WASHINGTON, DC — July 1, 2004 — A broad, 38-session education program and an extensive exposition featuring more than 150 suppliers headline the 2004 Productivity Convention and EXPO, October 17-19 at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX.

Jointly sponsored by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), the annual convention is designed for executives in transportation, information technology, human resources and logistics, and other professionals working in the global food distribution industry.

“The Productivity Convention and EXPO is the premier industry event offering insight on the latest products, services, strategies and solutions that can make a profitable difference in food distribution operations,” said Brian Tully, FMI senior vice president of conventions. “With strong representation from self-distributing chains, wholesale distributors, foodservice distributors and food manufacturers, we expect this show to be one of the year’s most important events.”

“Efficiency means profitability for distributors and today’s operations continue to get even more complex,” said Steve Potter, IFDA senior vice president of industry relations. “Managers have to deal with a variety of issues, from the new hours of service rule to regulations coming out of the bioterrorism act, from rising health care costs to understanding whether new technologies are right for their operations. The Productivity Convention is a great opportunity for distributors to hear from their peers and other professionals about how to meet these challenges and seize new opportunities.”

Under the theme “Taking Stock: Leveraging the Distribution Advantage,” the program features speakers from across the industry — retail and wholesale operators, foodservice distributors, consultants, government officials and experts from various disciplines — addressing key function areas.
General assembly and super session highlights include:

• Taking Stock: Leveraging the Distribution Advantage — Top executives from retail and foodservice companies will provide a candid discussion linking superior operations to increased sales, productivity and profitability. Panelists will share their perspectives on current challenges and opportunities within food distribution operations, including employee relations, voice recognition and other technologies, and metrics for making sound operational decisions.

• Becoming an Industry of Choice, Becoming an Employer of Choice — A cross-functional industry panel will take a hard look at case studies and company practices that provide real world, successful approaches to workforce challenges and the development of lasting solutions.

• What’s Happening With RFID? — Will radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies be implemented in food supply channels in the near term? Will tag cost become low enough to justify use at the pallet, case or even item level? What environmental factors must be overcome to guarantee high quality reads? John Healy of 360 Solutions Group will explore the latest developments in the race toward RFID adoption.

• Distribution Center Automation — Representatives from Kom International will provide an overview of developments in distribution center automation, an economic analysis of various forms of automation versus conventional product movement, and a perspective on future developments in distribution center automation.
  
  
• Secrets of Power Negotiating — Business guru Roger Dawson, founder of the Power Negotiating Institute, will share his top five principles for power negotiating and demonstrate how these proven methods can fundamentally improve personal effectiveness and a company’s bottom line.

• Leadership Perspective and the 2004 Election — David Gergen, editor-at-large for U.S. News & World Report, best-selling author and an adviser to former Presidents Reagan and Clinton, will offer his perspectives on what makes a great leader and projections for the 2004 elections.

• Be Where You Are When You’re There — Clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen Douglas will examine the truths and myths relating to stress and offer a humorous approach to identifying and managing stressful situations.

Primary sessions will be complemented by workshops addressing a wide range of contemporary issues, such as facility design, safety, revenue sourcing, government regulations, wireless communications, compensation, distribution and transportation security and activity based costing.

Returning to the convention this year is the Staging Area. Located directly on the exhibit floor, the Staging Area will feature hourly education sessions and exhibitor demonstrations. It will be linked to the Connectivity Center, a tech-driven space featuring complimentary computer services and Internet access.

Productivity EXPO, Distribution Facility Tours and Social Events Round Out Agenda

Complementing the education program is the Productivity EXPO, featuring more than 150 product and service providers that support food distribution operations. Vendors will include companies specializing in material-handling equipment, facility design, pallets and containers, transportation, information technologies and communications software.

Tours of several Dallas-area distribution facilities will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to gain operational insights into the latest distribution systems, procedures, technologies and special practices. Advance registration is required. The 2004 distribution facility tours include Minyard Food Stores, Inc., Albertsons, Inc., Sysco Food Service, Ben E. Keith Foods and a United Parcel Service (UPS) air cargo facility.

Networking and social events will be held each day of the convention, including an opening night reception on the exhibit floor.

18th Annual Food Industry Truck Driving Championship

For the 18th straight year, drivers from foodservice distributors, retail food wholesalers, self-distributing chain retailers and food manufacturers will compete in a three-part “roadeo” October 15-17 immediately before the convention opening. The competition includes a written exam, driving competition and pre-trip safety inspection. Drivers will compete in three separate categories: 20/22-foot straight truck, 28-foot tractor-trailer and 48-foot tractor-trailer. Winners will be announced at an awards banquet on the opening night of the convention.

For registration information, please contact Donna Rood at (703) 532-9400, x233.

Planning Committee Represents Industry Cross Section

The 2004 Productivity Convention and EXPO is being led jointly by co-chairs representing the wholesale grocer, self-distributing retailer and foodservice distributor segments of the industry. The co-chairs are joined by 30 other executives from across the industry who are contributing their expertise to the planning of the event.

The 2004 convention co-chairs are Larry Cooper, vice president, distribution, Harris Teeter, Inc.; Randy Fletcher, vice president, logistics and supply chain management, Associated Grocers, Inc.; and Keith Pittman, senior vice president, branch management operations, Ben E. Keith Foods.   The EXPO Host Committee co-chairs are Andrew McCann, president, Perishable Distributors of Iowa, and Gary Mills, corporate director, warehousing services, Sysco Corporation.

For more information about the 2004 Productivity Convention and EXPO, please visit the show Web site at http://www.productivityconvention.com.