Order of Excellence: Considering insights before Niagara University’s annual Food Summit
With new trends and innovations continuously changing the way the food and beverage industry operates, it’s essential for our team to adapt, absorb shifts, and cultivate strategies to best serve our expansive roster of industry clients.
Over the last few years, one of our essential research and engagement stops has been Niagara University’s annual Food Industry Center of Excellence Summit. This year’s edition is set for September 30 inside Buffalo’s Hyatt Regency (2 Fountain Plaza), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and plans to be an informative day of thought leaders and industry luminaries sharing cutting-edge insights and industry breakthroughs across keynote addresses and panel discussions.
This year’s theme is “Built to Thrive: Next-Gen Innovation,” and our team is looking forward to learning more from some of the brightest minds shaping the industry and understanding the specifics of groundbreaking innovations set to alter the future of food.
But before we head to the Hyatt at the end of the month, a trio of our Martin Group team got together to reflect on past Summit insights and consider the possibilities of this year’s event.
John Jiloty, Senior VP, Growth and Insights
Favorite past insight: I thought Josh Halpern gave such an insightful talk back in 2023 going through the evolution of consumer behavior and how restaurants can adapt and keep up – not just for sales but also in terms of hiring. Josh’s perspective running Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken franchise and having worked with big brands across the food and bev industry made for a very interesting discussion as we learned how to build loyalty among staffs and the importance of treating everyone like a teammate.
What I’m listening for this year: I’m excited to hear from Nick Nickitas of Rosie’s and Instacart. Our team talks a lot about how effective Instacart is for some of our clients, so I’m anxious to hear what he has to say about his experience with the platform and his focus on local independent grocery stores. There are so many cool advertising opportunities through Instacart, so this should be an excellent session.
Andi Ridge, Account Director
Favorite past insight: In past years, I’ve really valued hearing from the diverse range of speakers on overall trends within the food and beverage industry. Gaining perspective from both retailers and manufacturers has provided valuable insight into how different organizations are responding to evolving consumer needs.
What I’m listening for this year: I’m excited about this year’s conference theme, “Built to Thrive: Next-Gen Innovation.” With innovation playing a key role in staying ahead of the competition, I’m looking forward to learning how companies are leveraging AI and new technologies to drive new products, processes, and efficiencies within their organizations.
Marley Gleason, Digital Marketing Manager
Favorite past insight: Last year, Chelsea Schroder of Circana talked a lot about value in the food consumer industry and how shoppers aren’t as concerned about price as they used to be. Last year, it was noted that pricing wasn’t even a top five concern for mid- and high-tier consumers, which I find really interesting considering food prices are at the highest they’ve ever been.
What I’m listening for this year: Keeping last year’s value point in mind, I am super interested to hear how the industry is shifting to adapt to the “food transparency” trend. From my own experience, consumers are more concerned than ever about ingredients, labels, and how their food products are being made and handled. I’ll be curious to find out how this impacts pricing, what manufacturers are doing to keep up, and how value plays a role into this perspective.
To learn more about The Martin Group’s extensive work within the food and beverage space, click here.