ARLINGTON, VA — May 1, 2007 — Former Vice President Al Gore canceled plans late last week to keynote the opening session of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Show on May 6 at the McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, citing "personal reasons." He had been under contract to speak since the fall of 2006 through the Harry Walker Agency.

Two well-regarded speakers will fill Gore’s 8-9:30 a.m. slot and deliver presentations under the title From Shoppers to Stakeholders: Messages (And Actions) That Matter:

Marc Gunther — Senior writer at Fortune magazine and author or co-author of five books, including Faith and Fortune: How Compassionate Capitalism is Transforming American Business (Crown Business, 2004). He will examine the growing power of going green and how companies are linking their business goals to improved environmental strategies.

Chip Heath — Columnist for FastCompany and co-author of the current BusinessWeek best-seller Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. He will show how companies can tell their story in a way that resonates with shoppers, employees and the community, becoming part of the larger marketplace of ideas.

These presentations are sponsored by FMI, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and Organic Trade Association.

Contact:

Bill Greer

202-220-0667

wgreer@fmi.org