Nashville hosting Annual Meat Conference

This year’s event will be held in mid-March, and it promises to mix business with pleasure.

Nashville, TN, will extend its hospitality to hundreds of meat industry professionals from March 14 to 16 during the Annual Meat Conference (AMC). This event will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

Now in its eleventh year, the AMC is known as the premier educational event for meat and poultry retailers. This event attracts more than 800 professionals from the meat, poultry, and retail sectors. Conference programming examines the hottest industry trends, details pressing public policy issues, and offers training in key areas.

Sessions are designed to provide real-world information that makes the most of current trends, techniques, and tactics to give retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, packers, and processors an edge in brand building and marketing in today’s highly-competitive environment.

Using practical information from their own experience, case studies, and research, conference speakers will cover:

The ABC’s of Branding — Learn multiple approaches to branding that show how to set your meat case apart from the competition’s.
The Skinny on Diet Fads and Nutrition — Put new information and current diet trends to work for your company’s bottom line.
The Art of Attraction — Place unique products into the meat case to attract consumer attention and increase sales.
Profit from Diversity — Convert America’s growing ethnicity into meat department sales.
On the Case — Understand the economics of case-ready, and get a better picture of the options and benefits to increase revenues.
It’s in the Process — Use merchandising techniques to optimize sales of processed meats.
Showing Your Best Face — Learn public relations techniques to communicate a positive image that turns into increased profit.

MEAT CONFERENCE 2004 SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 14	Monday, March 15	Tuesday, March 16
1:30 to 5 p.m. Opening workshop 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. ProductTasting Reception	7 to 11:30 a.m. Nashville store tours 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tech Fair Luncheon 1:30 to 5 p.m. Concurrent sessions	8 to 9:30 a.m. Repeat of concurrent sessions 10 to 11:30 a.m. Closing general session

Product Tasting Reception

Conference attendees will also have an opportunity to sample hundreds of meat and poultry products at the conference’s most popular event: the Product Tasting Reception. This event takes place from 5: 30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 14. Hosting approximately 50 exhibitors, the event is a feast of great tastes, showcasing some of the newest and most innovative meat and poultry products in the retail marketplace.

The annual Tech Fair Luncheon, which takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m on Monday, March 15, is an exciting opportunity for retailers to see some of the latest equipment and technology available. This showcase features innovative products and services ranging from labeling equipment to scales and packaging to ingredients. Throughout this two-hour event, retailers and exhibitors can network over a relaxing lunch.

For more information or to register, log on to www.meatconference.com, e-mail convention@meatami.com, or call Marie DeLucia at (703) 841-3620.

The Meat Industry Hall of Fame was created in 2009 to enshrine the leaders and legends whose visions, skills, and dedication have shaped and sustained the meat and poultry industries.

This new annual reception will celebrate the Meat Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2023 inductees in person during the AAMP American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers’ Exhibition in Omaha, Nebraska.