By Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI

FMItech at Midwinter promotes conversations, explorations and private exchanges to enhance your technology strategy. We bring together FMI Midwinter attendees focused on technology, ecommerce and automation strategies to create actionable next steps. The key elements of the FMItech programs are Talks, Exchanges and Pitches.

Tech Talks

On Monday, March 28, we kick-off six bite-size presentations hosted by technology companies addressing core central themes such as digital/ecommerce, automation, customer engagement, and optimization from unique vantage points. Sterling Hawkins, from our partner Center for Advancing Retail Technology (CART), stirs the pot with a talk Creating the Culture to Innovate #NoMatterWhat.

Want to see the grocery store of tomorrow? During Reinventing the Store for the Era of the Consumer Accenture Management Consulting presents how the store of the future will change as consumption is entering a new era fueled by convenience, speed and consistent personalized experiences.  

There are several presentations planned on key emerging areas:

  • AI Driven Adaptive Planogramming by Focal Systems explores how AI-driven technologies can help improve your planogram strategy and positively impact your bottom line.
  • The Catalyst for Marketing Transformation: Business Process Automation by Birdzi looks at what automating sophisticated marketing personalization looks like along with a review of the benefits.
  • Digital Value Creation - A New Dimension by accelerate360 will challenge retailers to leverage their existing customer base and navigate the new playing field of digital value creation.
Tech Exchanges

During these dialogues, both retailers and CPG companies sit down privately with technology solution providers to discuss business needs and explore possibilities. We are looking forward to hosting companies such as AWG, Big Y, Cub, Danone North America, Heinen's, IGA, KeHe, King's Hawaiian, misfits market, Schnucks, The JM Smucker Company, The Kroger Co., Unilever, Weis, SpartanNash, and other as they explore partnerships and solutions.

Tech Pitches

Six Tech Pitches from our virtual pitch winners will shed light on the latest in food retail technology from their unique vantage points. These emerging tech companies are pushing the boundaries of what's possible in food retail and offer innovative solutions to make a difference in digital/ecommerce, automation, customer engagement, and optimization.

Featured Companies:

  • Defendry—an automated threat response system with an entire security suite that includes a mobile app that turns any Smartphone instantly into a security camera.
  • Evigence—a freshness monitoring company that uses color-changing time-temperature indicators that can be applied at the retail unit level and read visually and digitally.
  • flexEngage—a digital receipt solution that integrates retailers' current printers and POS systems.
  • Greenfence—a platform that operationally uses blockchain to deliver and incentivize trust throughout the supply chain, and on the consumer side revolutionized coupons, rebates, and digital collectibles using blockchain technology.
  • Tally Retail Solutions—a robotic and technology solution for out-of-stock management, pricing and promo execution, planogram compliance, and inventory tracking.
  • Untie Nots—an AI-target loyalty company focusing on gamified and personalized promotions for consumer engagement.

 

All registered FMI Midwinter attendees are welcome to participate in FMItech@Midwinter. See the agenda for more details