In case you missed it, last Tuesday FPSA CEO, David Seckman announced that we are moving the dates of the 2021 FPSA Annual Conference back to April 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort, with online registration opening up in January.

This decision was made at the recent FPSA Board of Directors meeting, combining optimism in the wake of announcements regarding the successful completion of Phase 3 trials for multiple COVID-19 vaccines, and a desire to get back to normal in terms of productive networking with colleagues, customers and competitors. Given the close-knit nature of the food industry, this type of networking event simply can’t be replicated online.

What you don’t see in this announcement is the many, many hours of planning and calls with the Hyatt staff to change the event set up to ensure proper safety protocols so that we can return to face-to-face networking as safely as possible. No, we did not take this decision lightly. We’ll be in rooms with a capacity that far exceeds our group to allow for social distancing. Meals and receptions will take place outside and we’re looking at new technology solutions for events such as the silent FPSA Auction so that we can still generate the same excitement and benefits while also minimizing risk of exposure.

Once you know that, you can see why and how we are moving forward. Believe it or not, this year has been one of the easier ones to secure industry speakers for the Council breakout sessions. I guess food processors are just as susceptible to cabin fever as suppliers!

You can expect to read about the outstanding slate of speakers we are putting together in the near future but in the meantime, don’t forget to save the date and put aside some suntan lotion. Conference will be here before you know it!

In case you missed it, last Tuesday FPSA CEO, David Seckman announced that we are moving the dates of the 2021 FPSA Annual Conference back to April 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort, with online registration opening up in January.

This decision was made at the recent FPSA Board of Directors meeting, combining optimism in the wake of announcements regarding the successful completion of Phase 3 trials for multiple COVID-19 vaccines, and a desire to get back to normal in terms of productive networking with colleagues, customers and competitors. Given the close-knit nature of the food industry, this type of networking event simply can’t be replicated online.

What you don’t see in this announcement is the many, many hours of planning and calls with the Hyatt staff to change the event set up to ensure proper safety protocols so that we can return to face-to-face networking as safely as possible. No, we did not take this decision lightly. We’ll be in rooms with a capacity that far exceeds our group to allow for social distancing. Meals and receptions will take place outside and we’re looking at new technology solutions for events such as the silent FPSA Auction so that we can still generate the same excitement and benefits while also minimizing risk of exposure.

Once you know that, you can see why and how we are moving forward. Believe it or not, this year has been one of the easier ones to secure industry speakers for the Council breakout sessions. I guess food processors are just as susceptible to cabin fever as suppliers!

You can expect to read about the outstanding slate of speakers we are putting together in the near future but in the meantime, don’t forget to save the date and put aside some suntan lotion. Conference will be here before you know it!