In April, Deli Business publisher Lee Smith spoke with Carol Christison, executive director of the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association, Madison, WI, about the upcoming 46th Annual Seminar and Expo in Houston, TX.
Lee: Hi Carol. The pot of coffee is brewing and I’m looking forward to learning more about this year’s Show of Shows! The IDDBA is the deli, dairy and bakery leader for retailers around the country, bringing people together for the sharing of ideas, finding new products, education and networking. While occasionally unforeseen events change my travel plans, the IDDBA show is a sacred spot on my calendar. What can you tell us about the show this year?
Carol: If we were choosing the show theme today, it would probably be “new beginnings” because that’s what we’re seeing. Retailers are looking for new ideas, manufacturers are introducing new products, consumers are seeking new tastes, and the economy is ready for new growth. There’s an excitement and anticipation that’s pumping new energy into our industry — and we’ve got the numbers to prove it. Our show registration is running 19 percent ahead of the same time last year and we just sold out our original exhibit floor plan and added another whole row of exhibits. If the sales demand continues, we’ll have to add even more rows. People in our business are tired of keeping a low profile and are poised to jump into the future by putting themselves, their companies, and their products out there for all to see — and sample. The road to recovery has been bumpy and uphill but the end is in sight and is more positive than negative.
Lee: I’m so glad to hear you voice your optimistic opinion of where the economy is going and the positive energy emanating from the industry. I’m seeing the same kind of optimism from the people I talk to, but I also think everyone agrees the economy is still in great flux and no one is certain of the long-lasting ramifications of a prolonged recession. What do you see happening? Is the trend towards eating at home going to continue? What about the future of prepared foods?
Carol: The one word answer is choices. Consumers have more choices, retailers have more choices, and manufacturers have more choices. The boundaries between branded foods and private-label have blurred. I expect to see more co-branded products. Retailers are responding with alternative format stores that cater to specific needs.
Consumers still love convenience but I think there’s a new mindset that blends optimism with a great deal of caution. They won’t be so quick to splurge on what they now consider to be “non-essentials.” They’re more willing to invest in their future by saving for a rainy-day emergency or a sunny day retirement. The resurgence of scratch cooking has multiple benefits — saves money, gives them more control, and creates a family dining/cooking experience. While optimistic about the future, they’re not quite so optimistic about their ability to weather tough times.
As for prepared foods, that should continue to grow. Consumers will do more basic cooking at home but they love the convenience of prepared foods and the variety. As willing as they might be to try a new recipe, they understand more complicated meal offerings require a lot more expertise than they have. More people watch cooking shows for entertainment than watch them as online how-tos. As consumers get more comfortable with the skills required and the technology to execute, they’ll either embrace cooking as a pastime or use the vernacular to demonstrate their verbal comfort and expertise. It’s a lot easier to “talk food” than to “make food.” Prepared foods, center-of-plate items, and one-pot meals should continue to dominate, especially from stores with a reputation of providing fresh, wholesome offerings.
Lee: Another reason I love the IDDBA show so much is the speaker schedule. The schedule is always power-packed — and George W. Bush! Wow! I love it when the IDDBA gets a former president to speak. It’s always an honor to have the opportunity to listen to one of the world’s most powerful leaders. I’ve always admired your ability to draw great speakers who offer insight beyond the deli industry and open our eyes to the important issues that tie us all together. Challenging what we know or what we think we know is a great way to begin positive discourse. What can you tell us about this year’s speaker line-up?
Carol: The program committee makes a speaker selection based on many issues. They’re looking for educational, motivational, and challenging presentations, as well as insight into the mindset of our business leaders and politicians. By providing a variety of speakers or topics of interest to multiple attendees, we’re better able to attract and keep our target market. People attend to buy, sell, learn, and network. It’s the ability to make new business connections along with the learning and programming component that captures the attendees’ interest and gets them to register.
An added feature of programming is that it stimulates discussion and interaction among attendees. By selecting someone who has had an influence on our lives and our future, we’re inviting our attendees to become “critical consumers.” This year’s speaker line-up features President George W. Bush, Rachael Ray, Mike Ditka, Ben Stein, Stephen Dubner, Harold Lloyd, Harry Balzer, John Pinette, Daniel Burrus, Dr. Rosita Thomas, John Sullivan, and me.
These speakers have their finger on the pulse of the major issues of our time. Topics range from the government to the economy to the consumer to food trends to humor and the future. We look for speakers who can offer insight, ideas, or techniques to help us personally and professionally. We don’t have to agree with or support speakers in order to understand their position or to learn from their successes or failures. We do need to listen and embrace the idea of learning something new.
Lee:You’re right. Learning is a lifetime experience but the methods of communicating knowledge are getting more complicated all the time. Even for media people, it’s very confusing. What do you see as the key components that retailers should be striving for? How important is social media? What are the pitfalls? How is the IDDBA ready to help retailers usher in the new world of electronic media?
Carol: Each year as I get ready to write my trends presentation, there are usually one or two topics that have huge numbers of articles written about them. All you have to do is look at the size of the file and you can almost pinpoint the year that it was the “hot” topic. Recent years have included topics such as trans fat, low carb, sustainability, etc. This year’s fat file is all about social media. I’ve reviewed hundreds of articles, but unfortunately, almost all of them say the same thing without adding new data.
Social media is to selling what cell phones were to communications. Social media is a disruptive technology. It’s changing how we go to market, where we go to market, and how we deliver everything from services to products. Right now, retailers, manufacturers, and consumers are sampling different social media tactics. It has the potential of not only eliminating most print couponing and some print advertising but also increasing traceability and transparency. The major pitfall is to embrace just one technology or delivery mechanism. Just like VHS replaced beta, CDs replaced audiotapes, and cell phones replaced landlines, there will be a winner. We just don’t know what it is yet.
IDDBA has developed a series of on-line learning programs — in conjunction with LearnSomething and several major retailers. We’ve also created free podcasts and job training guides on over 50 topics — available online at www.iddba.org. We’ve used our web site to share news, provide links to key sites, and offer free training programs to members and non-members. While print-based learning and CDs still have great value, today’s retailer wants instant access to learning programs. This means 24/7 from anywhere in the world. Training programs that link to scales, hand-held devices, and in-store video displays are all part of our future.
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