CRESKILL, NJ. — Opportunities to learn will come in both educational sessions and social gatherings during the National Association of Flour Distributors, Inc.’s 105th annual convention scheduled for May 14-18 in Key West, Fla. The quick chat: top-to-top session will return for a second year, and cornhole and golf competitions are scheduled as well.
“Growing up in this business, being in this business now almost 43 years, I would attend these conventions as a young man, and I learned a lot just through conversations in social networking events,” said Eric Metzendorf, first vice president of the NAFD, which includes flour and bakery product distributors and suppliers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Many events at the convention, held in Key West for the first time, will happen at the Casa Marina Key West resort.
“It is a beautiful place,” Metzendorf said. “It was totally renovated a year ago from top to bottom.”
On Wednesday, May 14, a board of directors meeting is set for 8 a.m. to noon. Registration runs from 1-4 p.m. A “Havana Night” reception and dinner will take place that evening. New members, starting at 6 p.m., may meet the board of directors. Other members will join in at 7 p.m. Attendees should dress comfortably and casually.
On Thursday, May 15, a business program kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Scott Colbert, executive vice president and director of fixed income and chief economist – Commerce Bank, will give an economic outlook.
A quick chat: top-to-top session will follow from 10 a.m. to noon. Allied members and millers will meet with distributors in pre-arranged meetings, each one lasting 12 minutes. The meetings will be face-to-face at tabletops.
“The chat can be anything from an introduction to how do we expand our opportunities for growth collaboratively,” Metzendorf said.
The chats last year took place on the first day of the convention, but the NAFD received feedback requesting the chats be moved to the convention’s regular hours. Many of the respondents said the first day was problematic because attendees were busy getting registered, Metzendorf said.
Spouses and partners, from 9:30-11 a.m. on May 15, may participate in a class on making Key lime pies at the Key West Key Lime Pie Co. at 511 Green St. in Key West.
A Next-Gen Committee will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday. This committee addresses what could be in store for the second century of the NAFD. The quick chat: top-to-top session was one of its initiatives.
A cornhole tournament is slated for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday. A “Margaritaville” reception and dinner will take place from 7-10 p.m. Attendees should dress in attire inspired by Jimmy Buffet.
Another quick chat: top-top session is scheduled for 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, May 16. From 9:20-10:30 a.m., Lynn Dornblaser, client adviser for Mintel Solutions, will speak on bakery consumer trends, including gluten-free products, economic factors and the impact of GLP-1 medications. The keynote speaker, Gene Marks, will follow from 10:30-11:45 a.m. A columnist, author, speaker and CRM expert, he will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies are reshaping industries.
“He’s going to talk to us about the game-changing technology that is going to impact our industry, how it’s going to affect business,” Metzendorf said.
A golf tournament at the Key West Golf Club will begin at 1 p.m.
On Saturday, May 17, a business program begins at 9 a.m. Rasma Zvaners, vice president of government relations for the American Bakers Association, will go over the regulatory landscape with a focus on food safety regulations, nutrition standards and sustainability initiatives. A commodity outlook will follow at 9:30 a.m. Joe Camp, director of managed programs at CommStock Investments, will focus on corn, wheat, soybeans, cocoa and sugar.
A reception, including awards and presentations, is set for 6-7 p.m. The NAFD’s board of directors established the Wilson P. Tanner/Harold G. Gardner Award in 1991 to honor a past or current member of the association for contributions to the organization “above and beyond the norm.” Last year Robert Olender received the award, which is not given every year.
At 7 p.m. a “Keys to Paradise” event will feature dueling pianos and a drummer. Attendees may select what songs they want to hear.