Whether it’s learning about the latest technological advancements at the FMItech Pitch Competition, fostering deep collaboration through the conference’s Strategic Executive Exchange or diving into new, intimate Speakeasy Sessions led by industry experts, FMI – The Food Industry Association President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin shares how this year’s annual Midwinter Executive Conference is designed to equip the industry’s top executives with the insights and connections needed to remain resilient in uncertain times. After several consecutive years on the East Coast, this year’s event kicks off on Jan. 21 in San Diego.
What led to the decision to move Midwinter to San Diego this year? How do you expect the event to benefit from this new location?
FMI’s Midwinter Executive Conference traditionally migrates from the East to the West Coast every two years. After navigating a global pandemic with virtual meetings and then two fantastic years on Marco Island (Fla.), it was time for us to shift our event to a West Coast setting. The Gaylord Pacific in Chula Vista, Calif., is a newly opened property located outside of San Diego, and it’s a special location because it can address the unique features of our food industry event. For example, the hotel is spacious enough to accommodate nearly all our attendees, feature our business-to-business meetings and the Strategic Executive Exchange meetings and work with the hotel on customized food and beverage offerings tailored to our members’ needs. I believe attendees will arrive at the same conclusion I did, which is that this location provides a superior experience.
How many attendees do you expect at the 2026 event? What are the top three takeaways you hope they gain from the event?
We currently have more than 1,600 attendees registered for the Midwinter Executive Conference, which will make this the most-attended Midwinter conference yet.
Our education program at Midwinter is focused on a few key topics, including retail health strategies, which present a growing opportunity for the food industry. Grocery stores have long been destinations for health and well-being, but the opportunity to truly integrate our stores and product offerings with health care and ultimately meet shoppers in the aisles, where they are at least once a week, signifies a differentiation point for our industry. Many companies in our industry are beginning to view themselves as health-oriented, rather than just food-focused, and technology is helping expedite this transition. Several Midwinter sessions will dive into retail health strategies, which will set the tone for our continued focus at the association in line with our advocacy efforts and bringing our members together at high-impact forums for dialogue.
Technology is another important topic that we’ll focus on at Midwinter with our FMItech sessions, business meetings and our FMItech Pitch Competition, which showcases new technologies that support the food industry. Of course, artificial intelligence remains a hot topic when we addressed it on the main stage at Midwinter in 2024, but with Agentic AI starting to change the way shoppers interact with stores and brands, there is much to learn and consider. Our FMItech sessions are geared toward chief technology officers who are deciding where to invest and how to scale these new and emerging technologies.
Importantly, the FMItech at Midwinter program lays the groundwork for our new event, GroceryLab, which we will launch in June 2026. It is designed for company chief marketing officers and chief technology officers to collaborate and help scale and build acceptance of new technologies within companies. I believe GroceryLab is exactly what our industry needs, and it will help our members prioritize technology solutions.
Lastly, affordability is a big topic and rightly so. Stubborn inflation and high food prices continue to be top of mind for shoppers. While consumers remain resilient and feel in control of their grocery spending, as evidenced in our monthly grocery shopper polling, many are seeking value that offers more than just price and quality, but also convenience, entertainment, health and relevance. Several sessions at Midwinter will delve into affordability, including a session with NielsenIQ that examines the K-shaped economy and where high-, middle- and low-income households are finding value. Affordability will continue to be a focus for us in 2026, an issue FMI members are keenly aware of as we work to feed families and enrich lives in communities across the country
The event is described as “Shaping What’s Next.” In your view, what is the single most important long-term strategic shift that Midwinter offers to prepare food industry leaders for?
If we’ve learned anything from 2025, it’s that we are living during a time of great uncertainty in our society, and I only see that uncertainty continuing. Our Midwinter Executive Conference is designed to prepare our members to face what lies ahead and remain focused on their company’s true north strategy — while navigating the day-to-day chaos. These anxious times call for some very specific leadership qualities that we will explore together. Yes, our days ahead will include responding to the latest unforeseen change or issue, but when faced with turbulence, we must focus on what we can control and learn how best to manage that which can’t be controlled. That’s what Midwinter attendees can expect to gain during their time with us.
