MARCH / 2012

FAST FACTS

Solutions 4 ChicagoApril 04, 2012Kirkland & Ellis LLP – Chicago

Distinguished Leadership Series Webinar II:Strength in Solidarity: Diversity as a Driver of Corporate CultureApril 10, 2012

Critical Issues ConferenceApril 17, 2012 JP Morgan Chase | New York, NY

SFM/FCSI – The Americas NRA Networking BreakfastMay 07, 2012JP Morgan Chase | Chicago

Foundation Golf TournamentMay 14, 2012 Salem Golf Course | Salem, NY

SFM Local Washington DCMay 22, 2012The World Bank | Washington, DC

SFM National Conference Conquering Myths, Defining RealitiesSeptember 11 –13, 2012 Caesars Palace | Las Vegas

CONFERENCES & SPECIAL EVENTS

A good leader inspires people to have

confidence in the leader; a great leader

inspires people to have confidence in

themselves.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

SFM DELIVERS EDUCATION

THIS ISSUE OF FAST FACTS IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY: (click logo to visit sponsor website)

SFM Critical Issues Conference – April 17, 2012…Register Now!

At the Table with...Danna Vetter, Vice President, Consumer Strategies for ARAMARK and SFM Critical Issues Conference Keynote Speaker

Danna Vetter sat down with SFM to answer some questions about consumer purchasing trends, technology, and more.

How have consumer purchasing habits changed in the past 10 years?

In the past, consumers were far more reliant on a company’s product/brand information. They would visit company websites or read consumer-report to research products and services before purchasing. Today, the connected-consumer’s path to purchase is directed by her social network. The social network is exponentially bigger than what was available even five years ago. More than just friends influencing a purchase decision, it is the friends of friends of her friends that have input into the buying process. Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, 4Square expand the sphere of influence far beyond company mass marketing and the information they want you to see.

Please click on this link to read more of this interview

SFM and FCSI – The Americas Division Partner on the NRA Breakfast

After many years, SFM and FCSI – The Americas Division are reuniting to present the Annual NRA Breakfast. “It we are excited to partner with FCSI – The Americas Division in presenting this event” says Barbara Kane, SFM President. “Our goal has been to reach out to our industry and develop partnerships that are good for the industry, and this partnership certainly fits that description.”

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Derrick Aiona Compass Group

Meg Ballinger Area101, Inc

James Broe ARAMARK

Marian Byers West Bend Mutual Insurance Co.

Stéphane Colombina FDS Design Studio

Rosanna DiCarlo Restaurant Associates

Joanne Diehl Bon Appètit @ Yahoo!

Susan Fornicola Capital Group Company

Christine Gaither

Patti Girardi Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services

John Leahy Compass Group/Eurest

Patrick Leahy LifeWorks/ARAMARK

Tom Moscato I.L. Creations

Tod Nissle Compass Group

James Powell ARAMARK

Dominik Przybylski Follett Corporation

Brian Reyes Sodexo

Bill Schaefer Treat America Dining Services

Kevin Scott NRA Educational Foundation

Janice Sutton Southern Foodservice Management, Inc.

Register Today for Our Strength in Solidarity WebinarDiverse leadership perspectives drive innovative solutions—and the most diverse companies are the most profitable companies. But are you leveraging this strength to its highest potential? Find out with our next leadership webinar series, Strength in Solidarity: Diversity as a Driver of Corporate Culture.

Industry leaders, Tom Szafranski from Hobart Corporation and Alex Askew from the Black Culinary Alliance (BCA) will lead an interactive exploration of ways diversity and inclusion can enhance your organizational culture—and the role foodservice plays in uniting diverse workplaces. Specific topics will include:

• What has worked well in recruiting diverse talent—and how to retain it• How to establish accountability to ensure diverse talent is developed • Communicating the importance of diverse talent to your workforce• Success stories for diversity and inclusion—and tips for your own business

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to explore diversity with leaders in the world of onsite foodservice. Click here to register today.

