FMI and Global Marketing Development Center Co-locate FMI Supermarket Pharmacy Conference and GMDC Health Beauty Wellness Marketing Conference

ARLINGTON, VA — March 12, 2009 — Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Global Marketing Development Center (GMDC) today announced the co-location of the FMI Supermarket Pharmacy Conference and the GMDC Health Beauty Wellness Marketing Conference, September 11-14, 2009, at the Marriott Grand Lakes in Orlando, FL.   

     “Shoppers focus on making informed purchases that impact their health and wellness in every aisle of the store. They know their food choices play a complementary role in medication management,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and chief executive officer, FMI. “Co-locating the FMI Pharmacy Conference with GMDC’s event gives retailers and wholesalers an opportunity to explore all aspects of how to combine health, wellness and beauty into the supermarket shopping experience.”

     “By partnering our longstanding conference with the FMI conference, suppliers will gain a better understanding of how retailers and wholesalers approach health, beauty and wellness,” said David McConnell, president and CEO, GMDC. “Retailers and wholesalers will benefit from being able to meet with pharmacy and HBW suppliers to discuss new ways to integrate health and wellness into what they provide their customers.”

     The combined format provides for collaborative strategic planning with key industry partners during pre-arranged appointments:

• High-level strategic planning appointments are available in private rooms during Strategic Executive Conferences. The meetings are scheduled to bring health, beauty, pharmacy, wellness and food executives from both GMDC and FMI together for strategic discussions.


• Top-management appointments, conducted during Controlled Casual Conferences, allow retailers, wholesalers and suppliers to conduct face-to-face meetings with business partners during the conference. Meetings are scheduled in 10 and 20 minute increments.

Informative education sessions will address the role of health, wellness and beauty care in the lives of shoppers and include pharmacy-focused sessions related to current industry issues.

• FMI will present results from its 2009 Supermarket Pharmacy Trends report.


• GMDC will present its multi-year research project Consumer Shopping Habits for Wellness and Environmentally Conscious Lifestyles.

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Food Marketing Institute (FMI) conducts programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education and industry relations on behalf of its 1,500 member companies — food retailers and wholesalers — in the United States and around the world. FMI’s U.S. members operate approximately 26,000 retail food stores and 14,000 pharmacies. Their combined annual sales volume of $680 billion represents three-quarters of all retail food store sales in the United States. FMI’s retail membership is composed of large multi-store chains, regional firms and independent supermarkets. Its international membership includes 200 companies from more than 50 countries. FMI’s associate members include the supplier partners of its retail and wholesale members.

GMDC (Global Market Development Center) is the premier global trade association dedicated to serving General Merchandise and Health Beauty Wellness retailers, wholesalers and suppliers. GMDC promotes critical connectivity to grow and expand member companies by uniting members through business building events and opportunities and enriching their thinking through education and training; consumer and business insights; and information resources. Contact Laurie Spindler at lspindler@gmdc.org or 719.576.4260.