CHICAGO, Dec. 10, 2008 – In this difficult economy, it is not business as usual. Now, more than ever, shopper and market insights are critical for growth. To give retailers and manufacturers the tools, insights and confidence to grow their business, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) today announced that it is taking IRI Summit 2009 to a new level with its “Insight to Impact” program. The world-class conference, being held March 23-25, 2009 at the Wynn Las Vegas, will focus on leveraging insights on consumers’ motivations, wants and needs and using them to innovate for growth during challenging economic times.
IRI, the leading global provider of consumer, shopper, and retail market intelligence and insights for the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail and healthcare industries, designed the IRI Summit 2009 conference to help retailers and manufacturers move from “insight to impact” via best practices in shopper understanding, pricing and promotion, loyalty programs, advanced analytics and merchandising technologies. To deliver these compelling perspectives, IRI has assembled a virtual “who’s who” list of distinguished keynote speakers, including:
- Ram Charan — Consultant and Author of The Game Changer and Know How
- Steve Forbes — Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Magazine
- Tim Hammonds — Food Marketing Institute
- Michael J. Haaf — Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Sales, Marketing and Business Strategy, Food Lion LLC
- Jaya Kumar — Chief Marketing Officer, Frito-Lay
- Thom Blischok — President, IRI Consulting and Innovation
- John Freeland — President and CEO, IRI
- Dr. Romesh Wadhwani — Chairman, IRI, and Founder and Managing Partner, Symphony Technology Group
These thought leaders will provide insights that will help Summit participants:
- Learn to understand and predict shopper behavior in a tough economy
- Discover strategic pricing and promotion opportunities
- Identify ways to re-evaluate distribution plans to ensure alignment with shopping patterns
- Discuss current new trends driving product and brand success
- Learn to re-assess product development priorities and timing, as well as local market assortments in relation to shifting consumer priorities
- Find ways that manufacturers and retailers can work together to increase consumer loyalty
- Determine optimal assortment and merchandising focus by market to reflect changes in purchase and consumption habits
- Use merchandising analytics and tools to ensure success in stores and at the shelf
- Leverage technology as a driver of organizational performance
- Enjoy world-class networking opportunities between buyers and sellers
“We are living in a time of sea change—it’s a new competitive world,” says IRI President and Chief Executive Officer John Freeland. “Those who learn about the changes in consumers and their behaviors will be able to effectively compete in this new world, and those who don’t will be left behind. IRI Summit 2009 is THE place to learn about the changing consumer in a transforming economy. The challenges of growing in this economy are significant, but there are windows of success. IRI’s ‘Insight to Impact’ program will reveal where those windows are and how to push them wide open.”
IRI Summit 2009 will also feature a wide range of best practice breakout sessions that address today’s most critical business issues. These sessions, led by the industry’s leading domain experts, will feature such topics as shopper understanding in a tough economy, loyalty programs and price and promotion strategies. In addition, Summit attendees can take advantage the ever-popular Innovation Showcase featuring the latest innovations in consumer and shopper insights, brand building, market data and retailer merchandising.
For more information about IRI Summit 2009 and to register, visit www.cpgsummit.com.
About Information Resources, Inc.
IRI is the world’s leading provider of consumer, shopper, and retail market intelligence and insights supporting 95 percent of the FORTUNE Global 500 consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail and healthcare companies. Only IRI offers the unique combination of integrated market information, automated and predictive analytics, innovative enabling technologies, and domain expertise. With IRI, leading retailers and manufacturers are able to quickly discover breakthrough insights driving smarter decisions and actions across the enterprise for breakthrough results. Companies around the world depend on IRI for improved productivity, stronger brands, and dramatic revenue growth. For more information, visit http://us.infores.com.
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IRI CONTACTS:
John McIndoe
E-Mail: john.mcindoe@infores.com
Phone: (312) 474-3862
Fax: (312) 726-1091
Shelley Hughes
E-mail: shelley.hughes@infores.com
Phone: (312) 474-3675
Fax: (312) 726-1091