2015 Top Women in Grocery Set to Shine in Orlando
With just one month to go, the countdown is on for Progressive Grocer's 2015 Top Women in Grocery gala event, set to take place Nov. 12, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla.
The plush, spacious Florida resort setting will provide the perfect backdrop for this year's Top Women in Grocery winners to network, share, learn, relax and celebrate at what promises to be a memorable, magical occasion.
The event will kick off with a dynamic daytime learning, networking and leadership development program to enhance the experience and further the professional development of its honored guests. The daytime workshops agenda, which is optional for all attendees and which requires separate registration, begins with an hour-long yoga session at 7:30 a.m.
Welcome Keynoter: Deanie Elsner, President, U.S. Snacks, Kellogg Co.
The daytime event will kick off with a welcome breakfast, sponsored by Post Consumer Brands, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and will continue with opening keynote remarks from Deanie Elsner, newly appointed president of U.S. snacks at the Kellogg Co., from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Elsner, whose inspiring keynote message brought the house down at last year's Top Women in Grocery gala dinner, is an exceptionally powerful leader focused on new approaches to brand innovation and renovation to create more relevant consumer relationships. Renowned for building strong, diverse teams to foster constructive tension and ignite revolutionary approaches – as well as for being a passionate disruptor while taking on the toughest challenges – Elsner uses her head and heart to set bold direction and inspire teams to achieve great things while driving bold, transformational change with the belief that anything can be accomplished.
Tips from the Top
Next on the daytime learning platform lineup (11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) is a Tips from the Top executive panel discussion featuring a contingent of women leaders from the retailer and supplier communities, who will offer observations and perspectives to help attendees gain perspective on the inherent challenges and unforeseen opportunities of the retail food business. The session will conclude with a 15-minute audience Q&A.
Peer Circle Breakout Discussions
Following a networking lunch break at noon, Nancy Krawczyk and Eileen Tarjan, both of the Network of Executive Women (NEW), will lead a Strategic Networking Primer from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., which will set the stage for the concluding segment of the Top Women in Grocery daytime learning platform: concurrent peer circle breakout discussion groups. Led by accomplished women leaders from some of the food industry’s most admired organizations, the Learning and Growing Through the Power of Peer Support peer circles will provide participants with a rich opportunity to discuss top-of-mind issues while exploring pathways to increase leadership opportunities. Following free time for relaxation and recharging beginning at 2:30, the evening festivities will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m., which will lead directly into the Top Women in Grocery gala dinner and formal awards presentation at 7:00 p.m.
2015 Trailblazer Award: Meg Ham, President, Food Lion
A highlight of the gala dinner celebration will be the presentation of the 2015 Top Women in Grocery Trailblazer award to Meg Ham, president of Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion. Established in 2012 by Progressive Grocer and NEW, the Trailblazer award recognizes a single executive whose leadership, vision and influence have helped break new ground for women in the retail food industry.
The celebration continues at 9:15 p.m. with a decadently delicious after-dinner dessert and dance party, courtesy of lead sponsor The Hershey Co.
Additional details about this year's Top Women in Grocery event and gala dinner – including registration and program information, hotel accommodations, and a complete list of current and past winners – can be found here.
Although the Top Women in Grocery hotel room block at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress resort is nearing capacity, there's still time to take advantage of the special $189 per night rate by booking on or before Oct. 16 via this link.
Discounts for Disney tickets and Mears Transportation shuttle service from the Orlando International Airport to the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress are also available.
Now in its ninth year, PG’s Top Women in Grocery awards program recognizes the integral role women play across all areas of the dynamic retail food industry within the retailer and supplier communities in three sectors: Senior-Level Executives, Rising Stars and Store Managers. This year, a slate of 300 women hailing from some of the most admired organizations in the U.S. supermarket industry have been named 2015 Top Women in Grocery. The full list of PG’s 2015 Top Women in Grocery can be found here.