ProFood Tech, a new trade show and conference that will focus on processing technologies and innovations serving the food and beverage industry, will make its debut April 4-6, 2017, in Chicago. The dynamic conference program led by IDFA will offer more than 30 program sessions including research and keynote discussions by Nielsen, an internationally renowned data and measurement company, and McKinsey & Company, an advisor to many of the world's leading private, public and social sector institutions. Their groundbreaking research will highlight product reformulation, breakthrough innovations and the underlying reasons surrounding fierce consumer dedication.

Breakthrough Innovation: Catalyzing Transformation

Eighteen specific consumer packaged goods are transforming the marketplace, according to the 2016 “Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Report.” Investigators from Nielsen, including the co-author of the report, and award-winning brand managers will reveal insights from the study, look at the ways innovative new products are transforming the marketplace and discuss what it takes to excel in a highly competitive marketplace. This session will be held April 4.

Master Series: Using Data to Harness the Power of Superconsumers

The Nielsen team will also reveal its research on what it calls the "superconsumers phenomenon,” a passionate and highly engaged consumers movement, and share what motivates enthusiastic buyers. Armed with extensive research, case studies and testimonials from senior executives from Anheuser-Busch, Keurig, Sony and Netflix, Nielsen investigators will shine a light on obsessive consumers, revealing what makes them tick and how these superconsumers can convert other consumers to the benefit of businesses of all kinds. Attendees will also learn how to transform ordinary consumers into more profitable superconsumers, maximize big data and drive cross-functional alignment. This session will be held April 4.

Product Reformulation: A Question of Balance

Faced with consumer demand for simple ingredients and new labeling requirements that call out added fats, sugars and sodium, food and beverage companies are increasingly evaluating the need to reformulate their products. McKinsey & Company will draw from its recently conducted research on product reformulation to discuss potential benefits, challenges, costs and typical implementation timelines. This session will be held April 6.

“IDFA’s blockbuster ProFood Tech conference program has taken shape with more than 30 sessions featuring research from renowned experts, recognized leaders in the food and beverage industry, the latest in consumer trends and best practices in food processing and engineering—all in a three-day program,” said Neil Moran, IDFA senior vice president of finance, administration and trade show. “Stay tuned for exciting news about our special keynote speaker coming in January.”

Conference Program

The ProFood Tech conference program is designed for professionals in business development, operations, plant management, engineering, research and development, quality assurance, sales, marketing and supply chain management.

It will be led each day by general sessions, followed by concurrent sessions divided into five tracks. The tracks will allow for a variety of presentation formats, including panel discussions, debates, town hall-type meetings and rapid-fire roundtables, among others. The concurrent tracks are:

View a complete concurrent session list.

ProFood Tech will be held April 4-6, 2017, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Registration for the conference program is available online.

For more information, contact Melissa Lembke, IDFA manager of meetings and educational services, at mlembke@idfa.org.