The B2B meetings are core to the event. What are your expectations for the most productive and high-impact discussions happening within the Strategic Executive Exchanges this year, and what advice would you give attendees to maximize their value?
We’re expecting more than 180 Strategic Executive Exchange meetings, and it always amazes me how these meetings really set the tone for trading partner collaboration for the year. Product suppliers and retailers take these meetings very seriously and come prepared with thoughtful questions and discussion points that help propel their business partnerships forward. You simply can’t underestimate the importance of these discussions and the groundwork they lay for the year ahead.
Beyond the FMItech Pitch Competition, how is FMI integrating the theme of technology and digital transformation across the main keynote and breakout sessions, ensuring it’s relevant to both retail CEOs and supplier executives?
I hope all our attendees take the opportunity to spend some time in our FMItech Pop-ups, which will showcase several companies and their innovative technology solutions. It’s a chance to see these technologies in action and talk to the people who know how to tailor the technology to unique business needs. I’m also really excited about our FMItech sessions, which not only dive into AI, generative AI and agentic AI, but also cover topics like workforce, supply chain, digital stores and loyalty. The FMItech schedule is filled with thought-provoking sessions that will arm attendees with actionable takeaways.
Are there any new session formats, networking opportunities or speakers at the 2026 conference that you are particularly excited about and believe will offer a fresh perspective for even the most seasoned attendees?
The Gaylord Pacific features a unique space — a Speakeasy — which we will utilize for our Speakeasy Sessions, offering intimate discussions led by industry experts. These open dialogue sessions will provide attendees with direct engagement with speakers in a relaxed setting. Some important topics will be discussed in these Speakeasy Sessions, including marketplace and workforce dynamics.
While not new, I always find our Executive Leadership Awards presentation to be one of the most rewarding parts of my time at the Midwinter conference. Honoring the legacy of our leaders is critical to supporting our own growth and path ahead.
Our “Feeding Connections” Opening Party is also going to allow attendees a special opportunity to connect back to what our industry does best — feed families and enrich lives.
2025 was a very busy year for FMI in terms of advocacy. What do you think the association’s biggest wins were for the year, and what major issues do you expect the association will advocate for/continue advocating for this year?
Advocacy has been a key focus of FMI’s activities this year, and we have seen several successes:
- We were able to get legislation passed and signed into law to extend the compliance time for FDA’s Food Traceability Rule and secure changes to make it more workable and less costly to comply with.
- On the EPA Refrigeration Technology Transitions Rule, FMI secured more time for retailers to comply and the availability of new systems and technicians to increase.
- FMI was also able to preserve the $6-per-day SNAP benefit, reduce the impact of cost-sharing, make state waivers as workable as possible and preserve the prohibition on transaction fees being charged to retailers.
- On taxes, FMI worked to make some critical tax reductions permanent and ensure several taxes important to corporate and small businesses were not increased.
- Lastly, on tariffs, FMI addressed reductions for tariffs on as many food products as possible, including those under United States- Canada- Mexico Agreement and those not grown in the United States.
We are still hard at work on several important initiatives related to ingredient transparency and extended producer responsibility (EPR), as well as submitting more than 20 federal comments this past year and continuing to monitor numerous local and state legislative efforts affecting the food industry.
As the leader of FMI, what is your personal message or call to action to the food industry executives attending Midwinter 2026, and what lasting feeling or commitment do you hope they carry home?
Our Midwinter Executive Conference 2026 co-chairs, Pamela Stewart, chief customer officer of retail North America for The Coca-Cola Co, and Emily Taylor, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Dollar General, have helped construct an engaging and interactive program focused on gathering around goodness. I believe attendees will find that the education sessions and networking opportunities are tailored to the moment, helping trading partners deepen relationships and collaborate on important topics.
I’m always amazed by the community that is built at Midwinter each year. Yes, people take home business cards, new connections and plans for the future, but they also curate camaraderie and friendships — some old and some new. I believe that kinship is a unique aspect of our industry, contributing to what makes the food industry so resilient. Not only do we face a noble challenge of feeding communities, but we also do it as friends, connected through our shared goals and fellowship.
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