IFMA The Food Away From Home Association

Wow. All I can say is... Wow. I was reflecting on this week during the plane ride home last night. Hard to believe that I just came back from my 10th Presidents Conference, and I can confidently say it was the most engaging and fulfilling of them all. I was privileged to lead a tremendous conversation with Gina Tobin and Alexander S. I. as they shared some of the "secrets" to how Texas Roadhouse and Whataburger continue to defy all odds. I had the honor of moderating a session with Joel Neikirk as he spoke about how he has transformed Restaurant Services, Inc. We were joined by dozens of other speakers who provided their thought leadership on everything from leadership to supply chain; from regulations and legislation to AI, and everything in between. We were fortunate to hear from companies like Hy-Vee, Amazon Fresh and Instacart on the future of food away from home. And we closed the conference with the first standing ovation I've seen for a speaker - Brad Meltzer - who delivered the most inspirational keynote I've ever heard (despite being a U of M alum 😀 ). We unveiled a new brand that was more than a year in the making! A special shout out to Alvaro A. Rojas for an amazing job leading this work! And we experienced a drone show and a light show like nobody has ever seen! We kicked off Election Day with a special opening, where I thank Phil Kafarakis for having the confidence and blind trust in me despite never having heard me sing. I'm glossing over so many other amazing things that happened this week for the sake of length. From our amazing sponsors to our Next Gen Execs; to the leaders we recognized with awards, to all of our Foodservice Leadership Councils who showed up, to all those who helped make our brand reveal come to life... it was such a remarkable week that despite being exhausted, I came home last night energized. And none of this would have been possible without the unbelievably strong IFMA The Food Away From Home Association team. We are a small but mighty group, where everyone wears multiple hats, but I can never get over how a conference of this magnitude is pulled off with the 18-person strong staff we have. And to pull off this conference side by side with unveiling a new brand... this is the hardest working team I've ever been with, and I'm truly in awe at all we can accomplish together. And last but certainly not least, we had such tremendous leadership and support across the board to make all of this possible. Kristin Bird, Tim Wayne and the entire Presidents Conference committee had a vision and worked tirelessly throughout the year to build the best program we've ever had. Can't thank you enough for all of your work behind the scenes. Thanks to everyone who made this the most special Presidents Conference yet. 10 years in and feeling more inspired than ever! #StrongerTogether

Great to see Industry Leaders unite for the greater good! 🌎🙌 A big thank you to Phil Kafarakis from IFMA The Food Away From Home Association for moderating an insightful panel featuring Michelle Korsmo from the National Restaurant Association and Mark S. Allen from The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA). It’s always inspiring to hear how our industry partners are working together to advance the food away-from-home ecosystem. I also appreciated hearing from Jennifer Hatcher, FMI- The Food Industry Association’s policy expert, who provided valuable insights on how future regulations may impact our industry. Looking forward to joining FMI for the upcoming Midwinter Executive Conference in a few months! With such strong leadership, it’s clear our industry is in very good hands. 🤝🙌 #IFMAworld #StrongerTogether #FoodService #Retail #PartnershipsMatter #CocaCola #IndustryInsights National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) #NRAEF

It was a wonderful experience to have our first breakfast with peers from the C&U segment at the IFMA Presidents’ Conference in Scottsdale. We engaged in discussions about the state of higher education, ways to share best practices, enhance the student experience, and strategically collaborate with the supply chain to enrich the quality of life, share our stories, and grow our business. A heartfelt thank you to IFMA, the Food Away From Home Association, for bringing us all together! Phil Kafarakis Charlie McConnell Fleur Veldhoven Michael Schwartz Jill Horst Jeffrey Palmer Ralph Perez-Rogers, MBA Andrew Mankus Christopher Howland, MBA Adam Millman Kraig Braddy Clayton Chan Ron Tanner IFMA The Food Away From Home Association

“It’s important to us that we maintain our legacy as IFMA while growing to serve a more dynamic and transformed foodservice community,” said Phil Kafarakis, President & CEO of IFMA The Food Away From Home Association. 📰 Learn more at: https://hubs.li/Q02Xbxtn0 #BenWexler #TeriTrullinger #CorporateIdentity #OrganizationalChanges #BusinessGrowth #IFMA Michael Schwartz Micheala Sharp Courtney Graham Sriha Alvaro A. Rojas Kathleen Sysma Helen Heilich, MBA Alicia Cleary Erin Buntin

Amazing closure to IFMA The Food Away From Home Association Presidents Conference by keynote speaker Brad Meltzer. I instantly bought two of his books - one for me and one for my daughter. Thank you Brad for the video for Mia and note for her book! It was so awesome meeting you. Your story is incredible and thank you for the impact you are making in people’s lives. Key takeaways …. 1) Think about your legacy , how will you be remembered ? What legacy do you want to leave and who can you impact and lift up also along your journey? 2) Say thank you to the “giants” in your life that have made you who you are today #bradmeltzer #hershey #ifma

11/5/2024 Today was the last day that I will be attending the conference. This was an amazing experience and I could not have asked for more. Thank you to the IFMA The Food Away From Home Association team for letting me and my colleagues attend this event. I hope to be back next year, and hope to see the IFMA staff soon! Amanda Chavez-Patton,Chloe Daniels, Arianna Frank, Samuel Bickley, Acacia Worsley

🌵Scottsdale, it’s been great ✌️ From spending solid quality time with old friends like George Holm of Performance Food Group to making new friends like Oliver J Kelly and his team from Kerry Foodservice it’s been a motivating few days. The above mentioned deserve a shoutout because they both successfully run multi-billion dollar global enterprises. Not easy. 👊 IFMA The Food Away From Home Association Your Presidents Conference attracted a group of ambitious outliers, both current and future global enterprise leaders in the hospitality industry. Well done👏🇺🇸 #CPVIP #PowerofPartnership #ConnectionEconomy #PeopleFirst Connection Point VIP Performance Food Group NUMU Food Group Olam Foodservice Women's Alliance - FWA …and many others

FAHA! Congrats on the rebrand IFMA The Food Away From Home Association !

🌟 Exciting Times in Scottsdale, Arizona! 🌵 I had the privilege of participating in the IFMA The Food Away From Home Association Presidents’ Event, gathering with inspiring facility management leaders from across the country in beautiful Scottsdale, AZ. This experience provided an invaluable opportunity to connect, share insights, and engage in forward-thinking discussions about the future of facility management. The passion and dedication that IFMA brings to advancing our industry is truly remarkable. Each conversation and collaboration was a powerful reminder of the impact that facility management has on organizational success and sustainability. I’m energized by the ideas we exchanged and am looking forward to applying what I’ve learned to drive continuous improvement in our own practices. A big thank you to the IFMA team for organizing such a fantastic event and for fostering an environment where we can grow together as leaders in this essential field. #IFMA #EvolutionOptimized