Later this week, I’ll be headed to San Diego for the American Dietetic Association’s annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE). This is the largest gathering of food and nutrition professionals in the country. The conference will include educational sessions that address many types of nutrition issues, including recent research, consumer trends and business needs. The expo floor features exhibits from a variety of food manufacturers, associations and other organizations. I find FNCE useful for highlighting trends in food and nutrition, meeting members on the expo floor and also for identifying issues that are important to Registered Dietitians (RDs) working in other areas. Since I work with the dairy industry, there are some issues that I think are (or should be) important to all RDs, like nutrient rich foods or the federal child nutrition products. However, RDs who work in hospitals and nursing homes or provide counseling directly to patients may have different priorities. This annual meeting provides me a chance to hear what others believe is important, even if it’s not an area I deal with on a regular basis. After I’m back, I’ll share a follow-up, summarizing what I’ve learned and what the big trends seemed to be, both in the formal sessions and in informal discussions with other attendees. Looking at the “schedule at a glance” for the meeting, which sessions do you think are most important for dairy? What would you like to hear more about? If you’re going to FNCE this year, let me know. I’d love to see you there!