Executive Conference Schedule - National Grocers Association

10:00am - 5:00pm	NGA CONNECT (B-2-B Meetings) NGA retailer and wholesaler members have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with some of the industry’s leading CPG manufacturers, solution providers and service partners during 30-minute exchange sessions. This is a phenomenal opportunity for trading partners to understand respective goals, align capabilities for innovation, and discuss new solutions.
11:00am - 1:00pm	NGA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING (Committee Members Only)
3:00pm - 5:00pm	NGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING (Board Members Only)
5:15pm - 6:15pm	CONFERENCE PREVIEW NIGHT & VIRTUAL HAPPY HOUR Join us for a fun and relaxing time to connect with friends, while learning about the week's exciting program
6:15pm	NGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS DINNER (Board Members Only)

7:30am - 12:30pm	NGA CONNECT (B-2-B Meetings)
1:00pm - 2:00pm	OPENING GENERAL SESSION WITH NATHAN GONZALES OF INSIDE ELECTIONS 2020 will likely deliver the most anticipated election in our nation's history. In November, record turnout is expected to shape the political landscape for the next four years and the results of races across the country will have an impact on your businesses. Hear from elections insider Nathan Gonzales on what the outcome of the presidential and congressional elections could look like and how they could change the course of politics. Nathan Gonzales, Editor & Publisher, Inside Elections
2:15pm - 3:00pm	NGA EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP SESSIONS Session One: From Capitol Hill to Main Street - How the Election Will Impact Independent Grocers To follow up on our keynote election preview, the NGA Government Relations team will take attendees on a deep dive into the issues that are impacting your businesses. This session will provide an overview and update on topics like SNAP, labor and employment, payments and data security, taxes, and much more. Attendees will get insights into how the results at the ballot box will impact NGA's key policy priorities and what the industry should expect after November. Speakers Chris Jones, Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Counsel, National Grocers Association Terence Huie, Manager Grassroots and PAC, National Grocers Association Molly Pfaffenroth, Director, Government Relations, National Grocers Association Robert Yeakel, Director, Government Relations, National Grocers Association Session Two: Capturing Growth Through Innovation, Pricing, E-Commerce and Insights The tsunami effects of the coronavirus continue to present both complex challenges and unique opportunities for retailers and CPG suppliers. With continued uncertainty and a global recession looming, consumer and shopper behavior continues to evolve. As a result, both retailers and CPG manufacturers need to be able to quickly address new and increased complexities, while at the same time position themselves to capture future growth. With the backdrop of the BCG and IRI's annual analysis of over 425 companies and COVID-19 consumer behavior studies, this session will take a look at the CPG companies that are leading growth for the industry. Attendees will hear how organizations of all sizes are leveraging four key drivers - innovation, pricing, e-commerce and consumer trends - to navigate an unprecedented complex retail environment and fuel present and future growth. Attendees will learn which GPG companies are winning in the U.S. and why; how growth leaders balance price and volume in unexpected ways; how Growth Leaders use e-commerce as a growth engine; and emerging consumer and shopper behavior trends. Speakers Krishnakumar (KK) Davey, President, Strategic Analytics, IRI Peri Edelstein, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group Aman Gupta, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group Cara Loeys, Principal, Growth Consulting, IRI Session Three: Applying the Innovation Process to Online Order Fulfillment Online grocery sales have exploded over the past several months, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and every retailer is grappling with making order fulfillment as efficient as possible to ensure profitability on a growing portion of sales. Using e-commerce order fulfillment, including microfulfillment center technology and other tools, as a real-world use case, we will share with attendees a best practice "innovation process" to help retailers identify what's needed, discover new solutions and capabilities, and prepare your team for growing change. The focus will be the three innovation imperatives (culture, process and vision) around specific fulfillment technologies to help you realize results in the short term. Speakers Moderator: Gary Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer, Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART) Moderator: Sterling Hawkins, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Center for Advancing Retail and Technology (CART) Andrew Benzinger, Business Development Manager, AutoStore Jeff Kennedy, President and Chief Executive Officer, Itasca Retail Information Systems Inc. Charu Thomas, Founder, Oculogx Inc.
