The 2023 Annual Meat Conference (AMC), set for March 6–8 in Dallas, is the place to be for all involved in the meat retail industry. Rick Stein, vice president, Fresh Foods, FMI – The Food Industry Association, and Julia Ann Potts, president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), share background and current insights for the Annual Meat Conference. 

Potts says that the AMC first began as the Meat Marketing conference. "This was jointly founded by NAMI/FMI, as both organizations recognized there was a need for our memberships to collaborate together and learn from each other on how to help drive consumer demand of meat/poultry products at retail," Potts says.

The 2023 AMC has a new look, guided by Midan Marketing, for a modern and personal AMC, Stein says.

Potts says that those in the meat retail industry should attend the conference to, among many other reasons, improve upon all aspects of meat and poultry products, including marketing, branding and sales, gain a deeper understanding of consumer needs and trends, get ahead of competitors and have enriching conversations with others in the industry.

"Our workshops will center on the theme of protein made personal," Stein says. "They will be highly interactive and provide attendees with a forum to get inspired and discover new tools and insights to make their brands and products unique and desirable to consumers."

Potts says AMC workshops serve two purposes:

• to take a deeper dive into some of the most popular topics, where it is hard to cover all the material in one setting (Market Update, Power of Meat and Case-ready)
• and to allow for attendees to have more time to discuss with and ask questions of presenters.

“Other workshops take a look at areas of the industry that have big impacts on meat retail, but may not be the (attendees’) primary function -- regulations, social media, trends in labor, etc.,” Potts says.

Aside from speakers and workshops, attendees will have many other opportunities at the conference. 

“The exhibit hall will host more than 100 exhibitors showcasing an extensive array of animal protein food assortments ...  and the latest innovations in technology,” Stein says. “The exhibit hall opens Tuesday, March 7, from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.”

“The event provides attendees an array of networking opportunities during a welcoming reception, the Women in Meat Retail Networking Luncheon, and our Leaders of Tomorrow reception and dinner,” Stein says.

Sustainability is likely to be a theme throughout the exhibit hall, Potts says. 

“We expect to see meat packers/processors highlight the good work they are doing with supporting healthy people, healthy communities, healthy animals and a healthy planet and sharing their story with their retail partners, and ultimately, consumers,” Potts says.

Stein says that this year’s AMC is dedicated to reigniting the passion in the meat retail community.

“We’re focused on helping the industry better articulate their brand stories, undergirded by operational and shopper insights to guide their businesses,” Stein says. “We are giving special emphasis to supply chain and other disruptions, innovation and workforce aspects to the meat industry this year. Many of the education sessions will touch upon these themes.”

The 2023 AMC will have more than 1,500 attendees from all across the meat retail industry, Stein says.

Stein says that every person involved in the meat retail industry should attend the AMC for three reasons. 

“The event is designed to support their goals by getting a better understanding of customer and consumer needs through the 18th annual Power of Meat analysis and keynote session ... and a special session titled ... ‘Realizing the Business Value of Supply Chain Transparency,’” Stein says. “In addition to revealing insights, the event will offer discussions on the regulatory environment.”

The AMC will also address industry concerns, including food inflation, automation and sustainability, Stein says. “Two particular sessions, ‘Economic Trends, Global, Trade, Labor and What’s Ahead’ and ‘Overcoming Volatility in Meat Retail: A Look Ahead’ will offer attendees perspective on overcoming challenges.”

Stein gives one last reason for those in the meat retail industry to attend the AMC: new products and technologies. "A ‘Retail Innovation in Meat’ session, in addition to nearly 100 exhibits, will surely inspire attendees," Stein says.

View the schedule for the 2023 AMC at https://www.meatconference.com/program.

Event partners for the 2023 AMC include FMI – The Food Industry Association, The Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education, and the North American Meat Institute (NAMI).