2021 Food Beverage Forum Recap

For the eighth straight year, Nixon Peabody, Plante Moran, and BMO Harris, co-hosted the annual Food & Beverage Forum. This year, our panel discussions offered forward-looking insights to help manufacturers and food and beverage companies prepare for what's next.

In addition to our annual economic outlook, we featured two expert panels that discussed proactive strategies for supply chain management and staying ahead of retail innovation.

Michael Gregory, BMO Capital Markets' Deputy Chief Economist and Head of U.S. Economics, examined the forecast for the North American economy and financial markets. Geoff Goetz, Executive Vice President Supply Chain, KeHE; Mitch Rader, Chief Executive Officer, Market Fresh Produce; and Rashid Ali, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer, Chomps, discussed their supply chain strategy and how to quickly react to the disruptions that we are all facing today.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Marta Gerdes, Vice President of Marketing, Tampico Beverages, and Kirk Stoa, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Festival Foods, about how evolving consumer preferences are driving innovation for food and beverage companies.

In case you missed it, all three sessions have been recorded and can be viewed here. We look forward to hosting another fantastic session with industry leaders in 2022!