3:15 - 4:00 pm	EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP SESSIONS Session One: Supply Chain - Pushing Forward This session will focus on the latest happenings in the consumer industry, including COVID-19 impacts and outlook and latest insights on the customer sentiments. The discussion will include perspectives and implications on retailer, wholesaler and CPG supply chains. We will end the session with a discussion on how supply chains will need to adapt to continue to address evolving needs, including capability and talent needs looking ahead. This is meant to be more of a discussion than presentation so please come ready to discuss! Speakers Ashutosh Dekhne, Partner, McKinsey & Company Manik Aryapadi, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company Session Two: Meat Matters The U.S. protein market is still red hot, with meat as the king of the castle. Independents have long leveraged the meat department as a store choice and sales driver. But the meat consumer is changing, and operational, marketing and merchandising decisions should change along with them. The panel will discuss changes and opportunities amid the pandemic and beyond to keep the mighty meat department relevant to today's and tomorrow's shoppers. This session will touch on topics including pandemic performance, the importance of claims-based meat, addressing consumers' questions on animal welfare, the environment and health, and a true view of the plant-based opportunity. Speakers Moderator: Anne-Marie Roerink, Principal, 210 Analytics LLC Panelists: Eric Besselman, Meat Director, Heinen's Inc. Matt Byrne, Founder and President, SunFed Ranch Rich Chapman, President, C&C Food Distributors Inc. Session Three: Omnichannel Engagement: The Key to Post-Pandemic Success The pandemic accelerated the growth of online grocery retail and raised the bar for digital success. With more shoppers making the digital transition, retailers must compete in this new online marketplace with stellar omnichannel shopping experiences. Digital engagement can no longer be the check of a box, but a key strategic focus. This session will focus on how independent retailers can go beyond functional and create an exciting, engaging online shopping experience. Speakers Spencer Baird, Executive in Residence - Transformation Officer, Inmar Intelligence
4:15pm - 5:00pm	GENERAL SESSION: ACROSS THE AISLE - A CPG CHAT Join a panel of Chief Customer Officers from some of the industry's leading CPG suppliers to hear their perspectives on the evolution of trading partner relationships, lessons learned from the pandemic and where we see the industry in the next two to five years. Speakers Moderator: Kari Alldredge, Partner, McKinsey & Company Panelists: Dagmar Boggs, Chief Retail Sales and Bottler Operations Officer, Coca-Cola North America Brian Giroux, Vice President/General Manager, Customer Development, Kimberly-Clark North America Scott Tassani, President, Chief Customer Officer, U.S. Retail, General Mills, Inc.
5:15pm - 6:15pm	VIRTUAL RECEPTION Wrap up a great day of learning with an opportunity to connect with your colleagues across the industry.

7:30am - 10:45pm	NGA CONNECT (B-2-B Meetings)
11:00am - 11:45am	GENERAL SESSION: COMPETING FOR THE FUTURE For years we have talked about the "changing consumer" and "shifting retail landscape." It is safe to say that the consumer has changed, and the retail landscape shift has taken place. So, what is next? Join us for a keynote presentation to learn what your business can do to position itself for success. Speakers: Thom Bischok, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Dialogic Group LLC
12:00pm - 12:45pm	NGA EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP SESSIONS Session One: Collaborative Insights - Leveling the Playing Field Join this panel discussion to learn how small retailers can harness the power of data and insights to compete with blue-chip retailers, with a fraction of the budget and CPG resources. Legacy supplier data portals are expensive to operate and maintain, require a lot of manual work, run on archaic technology, and rarely product insights that are actionable.  The advancement of cloud computing and web-based applications allow retailers of all sizes to overcome legacy portal challenges, empower supplier collaboration, minimize out-of-stocks, facilitate new sales opportunities and enable cost containment. Speakers: Moderator: Ryan McCarthy, Vice President of Global Business Development, Retail Solutions, Inc. Jerry LeClair, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchant, Brookshire Grocery Company Additional Panelists To Be Announced Session Two: E-commerce - Surge Sustaining or Subsiding? While understanding what happened during the early days of the pandemic is important, this session is going to focus on how retailers and manufacturers must look ahead and work to adapt their consumers' new behaviors in order to remain relevant and successful in the long and short term. Join this session with Nielsen's Nicole Collida as she examines the recent ecommerce sales trends and uncovers what is likely to continue and what will likely subside. Gain insights into