Tuesday, April 10, 20124:00 pm – 5:00 pm ESTSponsored by IRINOX USA

Free for members, $20 for non-members

Don’t Miss “Solutions 4” in Chicago – Register Today

The “Solutions 4” series of events were created by four premier foodservice associations (AHF, FCSI, NACUFS and SFM) to bring together foodservice experts from a variety of business segments for a half day of education and networking on a targeted topic. Our April “Solutions 4 Technology” event in Chicago will explore the hot topic of evolving technology in foodservice.

Register today for this important overview of cutting-edge technologies in foodservice today. Then join us for an exciting networking reception, where you can meet other industry operators from Healthcare, Foodservice Consulting, Colleges & Universities and Business & Industry.

For additional conference information or to register, please click here.

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SFM NEWS AND NOTES

Renew Your SFM Membership Today

The renewal cycle is well underway—and a big “thank you” to all of you who have already renewed. We want you to keep the benefits coming (especially in this exciting year for SFM), so if you haven’t renewed yet, be sure to do it today.

Renewal is easy! Just follow the link to the SFM website and log-in to view your member profile and renew your membership.

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Workplace cafeteria usage has been declining for several years, a direct correlation to high unemployment. Unemployment rates are highest among younger workers which, combined with an aging population, are contributing to an aging workforce. With the average age of the population getting older, the importance of those 50+ will continue to grow.

So what are potential impacts on the foodservice industry? One area is the need for healthy menu options. When visiting commercial restaurants and onsite cafes, consumers age 50+ are more inclined to seek out a healthy meal than other age groups. Providing healthy options is a must to address the needs of the aging workforce.

For ideas that can be incorporated into menu offerings, look to how your customers define “healthy.” Consumers tell us that terms such as nutritious, natural, fresh ingredients, locally sourced, organic, a balanced meal, portion size, and salads describe healthy. Also, how you describe a menu item makes a difference in how consumers perceive it will taste. Consumers are often

suspicious of the taste if it’s labeled as healthy. Get creative in your menu description of better-for-you items—think succulent, tender, home-style—words that conjure up thoughts of something that will taste delicious.

Want more info? The NPD Group is the industry’s leading source for foodservice trends and restaurant market research data. NPD’s CREST® service, which continually tracks consumers’ use of commercial and non-commercial foodservice, assists foodservice manufacturers, foodservice operators, and other foodservice organizations with strategic planning and positioning, product/menu development, and consumer targeting. For more information visit our website at www.restaurantindustrytrends.com.

INDUSTRY TRENDS

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Don’t miss out on all the great new member benefits in 2012, like our complimentary SFM Distinguished Leadership Webinar Series and a client liaison roundtable pre-conference session at the Critical Issues Conference (in New York City on April 17th). These are just a few of the many benefits you don’t want to miss out on by renewing your membership today!

Members on the Move

Past President Ron Ehrhardt, FMP, Regional Vice President of Compass Group has been appointed to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey Board of Directors.

Members in the Media

Look who’s in the news...our members! SFM members Russ Benson, Damian Monticello and Mark Freeman are featured in Foodservice Equipment & Supplies this month. These articles showcase how SFM members lead the industry on foodservice insight and expertise:

• “It’s Back to Business for B&I Foodservice” - Russ Benson, FMP, Vice President of the hospitality group at Food for Thought Enterprises• Q&A - Damian Monticello, Corporate Foodservice Liaison at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida• Case Study - Mark Freeman, Senior Manager of Global Employee Services at Microsoft

SFM Members are Winners!

Congratulations to Michael Franklin with Conoco Phillips who won a complimentary SFM National Conference registration for his participation in the SFM Member Survey. Congratulations are also in order for Rita LaRue with Drexel University who won a complimentary SFM Critical Issues Conference registration for her participation in the SFM Member Survey. Thank you to all members who participated in our survey, your input is greatly valued!

SFM NEWS AND NOTES CONTINUED

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BOK FEATURED HIGHLIGHTS

CONSULTANT’S CORNER

There is an old sports saying that is equally applicable to business today – “luck is where preparation meets opportunity.” This sentiment is certainly more appropriate than ever in today’s onsite foodservice industry.

I sit in meetings with both clients and their foodservice providers where results and “action plans” are discussed. Too often they lack direction, responsibility and accountability. Effective, efficient strategic planning is critical to the “preparation” process so both client and provider can realize short and long-term success.

