Guelph, ON – On June 29th, Food and Beverage Ontario is hosting its 3rd annual conference at Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto. This conference promises to be the most important event this year for food and beverage processors and stakeholders alike.
The conference theme, Navigating the Road to Success – Innovation, Consumer Trends and the Future of Ontario Foods – aligns with the work Food and Beverage Ontario has been leading in developing an Innovation Network for the Ontario industry. This network follows many months of research on the innovation priorities for processor businesses and the resources they require. The network will provide easily accessible innovation assets and resources for processors to address a number of business challenges and to assist in advancing opportunities.
Conference presentation highlights include:
Craig Haney, Director of Corporate Innovation, Communitech | Innovation – Why it really matters in the food and beverage processing industry
Darrell Bricker, CEO, Ipsos Public Affairs | Innovation and the new Canadian food consumer
John F.T. Scott, Economist and Retail Grocery Consultant | How to maximize opportunities in the changing food retail landscape
“We have spent considerable time and energy developing an innovation strategy for food and beverage processors in Ontario that is now leading to the development of a physical and virtual innovation network. This network will connect industry businesses, suppliers, academia and government, making it easier to find solutions to pressing production and business issues,” said Norm Beal, chief executive officer with Food and Beverage Ontario.
Ontario’s food and beverage processing sector is the largest in Canada, employing 130,000 people and contributing over $41 billion to the provincial economy annually. Food and Beverage Ontario– the professional leadership organization for Ontario’s 3,000 food and beverage processors businesses – has been delivering on an innovation program to further drive growth and competitiveness into the sector.
For more information on FBO’s Innovation Network and to read the latest innovation reports supported in part by Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative,
visit www.fboinnovationnetwork.ca
For media inquiries contact:
Isabel Dopta
Director of Communications
idopta@foodandbeverageontario.ca
519.993.1192
Food and Beverage Ontario is a not-for-profit, leadership organization advancing the interests of Ontario’s food and beverage processors. FBO’s focus is on the success, prosperity and growth of the food and beverage processing industry. For more information on the organization and upcoming conference on June 29th go to www.foodandbeverageontario.ca