Convenience Store News' Convenience Foodservice Exchange Is Going Virtual

CHICAGO — Due to continued concerns about travel and in-person meetings due to the coronavirus pandemic, Convenience Store News will present its 2020 Convenience Foodservice Exchange event (CFX) as a two-day virtual meeting where c-store foodservice operators and their supplier partners will collaborate to develop a blueprint for foodservice success in a post-COVID-19 world.

CSNews’ annual summit for exploring foodservice trends, operations, safety and technology will take a new direction this year by bringing together the leaders in convenience foodservice to discuss the challenges and opportunities that current market conditions present.

Through expert presentations and interactive discussions, attendees will explore the best ways to optimize sales and profits, and together create a blueprint for the future of convenience foodservice.

The virtual CFX will kick off Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. eastern time. Day one, concluding at 4 p.m., will include timely education sessions, a fireside chat with an innovative convenience foodservice expert, an interactive poll, a food safety session from the Culinary Institute of America, and small group breakout sessions on key topics such as prepared food, dispensed beverages, design and operations, and next-generation technology.

Day two will be held from 1-4 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday, Nov. 18. It will feature more education sessions, more interactive topic breakouts, and a special retailer panel featuring convenience foodservice leaders from Kwik Trip, High’s, Choice Market and Rutter’s.

“While we will miss the in-person networking that is a hallmark of this event, we are confident that we have put together a program that serves the industry’s needs for information, insights and idea exchange,” said CSNews Editorial Director Don Longo.

The 2020 CFX agenda will tackle such key issues as:

• Big Chain Food Innovation: How They Do It — Jessica Williams, CEO of Food Forward Thinking, will focus on what c-store retailers can learn from big chain innovation.
• Separating Fads From Trends in Foodservice — A fireside chat with former Sheetz and Family Express foodservice executive Courtney Williams, now CEO of CollaborATE.
• Why Ready-to-Eat, Grab & Go Foodservice Might Best Fit Your Foodservice Strategy — Kay Segal, president of the Business Accelerator Team, will discuss why “choosing your lane” for foodservice development must be a well thought-out and strategic decision.
• Food Safety Protocols for Non-Restaurant Operators — Culinary Institute of America Director of Consulting and Industry Programs Brad Barnes will discuss the latest techniques and products for ensuring food safety.
• How to Create Meal & Snack Opportunities All Day Long, at Every Store — Veteran c-store foodservice retailer Frank White will explore how diversifying the offers between meal types, snacks and specialty trends can deliver traffic from open to closing time.
• The New Convenience Retailer — C-store retail leaders from Choice Market, Rutter’s, Kwik Trip and High’s will show off and discuss their newest food-forward stores and programs aimed at meeting the needs of an evolving consumer in a post-COVID-19 world.

Registration is free to all convenience retailers. Manufacturers and solution providers can participate in CFX as sponsors. During registration, retailers will be asked to sign up in advance to attend one of the four interactive topic breakouts on Creating a Blueprint for the Future of Convenience Foodservice.

Click here to register.