Your Backstage Pass
Join us for three action-packed days that will have you networking, brainstorming, and connecting with peers across the broad spectrum of California’s grocery industry.
Here you will binge on the business of grocery. From innovative speaker presentations to stimulating breakout groups, productive private meetings to relaxed social events, the CGA conference is tailored to offer an immersive experience conducive to building long-term strategies and relationships.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
| 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM | THE ILLUMINATORS GOLF TOURNAMENTWhat better way to spend Sunday morning than playing one of Palm Springs’ most notable destination courses? Take a swing at one of the generous tee prizes and enjoy lunch, refreshments, and on-course contests, hosted by The Illuminators. All proceeds benefit The Illuminators Educational Foundation and Scholarship Program. MORE INFO » |
| 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM | CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPENSponsored by Post Consumer Brands |
| 11:00 AM – 3:30 PM | Pre-conference Seminar(separate RSVP Required) Are You Planning for Tomorrow, Today? Steps to Create a Viable Succession Plan for Your Business In partnership with Moss Adams Speakers Tom Deans, PhD and Sid Tobiason |
| 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM | OPENING EXPERIENCESponsored by Costco Wholesale and UNFI/Tony’s Fine Foods Every great performance has a memorable opening number. This year’s CGA Strategic Conference begins with a powerful and inspiring performance by Sekou Andrews, the world’s leading “Poetic Voice”. Sekou has shared the stage with music heavyweights Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Maroon 5, and Kendrick Lamar among others, and he brings his unique brand of inspirational speaking to kick-off this year’s conference. Tapping into our industry’s passion for providing sustenance for families and partnership in the local communities we serve, Sekou’s presentation will capture the stories of our industry, the passion for food it embodies and the collaboration from farm to table required to get us there. It is a performance not to be missed and it will leave you inspired and energized for the next two days of the conference. Speaker: Sekou Andrews |
| 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | OPENING RECEPTIONSponsored by E & J Gallo Winery and Alta Dena Certified Dairy The CGA Strategic Conference Opening Reception is the largest single gathering of the California grocery industry. It’s the ideal opportunity to catch up with colleagues, reconnect with familiar faces, and make new contacts. Delicious refreshments and entertainment add to the lively and welcoming atmosphere at this unrivaled networking event. MORE INFO » |
| 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM | ENCORE! AFTER HOURS SOCIALSponsored by buzzbox beverages, inc. Sunday evening’s networking doesn’t end at the Opening Reception. Grab your newfound friends and retire to the picturesque setting of the Renaissance Palm Springs Resort pool for a casual after-hours mixer. MORE INFO » |
Monday, September 25, 2017
| 6:30 AM - 5:00 PM | CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPENSponsored by Post Consumer Brands |
| 6:30 AM - 8:00 AM | BREAKFASTProvided by The Illuminators |
| 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM | WHITEBOARD SESSIONSSponsored by the CGA Educational Foundation To the drawing board! These loose, intimate sessions are designed to get collaboration flowing. In two energizing 45-minute sessions, facilitated by industry veterans, these strategy brainstorming discussions allow you to learn, share and contribute to industry best practices. Bring your insights, experience, questions and energy and participate in your choice of two topics organized by area of industry interest. Speakers: Andrew Mandzy, George Faigen, Martin Mumford , John Clevenger, Sarah Mastrorocco and Larry Miller |
| 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | OPENING REMARKS AND CONFERENCE GENERAL SESSIONHarnessing Innovation: Turning Raw Ideas Into Powerful Results As a five-time successful tech entrepreneur and investor in dozens of startups, Josh Linkner has seen thousands of companies loaded with creative buzz and big ideas. How is it that some harness their imagination to create game-changing drivers of growth and innovation while others miss the mark? The answer: the best companies have a systematic process to focus their team’s creativity into practical outputs – something Linkner discovered by founding and building companies that collectively sold for over $200 million. As a professional-level jazz guitarist, Linkner blends the improvisational qualities of a jazz ensemble with bleeding-edge business savvy to bring a completely fresh perspective on unleashing creativity in the organization. His inspiring presentation delivers practical tools that can be used immediately to increase creative output and deliver bottom-line results. Speaker: Josh Linkner |
| 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM | PRE-SCHEDULED BUSINESS MEETING/CONFERENCE EXHIBIT HALL OPENMORE INFO » |
