Focus on the Future Attracts Executives from Dairy Queen, General Mills, Herbalife, Kellogg, XanGo and More Leading Companies

PHOENIX—Executives from the dietary supplement and healthy food supply, manufacturing and retail channels met in Scottsdale, Ariz., in mid-January at Virgo Publishing's Focus on the Future Executive Conference & Retreat for networking, educational sessions and industry discussion. Focus on the Future relocated to the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale this year.

"With the expanded education program, caliber of the speakers and extensive networking opportunities with industry visionaries, Focus on the Future is an event healthy food and supplement professionals can’t afford to miss," said Jon Benninger, Virgo Publishing's director of business development.

For the Jan. 22 golf outing, sponsored by Deerland Enzymes, golfers played the top-rated, award-winning Gainey Ranch Golf Club. That evening, all participants attended a Welcome Reception, sponsored by National Enzyme Co. Following the reception, attendees enjoyed dinner and the first-ever Focus on the Future Awards presentation, sponsored by i.BioCeuticals and Shanghai Freeman Americas. Humanitarian Awards were presented to Dannon for its support of the Dannon Institute and additional childhood nutrition education programs, and XanGo for its XanGo Goodness campaign, which aims to raise social consciousness and mobilize XanGo’s global resources to improve communities in need. Vanguard Awards for leadership that has impacted the industry were presented to Whole Foods for its commitment to organics, sustainability, local sourcing, corporate responsibility and innovation, which has caused all food retailers to re-examine the way they do business; and to Elliott Balbert, founder of Natrol, for his efforts to improve public health with dietary supplements via founding the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) and dedicating time and money to the Coalition to Preserve DSHEA.

The education program, co-sponsored by Lesaffre Group and Unigen Pharmaceuticals, expanded this year and eight more sessions were added to the two-day, two-track program. Market, sales and consumer trends took center stage over the two days. Additionally, speakers discussed quality, regulatory updates, nutrition and health care, cancer prevention, developing an organic line, and much more. Speakers were on hand from Center for Science in the Public Interest, ConsumerLab.com, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, Datamonitor, Euromonitor, General Mills, HealthFocus International, Herbalife International, Kellogg Co., Mintel, Moskowitz Jacobs Inc., National Cancer Institute, Packaged Facts, Shaklee Corp., Sloan Trends, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, The Natural Marketing Institute, Thion Global, TonkinConsulting, Tufts University, The Hartman Group and Wellements.

Participants enjoyed myriad networking events during the conference. Continental breakfasts were sponsored by Paragon Laboratories and Embria Health Sciences. Evening happy hours and roundtables were sponsored by E.T. Horn and HerbaKraft; each event included hosted beverages and snacks. Kyowa Hakko sponsored the all day coffee and water stations. Wednesday's lunch was sponsored by Sabinsa, while Thursday's lunch was sponsored by Lonza. On Wednesday evening, a new event, Casino Night, brought participants back for blackjack, roulette and a chance to win a Wii or Bose headphones. The event was sponsored by ZMC-USA and The George Uhe Co. Attendees participated in the lively dessert reception and karaoke, sponsored by Proprietary Nutritionals and INSIDER, on Thursday evening. The festivities concluded on Friday with a Champagne Brunch.

For information on upcoming Virgo Publishing events, including SupplySide East, SupplySide West and Focus on the Future, call (800) 454-5760 or visit SupplySideShow.com.

Virgo Publishing produces the SupplySide Trade Shows and Conferences, the Focus on the Future Executive Conference and Retreat, and the online training Web site nutrilearn.com; and publishes Natural Products INSIDER, Food Product Design, supplyside—inside cosmeceuticals and Natural Products Marketplace magazines.