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Archives (2005 to 2008)


	3/9/2009 IRI Secures Extraordinary Line-Up of CPG, Retail and Media Visionaries to Tackle Tough Economy at Summit 2009 IRI Finalizes Agenda of Distinguished Keynote Speakers, Compelling Breakout Sessions and Innovative Solutions Showcase to Provide Insights for Growth in Challenging Economy; Join the IRI Summit 2009 Conversation on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter CHICAGO, March. 9, 2009 - Even in this challenging economy, there are windows of opportunities for consumer packaged goods (CPG) retailers and manufacturers. The key is to truly connect with today's ever-changing consumers through shopper and market insights. Since discovering these insights is no easy task, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) designed an innovative "Insight to Impact" agenda for IRI Summit 2009 to help stimulate growth for the CPG industry by focusing on consumers' motivations, wants and needs. The action-oriented forum is taking place March 23-25 at the Wynn Las Vegas and can now be found on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. IRI Summit 2009 will 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 an impressive list of distinguished leaders to deliver keynote presentations, including: Ram Charan — Consultant and Author of The Game Changer and Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty Joe DePinto — President and CEO, 7-Eleven Kim Feil — Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Walgreens Steve Forbes — Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Magazine Michael Haaf — Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Sales, Marketing and Business Strategy, Food Lion LLC Tim Hammonds — President Emeritus, Food Marketing Institute Jaya Kumar — Chief Marketing Officer, Frito-Lay Mike Salzberg — President, Campbell Sales Company Mommy Blogger Panel — "Shopper Insights from Today's Influential Moms" Retailer and Manufacturer Collaboration Panel: Moderator: Thom Blischok, President, Consulting and Innovation, IRI Panelist: Rob Chumley, Senior Director, Category Strategy, Kellogg Company Panelist: Linda Lieberman, Senior Manager, Shopper Insights, Kraft Panelist: Jeff Martin, Executive Vice President, Merchandising and Supply Chain, Stop & Shop Panelist: Burt Palmer, Director of Sales, Unilever Panelist: Tom Peterson, President, Global Retail, IRI Thom Blischok — President, Consulting and Innovation, IRI John Freeland — President and CEO, IRI Dr. Romesh Wadhwani — Chairman, IRI, and Founder and Managing Partner, Symphony Technology Group "In this difficult economy, it is not business as usual," says IRI President and Chief Executive Officer John Freeland. "Learning about changes in consumers and their behaviors is an absolute necessity for those who want to compete in today's new world. Our 'Impact to Insight' program will not only help retailers and manufacturers discover these crucial consumer insights, but it will also translate them into improved business performance." In addition to the thought-provoking line up of keynote speakers, a wide range of compelling breakout sessions will provide the right mix of tools and solutions which conference participants can apply in their daily jobs to drive growth. The sessions consist of four learning tracks - Impacting Shopper and Consumer Behavior, Rewiring Sales Organizations for Growth, Leveraging Shopper Loyalty to Win at the Shelf, and Predictive Price and Promotion Analytics for New Actionability - and 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 Summit attendees can also take advantage of the ever-popular Insight to Impact Showcase featuring the latest applications in consumer and shopper insights, brand building, market data and retailer merchandising. IRI experts will be on hand to demonstrate the solutions, address questions one on one, and custom fit solutions to meet individual needs. The economy has also brought a whole new level of importance to networking, so IRI is reaching out to all audiences by providing up-to-the-minute content and updates for Summit on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. To continue the conversation after Summit 2009 is over, IRI is hosting a new Summit 2009 blog that can be found on www.cpgsummit.com. "IRI Summit 2009 is THE place to learn about the changing consumer in a transforming economy," adds 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. Our conference isn't about exchanging lofty ideas; it's about finding windows of success and pushing them wide open." 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. ### 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

Archives (2005 to 2008)

IRI Secures Extraordinary Line-Up of CPG, Retail and Media Visionaries to Tackle Tough Economy at Summit 2009