how you can stay ahead of your competitors and what you will need to do to meet the needs of shoppers. Speaker Nicole Collida, Senior Vice President Sales, NA Consumer Intelligence, Nielsen Session Three: Crystal Ball: Taking a Look Into the Future of Health & Wellness With the events of 2020, consumers consciously changed their purchase behavior to focus on more healthy eating. SPINS will share trends in the new normal, from the hottest categories, to shift to ecomm, to learnings we can leverage from the 2008 recession. Then we'll discuss what this means as you plan for 2021 and beyond. Join this session to understand the market trends, a comparative look at previous recessionary periods and discuss how to use this information in planning for our future. The session will feature market trends that will encompass: Year-over-year trends in conventional grocery compared to natural grocery Category and subcategory sales trends Identification of the ingredients, dietary and lifestyle attributes that are trending today; those that are maturing and those that are beginning to saturate. Comparing what's happening today to 2008, to help us crystal ball for the future Speakers Moderator: Melissa Dabrowski, Director, Retail Partners, SPINS LLC Rebecca Infusino, Vice President of Retail Sales, Beyond Meat, Inc. Ben Nauman, Senior Director of Purchasing, National Co+op Grocers (NCG) Katie Paul, Vice President, Category Management and Growth Solutions, KeHE Distributors, LLC
1:00pm - 1:45pm	GENERAL SESSION: GETTING THE WHOLE PICTURE - THE WHOLESALER'S PERSPECTIVE A moderated discussion with a group of wholesalers to talk about opportunities to help retailers with growth and partnership opportunities for CPG suppliers and solutions partners. Speakers Moderator: Guy Bissett, Specialist Leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP Moderator: Sanjay Agarwal, Principal, Deloitte Consulting, LLP Leon Bergmann, Chief Executive Officer, Harvest Sherwood Food Distributors Joe Cavailere, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer Lori Raya, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer, SpartanNash Company David Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc.
2:00 - 2:45pm	DEMYSTIFYING DIGITAL AND DATA: HOW TO FUTURE PROOF YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE NEW ECONOMY Our current reality and the prospect of a “new normal” has strong implications for food retail and manufacturers, many of whom are already changing their operating model, their media spend and/or mix to better position themselves in the long term. There may be tough choices that lie ahead, but as is the case with many disruptive events, there is also significant opportunity for innovation, reinvention and success. In this session, KPMG Consumer & Retail leaders Sanjay Sehgal and Scott Rankin will share insights on the changing landscape and behavior of consumers, and how a digital first approach is a necessity for every grocer and manufacturer going forward. From supply chain and commerce to financial implications and investment strategy, learn what you can do now to enable a strong financial position in the future. Speakers Scott Rankin, Principal Advisory, National Consumer & Retail Strategy Leader, KPMG US Sanjay Sehgal, Principal, Finance Transformation, National Consumer & Retail Consulting Leader, KPMG US
3:00pm - 5:00pm	NGA CONNECT (B-2-B Meetings)

7:30am - 10:45pm	NGA CONNECT (B-2-B Meetings)
11:00am – 11:45am	WHY DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CAN BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS, AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT Numerous studies show the benefits of diversity in the workplace. Jonathan mayes, a lawyer, captivating storyteller, Certified Diversity Executive, frequent conference speaker Chief Diversity Officer at Albertsons Companies will discuss those benefits and practical steps you can take to maximize your business's success. Speaker Jonathan Mayes, Senior Vice President of External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer, Albertsons Companies, Inc.
12:00pm - 12:45pm	THE FUTURE OF FOOD SAFETY & GOVERNMENT REGULATION Hear from the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response about the current and pending regulations that will impact your businesses. Deputy Commissioner will share his perspectives on the future of food safety and how to set up your company to meet the needs of shoppers. Speakers Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner For Food Policy and Response, U.S. Food & Drug Administration
1:00pm - 1:45pm	CLOSING GENERAL SESSION: A CONVERSATION WITH THE C-SUITE An opportunity to hear from C-suite leaders from across the NGA community to touch on the various topics discussed throughout the conference and get their outlook on future. Speakers: Moderator: Greg Ferrara, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Grocers Association John Ross, President and Chief Executive Officer, IGA, Inc. Mike Stigers, Chief Executive Officer, Cub, United Natural Foods, Inc. Jeff Strack, Chief Executive Officer, Indiana Grocery Group, LLC
2:00pm - 5:00pm	NGA CONNECT (B-2-B Meetings)