Best Practices in Efficient Assortment and Space Management
Mr. Craig Hodnett
Vice President of Category Management
Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages

Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages has focused completely on the retailer and consumer developing Best Practices solutions that help their customers differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Concepts like fair share, space to sales, ranking reports are all antiquated concepts for a retailer in today’s world. Understanding what is the right thing for the consumer and retailer first and placing manufactures’ second has enabled Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages to be recognized as an industry leader in Efficient Assortment and Space Management.

The Changing Landscape of Convenience Store Retailers - What They Look for in DSD Suppliers
Mr. Michael Zielinski
President and CEO
Rotal Buying Group

The convenience store industry continues to be the center stage for delivering time starved consumers “convenience” packaged products and desires to be the leader in new product introductions. However, due to volatility in ownership and economics, the landscape of owner operators and chain v. independent locations continues to evolve. We’ll look at the changes in ownership and what these operators need in a DSD supplier – both from service expectations and financial rewards.

Ensuring DSD Thrives Through An Ever Changing Retail Landscape
Dave Hampton
Director of Customer Delivery Systems
Frito-Lay, Inc.

New Retailer capabilities and expectations are requiring that DSD companies continue evolving their designs to maintain differentiation. While the fundamentals of DSD (service, reach, touches) remain intact, we need to ensure our vision is in in with what Retailers need … and expect.

The Fifth P
Gary Hallett
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Southeast-Atlantic Beverage Corp.

• Who are the people, and what roles do they play in DSD
• What sets consistent and above average performance apart from inconsistent and poor performance
• Management and Leadership Teams; structured titles or workplace concepts
• The greatest ROI – Investing in Your People
• Outside the Organization - The Influence we have on Others

The Perfect Store Visit
Mr. Brian Hodgson
Vice President of Marketing
Eleven Technology

Mr. Martin Lavoie
Six Sigma Black Belt
Project Lead
Canada Bread Company

Mr. Brendan O'Malley
Director of Enterprise Applications
Tasty Baking Company

Whether selling, delivering, or merchandising, the challenges and competitive pressure field teams face are numerous and present many opportunities for improvement. As businesses continue to grow, the number of new SKUs increase, the marketing promotions get more complex and the challenge to stay competitive becomes increasingly important. The need to empower your field team with a solution where they can present key product information to the customer is becoming critical and can eliminate costly barriers to success.

With Eleven Technology, a leading provider of next generation handheld software, and industry leaders - Tasty Baking, and Canada Bread you will learn what to ask yourself to know whether or not you are experiencing "The Perfect Store Visit" and if not, the steps you can take to evaluate whether your company should investigate solutions to help you get there. Below are some highlights of what will be discussed during this panel discussion:

• Lower out-of-stocks and stales
• Old technology vs. new
• Faster speed-to-shelf for new products
• Improve visibility and success of trade promotion programs
• Focus sales team on marketing and sales instead of simply 'order taking'
• Making sure field reps have the right information at the right time to increase sales

Retail Shelf Merchandising in a DSD Environment
Mr. James J. Daniels
Vice President, Retail Shelf Merchandising National Retail Sales
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

How to take maximize your impact on Retail Shelf Merchandising activities in a DSD Environment. What are the requirements of the Manufacturer and Distributor, what are the benefits to the retailer, and lastly what are the results.

Similarities and Differences in Bakery and Soft Drink DSD Operations
Kevin Krigline
Vice President of Supply Chain Optimization
Sara Lee Corporation Food and Beverage Division

Bakery and soft drink DSD operations have a number of similarities in how they operate, as well as a number of significant differences. This presentation will cover these similarities and differences, and discuss what the two industries can learn from one another.

Speaking out of Both Sides of our Mouth: A Food Retailer's Perspective on DSD Delivery
Mr. Richard Kochersperger
Associate Professor
Food Marketing Department Haub School of Business St. Joseph's University

Two distinct positions have developed in the global food system. One perspective says DSD is too expensive and should be eliminated; the other perspective says DSD is critical to the successful operation of the store.