FMI Midwinter Back On; Keynoter Revealed

Days after calling a halt to its Midwinter Executive Conference plans, due to concerns over the highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19 and ongoing supply chain issues, FMI - The Food Industry Association has now rescheduled its signature event to take place in person at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla., March 28-31. 

“While we paused our Midwinter event plans with purpose and patience, our members have urged us to hit ‘play’ for our first in-person gathering in more than two years,” explained Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based FMI. “We look forward to hosting this forum for high-impact industry dialog at the conclusion of the first quarter 2022.” 

The rescheduled event would take place “[w]ith utmost consideration being given to our community and the nation’s food supply chain,” according to FMI.

The trade industry organization also revealed that at the conference, Dana M. Peterson, chief economist and center leader of economy, strategy and finance at The Conference Board, a New York-based nonprofit business membership and research group, will deliver a keynote address in which she will discuss economic trends to keep an eye on. Additional event programs will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Midwinter registration and housing information will be available online at 6 a.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 21.

FMI was also involved in the decision to cancel this year’s Annual Meat Conference, an event held jointly with the North American Meat Institute, but there’s no word yet on whether that will be rescheduled as well. The conference would have taken place Feb. 7-9 at the Gaylord National Harbor, in Washington. D.C. 

Other industry events, including NRF 2022: Retail’s Big Show, which was held Jan. 16-18 at New York’s Javits Center, went off without a hitch.