FMI Midwinter Executive Conference starts next week, bringing food industry executives and trading partners together in one room.
This year’s conference takes place at the JW Marriott Marco Island in Marco Island, Fla., from Jan. 18-21.
The role of AI in retail is a big focus, both in keynotes and breakout sessions. Additional sessions will focus on investments in technology, value strategies to combat inflation, enhanced product assortment, and solutions to labor challenges.
To date, according to FMI, this year’s show has 1,364 registered attendees, with first-time attendees including Lidl, Purity Wholesale Groceries, and Save Mart Companies.
The conference will also pit the three finalists of the FMItech Pitch Contest against each other, with one winner ultimately getting the opportunity to pitch live to FMI’s full Midwinter audience from the keynote stage. The pitch competition was open to any technology solution provider with less than $5 million in funding.
Finalists include shoppable recipe company Grocery Shopii, GreenChoice, an online grocery marketplace that bills itself as carbon-neutral, and Augmodo, which uses AI and augmented reality to pick orders and out-of-stocks.
The conference will also have a tech lounge where retailers can chat with tech vendors in the areas of AI, robotics, supply chain and operations, finance and procurement, electric shelf labeling, product listing automation, and digital media.
FMI will also give out six “Leadership Executive Awards” at Midwinter, including awards for industry relations, entrepreneurial excellence; consumer service, and others.
Agenda highlights:
Friday, Jan. 19
Keynotes will include:
- FMI Midwinter Chairman and Compare Foods Chairman Omar Jorge
- FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin
- Google Cloud, Managing Director Retail & Consumer Jose Luis-Gomes
Saturday, Jan. 20
Keynote sessions will include:
- The FMI Annual Meeting where FMI board of directors Alex Lee, Inc. president, chairman, and CEO Brian George will discuss “Embracing Change Through Stronger Connections”
- A panel discussion on “Unlocking Food Retail Success in 2030”
- A session on the “Food Industry Support for the Hungry”
