WASHINGTON, DC — March 2, 2005 — Ethnic food trends, meal solutions strategies, consumer attitudes towards health and wellness, proliferation of intelligent shopping carts, the growing connection between pharmacy and the whole store, and new product trends for 2005 are among the far-reaching topics that will be explored during the Close-Ups educational program at the 2005 FMI Show, May 1-3, in Chicago, IL.
     

Close-Ups are a series of interactive workshops held on the FMI Show exhibit floor. This year’s Close-Ups will be targeted towards the show floor’s product segment areas of ethnic marketplace, general merchandise/health and beauty care, meal solutions and technology. There also will be general focus Close-Ups, which will feature practical ideas and tools to help attendees grow their businesses and better serve their customers.
     

FMI will present 28 Close-Ups in the South Hall theaters of McCormick Place during the three-day convention. Scheduled sessions and presenters:

Sunday, May 1

SOUTH HALL Theater #1

• 11:00 a.m. —    What’s New in Ethnic Trends

  
  Terry Soto, President, About Marketing Solutions

            
  Thomas Tseng, Principal & Co-Founder, New American Dimensions




• Noon —      Ethnic Marketing and Merchandising: Creating a Point of Differentiation
            

  Terry Soto, President, About Marketing Solutions




• 1:00 p.m. —    Leveraging the Connection Between Pharmacy and the Whole Store

  
  David McConnell, Jr., President, General Merchandise Distributors Council

  
  Robert Doyle, Executive Vice President, Information Resources, Inc.




• 3:00 p.m. —    Business Process Change: Realizing Benefits Through Data Synchronization
            

  Dan Staresinic, Senior Manager, Consumer Business Practice, Deloitte Consulting

SOUTH HALL Theater #2

• 11:00 a.m. —    Growing Profitability: Improving Freshness in Your Perishable Departments
            

  Mark Chandler, Principal, Industry Director to CPG Retail & Supply, Kurt Salmon Associates




• Noon —    Building Your Reputation for Quality Through Private Label
            

  Mary Brett Whitfield, Senior Vice President, Retail Forward




• 1:00 p.m. —     Controlling Meal Solutions Shrink
            

  Bill Hale, President, The Hale Group




• 2:00 p.m. —    Day-Part Merchandising — Growing Meal Solutions Sales

  
  Howard Solganik, President, Solganik & Associates




• 3:00 p.m. —    How Hi-Lo Retailers Can Rebuild Their Declining Price Image
            

  Mir Aamir, Principal, Consumer and Retail Practice, AT Kearney Inc.

Monday, May 2

SOUTH HALL Theater #1

• 11:00 a.m. —    Meeting the Ethnic Challenge in HBC and GM
            

  James Dodge, Vice President, Consulting Services, ACNielsen
            

  Jim Wisner, President, Wisner Retail Marketing




• Noon —    Driving Consumer Loyalty Through Corporate Brands
            

  Pam Boynton, Director of Marketing, Daymon Worldwide, Inc.

• 1:00 p.m. —    Sourcing Ethnic Products: The Keys to Doing it Right

  
  Nino Jefferson Lim, President, Island Pacific Supermarket




• 2:00 p.m. —    Intelligent Shopping Carts: Transforming the Consumer Shopping Experience

          


• 3:00 p.m. —    Capitalizing on the Rx to OTC Switch Opportunity

  
  Jim Hertel, Senior Vice President, Willard Bishop Consulting, Ltd.
            

  Jon Hauptman, Vice President, Willard Bishop Consulting, Ltd.

SOUTH HALL Theater #2

• 11:00 a.m. —    Defending Against the Dollar Store

  
  Mary D. Pietsch, Vice President, Homescan Group Director, ACNielsen




• Noon —    A Look at the Foodservice Industry’s Product Trends to Enhance Sales & Profitability

  
  Nancy Kruse, President, The Kruse Company




• 1:00 p.m. —    Build Your Meal Solutions Sales by Increasing Your Associates’ Passion for Food

  
  Karin Solganik, Vice President, Solganik & Associates




• 2:00 p.m. —    Understanding the Low-Carb Craze: Where Are We Headed?

  
  Larry Shiman, Vice President, Opinion Dynamics Corporation




• 3:00 p.m. —    Marketing Health: From the Food Perspective

  
  Elizabeth Pivonka, President, Produce for Better Health Foundation

Tuesday, May 3

SOUTH HALL Theater #1

• 11:00 a.m. —    Building a Successful Ethnic Brand

  
  Karla Fernandez Parker, President, K. Fernandez & Associates
            

  Craig Espelien, Director, Store Brands, SUPERVALU




• Noon —    HBC and General Merchandise — More Important Than You Think

  
  Jim Wisner, President, Wisner Retail Marketing




• 1:00 p.m. —    How Consumer Health & Wellness Trends Are Reshaping the Grocery Industry

  
  Maryellen Molyneaus, President, The Natural Marketing Institute

  
  Steven French, Managing Partner, The Natural Marketing Institute




• 2:00 p.m. —    RFID and the Electronic Product Code: What it Means for Your Business

  
  Sean Campbell, Partner, IBM Consulting Group

SOUTH HALL Theater #2

• 11:00 a.m. —    Understanding Today’s Perishable Customer

  
  Bruce Axtman, President and CEO, Perishables Group




• Noon —    Today’s Meal Solutions P&L: A Realistic Look at the Category’s Sales Opportunities and Expense Challenges
            

  Bill Hale, President, The Hale Group




• 1:00 p.m. —    New Product Trends for 2005

  
  Valerie Skala-Walker, Vice President, Analytic Product Management & Development, IRI




• 2:00 p.m. —    Delighting Your Customer — Exceeding Expectations

  
  Tony Ruesing, President, Ancillary Enterprises

          
For more details about the 2005 FMI Show, please visit FMI’s Web site at www.fmi.org.