International Foodservice Manufacturers Association - IFMA

🚨 Calling all foodservice professionals:

Join the first day of our Virtual Marketing and Sales Conference for leading industry news, trends, insights and more! Can’t make it on the first day? Don’t worry, after the session the recordings will be available. Here’s what’s on the agenda for the first general session:

🏆 Opening Keynote by Todd Buchholz, Former White House Director of Economic Policy and Managing Director of Tiger Hedge Fund.

🔮 New Industry Forecast with IFMA’s Senior Director of Insights & Best Practices, Charlie McConnell. This session is sponsored by Coca Cola.

🍲 Inside the 2024 Top Restaurant Chains Report with Colleen McClellan, Chief Customer Officer at Datassential

🎨 IFMA Transformation with Ashley Peeples, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Planning Committee Chair, Royal Cup Coffee and Tea

Don't miss these exclusive insights, register today: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

📢 Calling all foodservice leaders:

November isn't that far away and Presidents Conference is right around the corner. You won't want to miss it! Register today to save your spot, we can't wait to see you in Scottsdale, AZ.

Register today: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/75826/information/

Meet your opening keynote speaker Todd Buchholz, Former White House Director of Economic Policy and Managing Director of Tiger Hedge Fund.

Learning how psychological forces can move financial markets and product markets quicker and further than data alone.

IFMA Virtual Marketing & Sales conference attendees, mark your calendars for Todd’s session titled " Behavioral Economics Can Work for You" streaming live on August 6th.

Register: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

Can’t make it during the live session? No worries, the session recording will be available afterwards.

🏆 Nominations are open for the 2025 IFMA Gold & Silver Plate Awards! Here's your ultimate guide to nominating an industry leader:

• What are the Gold & Silver Plate Awards?
• What are the awards categories?
• Who is eligible to nominate?
• Who is eligible to be nominated?
• What is the nomination timeline?

Learn more: https://www.ifmaworld.com/IFMA/Events/GSP/IFMA/Programs/IFMA-Awards/gold-silver-plate-awards.aspx?hkey=b19b3466-c91a-439e-bad0-c3a95925d75d

What does sustainability mean to you?

Hear from a panel of foodservice operators about sustainability challenges and success stories from their industry experience. During this session “The Challenges of the Sustainability Journey in the Away-From-Home Ecosystem”, we’ll hear about customizing and right fitting sustainability into your business practices. Join this wonderful panel of industry insiders for an exclusion conversation during IFMA’s Virtual Marketing and Sales Conference.

Register for the conference: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

Panel includes:

Karen Luna, Director of Nutrition Services at Santa Clara (CA) Public Schools

Justin WIlliams, Employee Services Strategy Lead; Executive Director Corporate Properties Group, Wells Fargo

Cherly Fabrizi, Associate Vice President, Auxiliary Services, Syracuse University

Moderated by Charlie McConnell, Senior Director, Insights & Best Practices, IFMA

We’re thrilled to have Aaron Hite from LinkedIn joining the IFMA Marketing & Sales Conference and leading the session “Power of the Post” 8/6 at 1PM CT.

Looking to amplify your or your customer’s message? Learn how to build social media engagement and effectively harness the power of social media from a leader at LinkedIn during Aaron’s session.

It’s not too late for individual or corporate registrations! This conference is virtual so all session recordings will be available to those who register.

Register today: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

Let’s cut to the chase about AI. Join us for a cross-industry panel about how to leverage AI at your business.

Learn the latest during IFMA's upcoming Virtual Marketing & Sales Conference, session “Intelligent Approaches to AI” with panelists Azeem Kapadia, Brandon Beals, and Garret DiStefano on 8/6 at 2:00PM CT.

Enhance your future AI strategy and register: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

How can you move your vendor-client relationship from transactional to authentic partnership?

In this session, Megan Posenato and Geoff Whan will discuss developing strategic partnerships with case examples that illustrate how to establish first connections, manage expectations and more.

Register for exclusive access to this session: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

Learn how your individual leadership style can impact brand culture and support the engagement and retention of top talent. Led by Sarah Lockyer, Chief Brand Officer, The Elliot Group, she’ll explain the newly defined “Six Traits of Next-Level Leadership” and, organizations will see more engaged, innovative, and loyal teams working to drive businesses forward.

We’re thrilled to hear more during Sarah’s session titled “Leading with Impact: How to Enhance Company Culture & Drive Retention” during our Virtual Marketing & Sales Conference.

Register for exclusive access to the live session and session recording: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

✨ Another memorable Foodservice Fundamentals™ at the IFMA Education Center with IFMA's Senior Director of Insights & Best Practices, Charlie McConnell!

This class is the foodservice industry's longest-running training on the basics of the industry. The full-day training is in downtown Chicago and will get your team up to speed on this complex industry so that you all can start working strategically — faster.

Sign up for future classes: https://www.ifmaworld.com/IFMA/Education/Foodservice-Fundamentals.aspx

Want in on an exclusive session detailing the performance of the nation’s biggest chains, and what the fastest-growing chains say about the foodservice landscape today?

Powered by IFMA's preferred Business Intelligence partner, Datassential, join Chief Customer Officer Colleen McClellan for an informative conversation on the key takeaways from the company’s annual Datassential 500 report that includes comprehensive financial data, regional insights and customer rankings on a number of key metrics from affordability to food quality and service.

