FMI’s Private Brands Summit will connect trading partners digitally

As with many events in 2020, FMI — The Food Industry Association is holding its annual summit for private brand professionals digitally this year, due to safety concerns around the coronavirus pandemic and its general disruption of the grocery business.

The Private Brand Summit will be held Sept. 29 - Oct. 1 and there will be an online format that also includes an option of booking business conference suites that come armed with communication and operation planning needs to assist meetings between trading partners.

Registration is open for the event with different cost structures for members and non-members.

Programming for the event has yet to be finalized, but the conference will feature discussions around COVID-19, such as supply chain resiliency during the pandemic, a global outlook, a discussion of public policy implications and more. The event will also offer ways for companies to collaborate via private 45-minute business appointments (registration for the conference suites has a deadline of Aug. 28).

The Private Brand Summit brings together c-level executives and private brand leaders from retailers and product manufacturers across the retail store and e-commerce divisions. 

The event will look at the continued rapid growth in sales of store brand products and strategies to maintain customer loyalty.

“Our annual consumer trends research suggests shoppers are becoming more brand agnostic and focused on product quality, highlighting an opportunity for store brands,” said Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations and facilitator of FMI’s Private Brand Leadership Council. “And relevant to the current COVID-19 crisis and shifting grocery shopper food behaviors, business partners can identify ways to capitalize on – and learn from – the unprecedented demand challenges influenced largely by consumer anxiety.” 

The summit and conference is designed to accelerate business recovery and stabilization through educational sessions, interactive roundtable discussions and the private trading partner meetings. “Our Private Brands Leadership Council recognized that communications, planning and speed dictate the new normal as companies seek equilibrium in their business operations and position themselves for the future,” Baker added.