At the recent National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) 2015 Show, the beef checkoff engaged in several meetings associated with the conference, which hosted 65,000 attendees.
Starting the week off, the checkoff was a sponsor of the Supply Chain Management Executive Study Group, which brings together the leading supply chain decision makers from the top-tier foodservice operations.
“It is vitally important for the checkoff to be visible with national foodservice operators in order to deepen existing relationships,” says Jana Malot, Beef's Image Committee co-chair and producer from Harrisonville, Pa. “The NRA show is a platform where the checkoff can share what farmers and ranchers are doing to continuously improve how they raise beef, as well as to explain to information-seeking consumers how beef goes from pasture to plate by utilizing websites such as FactsAboutBeef.com and videos such as the recently-released Pasture to Plate video.”
As part of the Supply Chain Management Executive Study Group, Season Solorio, executive director of issues and reputation management for the beef checkoff, was invited to speak on a panel along with other animal protein representatives (pork and chicken) to discuss issues that affect the supply chain, such as antibiotics, sustainability and animal welfare. The presentation was followed by a number of questions from the audience and one-on-one dialogues with several retail/foodservice operators.
The checkoff continued building relationships with leading foodservice trade media and influencers by sharing the latest foodservice market intelligence showing the value of beef to foodservice, as well as consumer market research from the Consumer Beef Index and Millennial panels that show strong demand among Millennials for beef. Media expressed interest in featuring the checkoff’s data in upcoming editorial to communicate the value of beef for foodservice, as well as praise for the checkoff as a trusted, continual source of the latest market trends and consumer data.
Technomic, a leading resource for foodservice industry data and intelligence, hosted a Planning Session, which the checkoff team attended to gain insights to inform fiscal year 2016 planning and to discuss future opportunities to partner with Technomic on industry-leading research efforts. During the session, Technomic shared macroeconomic, foodservice and distribution industry updates and forecasts.
“Continuing to maintain relationships and visibility with foodservice operators at this 2015 meeting will result in further discussions and engagement to help increase the profit power for beef,” says Malot.
To learn more about your beef checkoff investment, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.
UNDERSTANDING THE BEEF CHECKOFF PROGRAM
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Source: The Beef Checkoff Program
