The Foodservice Distribution Conference and Expo will feature more than 100 exhibitors that deal with operational issues such as tractor-trailers, refrigeration, warehouse equipment, engineering and design, on-board computers, warehouse management systems, transportation, IT and human resources. Additionally, 40 workshops on topics that directly affect distributors' bottom lines.
"This conference is the only place that distributors can see at one time the latest technologies and equipment and attend seminars in the areas of operations, transportation, IT, HR, and finance. It is also the best place to discuss these critical areas with their peers," observed Mac Sullivan, president and coo of ID Top 50 Pate Dawson Co., Goldsboro, NC, and overall conference chairman.
ATLANTA IS VENUE FOR TWO DISTRIBUTOR EVENTS IFDA's first Foodservice Distribution Conference and Expo that will be held at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 15, to Tuesday, Oct. 17. The hotel headquarters is the Hilton Atlanta Airport Hotel. Early registration ends Sept. 21.
For the second part, experts from the trucking and fuel industries will offer practical transportation solutions to foodservice distributors at the first IFDA Fuel Summit set for Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1-3:30 p.m., at the Sinclair Theater of the Hilton Hotel near the Hartsfield Atlanta Airport, after the conclusion of conference.
According to Steve Potter, senior vice president of industry relations, International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), Falls Church, VA, the summit will identify for distributors available options that will address the ongoing fuel crisis.
Among the speakers will be Jim Salas of Ryder Systems, and Richard Nelson of National Biodiesel Board. Keith Pittman of Ben E. Keith Foods, Fort Worth, Texas, will discuss the distributor's fuel purchasing strategy, while Ryan Mossman of FuelQuest will explore fuel procurement options based on case studies.
IFDA has also invited experts from Freightliner and Thermo King to address the session.
Potter told ID he expects attendees to be exposed to a great deal of useful advice and he is not ruling out a follow-up session in the near future.
"These are very eye-opening times. As a nation, we are consuming four times as much fuel as we discover. The United States reflects 5% of the world population but we consume 25% of the world oil supply. The bottom line is that we must start doing things differently. The IFDA Fuel Summit is about just that
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