2024 FUTURE FOOD FORUM

What does the consumer want?

Consumer trends in food and drink are constantly evolving and it is not always easy to keep up. The last years have seen a growing concern for our environment and personal health which has boosted demand for healthy and sustainable product. Paradoxically, we are also seeing an increased focus on comfort food and indulgence. The consumer wants simplicity and excess, wholesome foods and ultra-processed vegan products, a greener future but cheap tomatoes from Morocco. And worryingly, an increasing number of customers just wants to be able to put a meal on the table.

We all root for change and innovation but we still want our food to look and taste (and cost) the same. How should the food industry respond to this? Should industry be driving change? Where does it follow, where does it lead? What do customers really want? Do they actually know? And does it matter?

Join us at Kent University in Canterbury for a day of knowledge, collaboration and opportunities to showcase and explore the future of the food industry. Feed the future success of your business with valuable insights and connections.

Date: Friday 3^rd May 2024

Time: 08:30 – 14:30 HRS

Venue: Kent Business School, University of Kent Canterbury campus, CT2 7NZ

Expected attendance: 300+

Audience: UK Food and drink producers, retailers, wholesalers, hospitality, business supply chain to food and drink sector, local/national Government representatives, academia, sector experts

FUTURE FOOD FORUM AGENDA

08:30 - 09:00 HRS: REGISTRATION AND WELCOME

- Check-in at Kent Uni, Canterbury

- Welcome refreshments and networking

09:15 - 11:00 HRS: WHAT DOES THE CUSTOMER WANT – KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

What does the customer want – and how does that sit with a more sustainable food system?

Susie Warran-Smith CBE - moderator: Introduction to the theme

Kimberley Wilson – Chartered Psychologist, Nutritionist and best-selling author

Ultra-Processed Foods: We want it but it destroys us

Over 60% of the UK diet consists of ultra-processed foods – which make us ill and wreck the planet. We know it but how do we step away from it? And who should drive change?

Sheila Dillon – British food journalist and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme

What do we KNOW about food, really?

How much ‘fake news’ is going around about food? Do we really know where our food comes from and what’s in it? How bad or good it is for us, for the climate? How do we collectively educate the public with the right messages? How do we reach a wide audience?

David Edwards, Deputy Chair, Food Farming Countryside Commission

How do we find out what the public really wants?

The FFCC’s National Conversation about Food projects aims to do just that.

Tessa Stuart, Asset Research

Customer trends: the Holy Grail?

The food industry is defined by customer trends. But who and what drives these trends? Do they have any bearing on ‘real life’? Does following them guarantee business success?

10:45 - 11:30 HRS: COFFEE BREAK & NETWORKING

• Networking & Meet-the-Buyer opportunities
• Food Producer and Industry Exhibitor Fair: sampling/sales/service

11:30 - 12:15 HRS: PANEL DISCUSSION 1

What does the customer want? A cool brand!

• Talking the customer’s language: the power of emotional intelligence - Maureen Chiana, CEO The Mindsight Academy
• Branding design: it’s all about first impressions – Jessica Banks, Marketing Manager Oak Creative
• Bringing the brand alive: how to tell your story well – Liu Batchelor, presenter and producer
• Keeping the customer engaged through social media – AJ Sharp, CEO Sharp Relations

12:15 - 13:15 HRS: LUNCH BREAK

• Networking & Meet-the-Buyer opportunities
• Food Producer and Industry Exhibitor Fair: sampling/sales/service

13:15 - 14:00 HRS: PANEL DISCUSSION 2

What does the customer want? Delivering on the promise

• A business with purpose: a reality check – Louis Hurst, CEO HatHats
• The art of sustainable packaging – Richard Hemsley, Director Hemsley Solutions
• What does excellent customer service look like – Richard Parson, Brand Manager, Fudge Kitchen
• Attracting and retaining good employees – Tony Line, Director Kent Recruitment Bureau

14:00 - 14:15 HRS: FORUM WRAP UP