Niagara University's Food Marketing Center of Excellence hosting summit

Niagara University will host "Innovation Summit: Innovations and Strategies for Food and Consumer Packaged Goods" on Thursday, April 20, at the Conference Center Niagara Falls.

The summit, which is being presented by NU's Food Marketing Center of Excellence, will feature presentations from industry leaders in food marketing and consumer packaged goods, including Rich Products Corp., Tops Friendly Markets, Wegmans Food Markets and The Clorox Co., to name a few.  

Brian Todd, president and CEO of The Food Institute, will deliver the keynote address, "Evolution of a $1.6 Trillion Industry: A 360 View," at 1:15 p.m. Todd has more than 35 years of experience in the food industry and has been interviewed on consumer and food industry trends by a number of television networks and programs, including Fox News, "Today," NBC News, the "CBS Evening News" and the "PBS Nightly Business Report."

In addition to the keynote address, attendees will be able to attend sessions from key industry professionals, including:

•Michelle Bulan, executive director, marketing and corporate communications, Perry's Ice Cream (marketing and branding consumer trends and branding)

•Robert Maybee, vice president of customer loyalty and insights, Wegmans Food Markets (disruptive innovation, change and its impact on the industry)

•Jamie McKeon, vice president of marketing, Rich Products Corp. (building a winning approach to innovation)

•John Persons, president and COO, Tops Friendly Markets (new product development in a competitive environment)

•Chef Herb Stockschlaeder II, director of R&D and procurement, Rosina Food Products Inc. (culinology: meeting customer need)

•Anne Zybowski, team leader, OmniChannel business development, The Clorox Corp. (an "Omni-Strategy" to engage with the "OmniShopper")

Additional information on Niagara University's Food Marketing Center of Excellence can be found online at www.niagara.edu/food-marketing-center-of-excellence.