Register for access to this session and more here: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

Information Welcome to the Marketing & Sales Conference: Evolution Defined, the premier virtual event tailored for marketing and sales leaders in the dynamic food-away-from-home industry. Over three engaging days – or on-demand at your own pace – immerse yourself in a comprehensive program featuring nearly...

Today in the IFMA Education Center: 📚 Foodservice Fundamentals™ taught by IFMA's Senior Director of Insights & Best Practices, Charlie McConnell!

This 1-day training in downtown Chicago gives an overview on the food-away-from-home industry including:
📊 How segments and processes are defined
🚚 How product flows through the supply chain
💵 How buyers are making decisions

Find the class format that fits your schedule: https://www.ifmaworld.com/IFMA/Education/Foodservice_Fundamentals/IFMA/Education/foodservice-fundamentals.aspx?websitekey=a7839fb7-5326-4417-972a-fab925852771&hkey=58c0e47f-9ac3-4821-b30f-fe41f7a37210

Some might say that January 20, 2026, is a good long while from now. After all, if you were invited to a wedding that’s nearly 18 months away, you wouldn’t be stressing out now about your travel plans. If you planned to move more than a year from today, you wouldn’t be packing this afternoon.

But if you must make a substantial upgrade to the way your entire company maintains your business records, believe me; January 2026 is coming right up.

Say ‘Hello’ to FSMA Rule 204 and its implementation deadline.

Read more: https://ifma.informz.net/informzdataservice/onlineversion/pub/bWFpbGluZ0luc3RhbmNlSWQ9MTE2MDk2MDA=

🌶️ Which spices, preparation methods, and dishes will have staying power in the coming years? What’s the next hot honey or plant-based beef?

Powered by Technomic, IFMA’s preferred menu insights partner, this session “Forecasting Foods & Flavors” of the Virtual Marketing & Sales Conference will leverage Ignite Menu’s predictive tool (which uses artificial intelligence including machine learning and natural language processing). Led by Lizzy Freier you won't want to miss these exclusive insights!



Register: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/information/

🚨 IFMA NEWS: Building on the success of IFMA’s five Operator Foodservice Leadership Councils (FLC), IFMA is expanding its network by adding a council that will serve the Sales Agency community!

Read more: https://www.ifmaworld.com/IFMA/Resources/News/2024/Sales-Agency-FLC.aspx

Consumers and operators are equally affected by cost-of-living increases, and both require innovative solutions for addressing price concerns.

Learn more in our latest article:

Current influences on consumer spending and value decisions Explore the latest insights into consumer spending and value decisions amidst ongoing inflation. Learn how rising food-away-from-home (FAFH)

Register for the 2024 Marketing & Sales Conference for a first look at our 2025 Foodservice Industry Forecast. Our data and insights can:

• Support your teams' strategic initiatives
• Create compelling pitches to key stakeholders
• Enhance your teams’ industry knowledge



Register: https://na.eventscloud.com/website/72798/

⭐ Now accepting nominations for the highly anticipated 2025 IFMA Gold & Silver Plate Awards!⭐

This is YOUR opportunity to shine the spotlight on an operator who's making a real impact.

https://www.ifmaworld.com/IFMA/Events/GSP/IFMA/Programs/IFMA-Awards/gold-silver-plate-awards.aspx?hkey=b19b3466-c91a-439e-bad0-c3a95925d75d

Share their story, recognize their achievements, and help them gain industry-wide recognition at next year's celebration. We'll be celebrating on May 17th at the beautiful Chicago Union Station.

Curious about the event? Check out the highlights from 2024!

📢 ICYMI: Food Industry Pulse, our monthly newsletter, is the source for actionable food-away-from-home business intelligence.

Check out last months issue:
https://ifma.informz.net/informzdataservice/onlineversion/pub/bWFpbGluZ0luc3RhbmNlSWQ9MTE1Nzk2NTI=

Subscribe and get the next issue directly to your inbox:
https://ifma.informz.net/IFMA/pages/IFMA_NEWSLETTERS_Message_Category

Happy 4th of July from IFMA!

⏰ Registration is now open for IFMA’s 2024 Presidents Conference!

Learn More: https://ow.ly/rXk950Spt1A

🆕New benefit for our top-tier manufacturer (tier II and III members), supply chain (tier II members), and operator members — complimentary access to the Datassential 500 report!

The Datassential 500 report ranks the largest restaurant chains in the United States, highlighting leaders by location count and the fastest-growing brands across 16 segments.

Learn More: https://ow.ly/gE1I50SmMzP

🌟 Today, IFMA is joining the nation in honoring Juneteenth, a pivotal moment in American history that symbolizes freedom and justice for all. On this day, June 19, 1865, the last enslaved African Americans in the U.S. were emancipated, marking a profound step towards equality.

Juneteenth stands as a reminder of the resilience and spirit of the Black community in the face of adversity. At IFMA, we recognize the importance of diversity and inclusivity in shaping a stronger future together.

Let us reflect on this significant milestone and continue to strive for a more just and equitable society.

Next month, IFMA is offering Foodservice Fundamentals in-person at the IFMA Education Center in Chicago on July 23.

The course curriculum includes:

🔍 A deep dive into foodservice definitions and structure
🔠 Basics of the foodservice value chain
🍝 A focus on restaurant segments
🏪 The role of retail foodservice and on-site categories

This course is open to the entire foodservice industry—you don’t need to be an IFMA Member to register. Grab a spot before it’s too late!

https://na.eventscloud.com/website/73424/registration/