| 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM | LUNCHEONProvided by The Illuminators |
| 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM | INDEPENDENT GROCERS FORUMFive Easy Steps for Independent Grocers to Achieve eCommerce Success The grocery landscape is changing quickly. Amazon has invested in physical supermarkets, Walmart is heavily investing in eCommerce, Blue Apron sells pre-portioned meals with recipes, and many regional chains now offer either curbside pick-up or delivery. As today’s busy shoppers turning to digital for their grocery shopping, savvy retailers are leveraging technology to enhance the shopping experience and meet modern consumers’ evolving needs. Learn how independent grocers, with modest budgets, can begin the journey in five easy steps to achieve eCommerce success, increase store visitation, boost sales across all channels, and become market leaders! Speaker: Dan Dashevsky |
| 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM | LOSS PREVENTION EXECUTIVE SUMMITLoss prevention, safety and risk management professionals attending the CGA Strategic Conference gather for customized educational track featuring a schedule of presentations on emerging issues such as shrink & fraud, technology & cybercrime, and employee safety best practices. Speakers: David George, Larry Miller, Mike Stigers |
| 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM | CRAFT BREW SOCIAL HOUR & THE ILLUMINATORS' SPECIAL EVENTAles. Lagers. Porters. And Stouts. After a productive day of meetings, join your colleagues for a taste of California’s craft brews followed by the always entertaining and un-convention-al, Illuminators’ “Special Event”. MORE INFO » |
| EVENING | PRE-ARRANGED SPONSOR/RETAILER DINNERS |
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
| 6:30 AM - 8:00 AM | BREAKFASTProvided by The Illuminators |
| 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM | CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPENSponsored by Post Consumer Brands |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | MORNING JAM SESSIONAs the CGA Strategic Conference continues to explore the disruptive changes occurring within our industry, we also need to consider the innovative approaches being developed outside the traditional grocery sector. This morning’s session is designed to challenge your thinking about established practices and inspire you to formulate new ideas on connectivity and collaboration with your business partners. Always-on, voice-activated shopping, meal kit solutions, micro partnerships and societal movements surrounding the latest food ideals, all present new avenues of competition, but also opportunities for traditional retailers. How should brands and retailers lean-in to these disruptions to build a sustainable business where technology is demanded but ever-changing? How do you inspire employees, business partners and all points in-between to work in concert and create a harmonious customer experience? How do you adopt entrepreneurial approaches that are authentic and engaging to your fans? This thought-provoking, TED-style session will capture the spirit of three uncommon voices to challenge your thinking about our industry and where things are headed. Their presentations will highlight novel approaches and provide new context which will influence your thinking and spur dialogue during your conference business meetings. Speaker: Payman Nejati, Tracie Maffei, and John Foraker |
| 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM | PRE-SCHEDULE BUSINESS MEETINGS/CONFERENCE EXHIBIT HALL OPENMORE INFO » |
| 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | LOSS PREVENTION EXECUTIVE SUMMIT (Day 2)The loss prevention executive gathering continues. Hear from some of the top practitioners in the discipline, learn new best practices and how to adapting today’s new demands in supermarket loss prevention, safety and risk management. Speakers: Bill Alford, John Hansen, Kathleen Smith |
| 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | LUNCHEONProvided by The Illuminators |
| 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | KEYNOTE LUNCHEONSponsored by the California Table Grape Commission Right Product, Right Time, Right Place With 100 billion dollars in grocery sales expected to move online in the coming years grocery retailing is at a digital tipping point, where every aspect of the shopper’s journey will soon be influenced by digital, and increasingly enabled by digital platforms. Today’s grocery retailers and manufacturers must evolve together to win in this new environment. Join this session to learn about the unique preferences of your California consumers and how a sharp focus on health and wellness, transparency and personalization can help set you apart from your competitors and increase sales. Understand how a strong omnichannel strategy paired with the unique products your consumers are looking for will ensure you are delivering the right product at the right time in the right place. Speaker: Laurie Rains and Andrew Mandzy |
| 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM | PRE-SCHEDULE BUSINESS MEETINGS/CONFERENCE EXHIBIT HALL OPEN |
| 5:00 PM | EVENT CONCLUDES |
