From disruptive innovators to big brands, retail professionals looking to discover the next big products in the food and drinks sector will not want to miss Food Matters Live 2019.
Hundreds of exhibitors will participate in the two-day event on 19-20 November at ExCeL London.
It is a unique opportunity to explore the UK's largest ingredient exhibition, meet hundreds of exciting future UK and international brand innovators, and discover the latest trends driving the retail markets.
Running parallel with Food Matters Live this year, in ExCeL's prestigious Platinum Suite, is the new Food Matters Summit, which will bring together more than 100 top-level international speakers to lead the debate on the key issues facing the global food and drinks sector.
Future Trends
Spotting the next big thing is a tricky business, so retail professionals will not want to miss the new Food Matters Live' Future of Retail Trends' live theatre.
Here, industry insiders from some of the UK's largest supermarkets will take to the stage to examine how retailers have adapted to new and developing consumer-led markets.
Amongst the speakers are Elen Ormson of Waitrose, Claire Richardson of M&S' Plant Kitchen, and Grace Coates from Asda.
They will explain how their respective companies responded to the challenges and dealt with the demands of the free-from and plant-based markets.
James Read, founder of digital agency Giant Peach, will host two unmissable workshops on securing website conversions and how Instagram has shaped modern buying habits.
With these new retail trends and shopping habits in mind, Food Matters Live 2019 has also curated exciting, consumer-focused exhibition areas.
Plant-Based Pavilion
New for 2019 is a bespoke 'Plant-Based Pavilion' dedicated to producers and manufacturers of plant-based products.
It reflects the growing consumer and investor interest in vegan products and ingredients, a sector worth £443 million in the UK in 2018.
Supported by PB&Co, the Pavilion will bring together some of the freshest and most exciting 100% vegan ingredients and finished products from around the globe and exhibitors will have the chance to network with key buyers and decision-makers from across the food and drinks industry.
The 'Nutraceutical Showcase' highlights the growing consumer interest in gut health, beauty from within, better ageing and bone health products.
Discover the innovative digestive health drink Symprove, the fast-acting fibre supplement Bimuno, and a range of convenient supplement drinks from Soylent.
As UK consumers develop an increasingly cosmopolitan taste, retailers can draw inspiration from the 'Country Pavilions' and International Brands Pavilion showcasing innovative ingredients and products from across the globe.
Another new attraction at Food Matters Live 2019 is the UK Future Brands pavilion.
Supported by Mintel, The Grocery Accelerator, and Young Foodies this showcase of cutting-edge food and drink innovators has been selected by an influential panel of buyers, who consider these companies as big brands of the future.
Challenging Future
Meanwhile, with inspirational case studies and talk by industry insiders and innovative brands, the Food Matters Live seminar programme will take an in-depth look at some of the biggest challenges in the retail industry today.
From product authenticity, innovative plastic-free packaging to marketing futures, an illustrious line-up of speakers will look at what's next for the food sector.
The speakers include industry insiders like Chris Fung, former CEO of Crussh Fit Food; Annabel Karmel MBE, the founder of Karmel Foods Limited; and Eoin Marshall, the London region manager of Technation.
Director of Food Matters Live 2019 Briony Mansell-Lewis commented, "Consumers have more control and choice than ever before, and retailers must be ready to adapt and meet their demands.
"Food Matters Live offers buyers and NPD specialists the opportunity to go behind the headlines and discover what is happening in the marketplace and give them the knowledge to future-proof their businesses."
Food Matters Summit
The inaugural Food Matters Summit has been described as the 'Davos of the food industry' and is the first London-based event with a truly international lineup of speakers.
From a session celebrating the top 30 disruptors rethinking the way we source, produce, package and distribute food to the race to develop alternative proteins, the Food Matters Summit offers delegates unique learning and networking opportunities.
Speakers at sessions including 'Disrupting the Business of Food' and 'Meet the Game Changers' include Dr Sandhya Sriram, co-founder and CEO of Shiok Meats, Jamie Crummie, founder of Too Good to Go, Gil Horsky, director of Innovation SnackFutures, and Andrew Ive, founder and managing general partners, Big Idea Ventures.
Over two days, the summit programme will focus on three central themes, which will shape the food industry in the future:
- 'The Food Revolution' will examine how we can feed 10 billion people by 2050 and how the food industry can respond to philosophical as well as commercial needs.
- 'Feeding our future' looks at the consequences of an unprecedented level of food options, a shift in consumer demands towards healthy and sustainable foods, and a new generation of millennial buyers
- 'Tomorrow's Innovation' investigates how customer tastes and trends have changed the food industry. It explores how innovations and technology can be utilised for both consumer and commercial benefit, the future of robotics, AI, nanotechnology, alternative proteins, nutraceuticals and more.
The international speaker line-up includes:
- Elsa Bernadotte, Founder, Karma (Sweden)
- Dr Neta Lavon, Vice President R&D, Aleph Farms (Israel)
- Dr Pasi Vainikka, CEO and Co-Founder, Solar Foods (Finland)
- Fabrice Bienfait, Partner, ETF Partners (UK)
- David Wagstaff, Executive Director, Europe, JUST (UK/US)
- Darren O'Sullivan, Director of Plant Protein Europe & Russia, Kerry Europe and Russia (Ireland)
- Professor Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy, City University (UK)
- Gil Horsky, Director of Innovation SnackFutures, Mondelez International (Israel)
- Bruce Friedrich, co-founder and executive director, The Good Food Institute (US)
- Hilary Leam, Group Director of Trading, Holland & Barrett International (UK)
- Darren O'Sullivan, Director of Plant Protein Europe & Russia, Kerry Europe and Russia (Ireland)
SummitConnect Service
For delegates, the Summit also offers unparalleled opportunities to connect with some of the world's most prominent advocates for inspirational food change and development, through bespoke one-to-one meetings.
The SummitConnect service will enable them to pre-book up to six one-to-one meetings with speakers and make unique and lasting business connections.
There will also be more informal networking opportunities, and delegates will also be able to join curated exhibition tours, leaders lunches and more.
For a full speaker line-up, more information about SummitConnect, and to book a delegate pass register at www.foodmatters.co.uk/summit.
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