About the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the Energy & Store Development Conference (ESD), presentation styles and proposal process

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) is a nonprofit trade association conducting programs in research, education, industry relations and public affairs on behalf of food retailers and wholesalers around the world. www.fmi.org

The Energy & Store Development (ESD) Conference provides trends, innovations, and tactical solutions to help retailers design, build and maintain stores that are more energy-efficient, effective and meet changing consumer needs and desires.

Target Audience:

The ESD Conference draws hundreds of attendees, including supermarket retail and wholesale executives and suppliers/service providers with responsibility for:

• Store planning and design
• Construction
• Engineering
• Maintenance
• Refrigeration
• Sustainability
• Utility cost control
• Energy management
• Equipment purchasing

The retail/wholesale audience is the primary target/focus of the education program.

Education Program:

The ESD Conference offers a variety of general sessions, as well as concurrent workshops. Most sessions are an hour in length.

General sessions typically cover:

• Industry/consumer/market trends
• Store format and design trends
• The connection of store design/layout to energy and refrigeration systems
• Technology trends
• Regulatory/compliance issues
• Sustainability/resource conservation

Workshops typically cover:

• Store design, formats and merchandising
• Construction
• Sustainability/LEED
• Equipment
• Lighting
• HVAC
• Refrigeration/Refrigerants
• Energy management
• Facilities management
• Utilities cost control

Presentation Styles:

Education sessions may be presented in a number of formats. Research has shown that adults learn best in settings where they are able to participate actively, relate the new information or techniques to their experiences, and practice new skills. Prospective presenters are encouraged to suggest session formats that incorporate these components. Some examples of formats include:

• Lecture with Q&A
• Town Hall (short 10-15 minute presentation at the beginning followed by group discussion)
• Structured Discussion (presentation(s) with discussion throughout the session)
• Panel Discussion (moderated discussion by panel members)
• Case Study (presenter discusses a real-life problem and invites audience participation)
• Idea Exchange (moderator leads a discussion among participants; different tables can discuss different topics)
• Buzz Groups (participants are divided into small groups and given a specific task to complete)

Education sessions may be delivered by one presenter, co-presenters or a panel. While FMI welcomes presentation proposals from the manufacturer and service provider communities, preference will be given to those that provide a balanced view and include retail presenters. Please note that any speakers listed/proposed must have already agreed to speak in the session.

Proposal Review, Selection and Notification Process:

Proposals must be submitted by March 2, 2018 using this online Abstract Management System.

Proposals must include:

• Full contact details including phone number and email address
• Presenter bio(s)
• Contact information for all confirmed presenters
• 3-4 learning objectives
• Selected topic and presentation method
• Summary and full description of content

Proposals will be reviewed by the members of the Energy & Store Development Committee and FMI staff according to the following criteria:

• Timeliness and relevance of subject matter
• Practical application and take-aways
• Content that meets the advanced educational needs of attendees
• Originality (cutting-edge content not previously presented)
• Qualifications and expertise of presenter(s)
• Comprehensiveness and value of presentation objectives
• Content that is free of commercialism and/or product bias

A combination of sessions identified through the presentation proposal system and sessions developed by the ESD Committee will be used to build the ESD Conference education program.

Presenters will be notified ONLY if they are accepted to speak on the program.

NOTE: Following the 2017 Conference, attendees were asked to tell us the topics they want to be addressed at the 2018 conference. After you log-in, please download the document that lists the suggested topics.

For more information, please contact
Laurie Gethin at 202-220-0715 | lgethin@fmi.org