Where does the strategic planning process start? It starts with the establishment of the foodservice mission and vision statements that include a set of guiding values. The “mission” is where you want to be, the “vision” is how you get there and the “guiding values” drive the established processes. To achieve success, these values must be jointly embraced by the client company and the foodservice provider. As important, the provider must be moving in step with the short and long-term goals of its client organization.

Goal setting and tactical development are next. Consistent communication is vital when establishing and prioritizing goals and developing tactical approaches. Goals should be SMART - Strategic; Measurable; Attainable; Realistic; Timely. They should be focused initially on those areas that are high impact/high influence. Tasks are those jobs required to achieve goals. Too often there is confusion between the two which, if not clarified, impedes the ultimate achievement of goals and successful execution of the strategic plan. And, responsibility and accountability for achievement of goals and tasks is critical to the strategic plan process.

How do you create a successful and focused strategic plan? There is a simple strategy that is applicable in all operational situations – a mature facility, one undergoing renovation or a new facility being designed to meet new client service requirements and needs. This approach includes the following elements:

Service Requirements. First, you’ve got to understand the requirements of the service being provided to the client in each location. A great approach is to utilize a business matrix pool which details elements such as menu and business services provided; target audience; business schedule and space requirements (including required square footage for food production, selling & seating; adjacencies; storage; equipment; offices; locker rooms). Understanding the capabilities of each facility goes a long way in helping the provider understand what it can effectively and efficiently provide the client.

Please click on this link to read the complete article

Luck, Strategy and Success – You’ve Got to Have a Plan!By Kent Bain, Wood Bain Associates LLC

“Consistent communication is vital when establishing and prioritizing goals and developing tactical approaches.”

BrandingFoodservice locations in all industries can benefit from the incorporation of branded cuisine options. Customers have a tendency to gravitate to known brands and cuisine options with a cultural theme. The name of the brand can provide a catalyst for the end user to engage by communicating the cuisine type without a great deal of customer interpretation. The incorporation of branded options into all foodservice venues has grown over the past several years based on customer support and defined menu standards. The standardization of product menus allows the customer a confidence in the product and trust of the quality.

Incorporating branded concepts can benefit the foodservice operation when several critical decisions are considered during the development stage. Operators must consider facilities, customer demographics, costs, customer requests and brand availability.

Please click on this link to read the complete article

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING SFM IN 2012

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – JOHN STRICKLAND, BOSE

What is the biggest challenge you face as a client liaison?

I think that our biggest challenge is maintaining consistent quality at a fair price. The customer’s perception of the value proposition has to be there in order to grow sales. As a liaison you are the conduit between the kitchen and the cash register. It’s not a place for the faint of heart.

What do you see as the most important trend in the industry?

Certainly dealing with the constant escalation of the cost of food is a huge issue, but putting that aside I think that the growing interest in health management will continue to put more pressure on us to integrate food service with health and wellness in more than just a cursory way. Do we increase the price of a cheeseburger and lower the price of a veggie burger? I don’t believe that we can legislate healthy behavior, but I can see a time when we may have tangible incentives to encourage people to seek more healthy options.

What advice do you have for new client liaisons?

Run! Just kidding. If you are new to the business, the best way to figure out what is going on is by immersing yourself in the operation. Attach yourself to your GM or operations manager. Learn how things work from the kitchen to the dish room. Be on site when the chef does his pre meal menu review with the staff. Be in the dining room during meal times. Talk to your customers.

Don’t be afraid to ask a frowning customer if you can help them. You’ll be surprised what you will learn. Nothing is more satisfying than turning a bad experience into a good one. Learn how the financials work. I don’t mean just crunching the numbers; understand the ratios and percentages that drive the numbers

How has your membership with SFM help you in your role as a client liaison?

This is a great follow up to the last question. When I first got into a liaison role in 1986, I called an old friend of mine who was in the food service business at a large bank. The first thing that he told me to do was join SFM. I took his advice, and when I went to my first national conference, I met people, many of whom are now great friends, who immediately took me under their wing and helped me understand what it meant to be a “foodie” and how to be a good liaison. I would define that as an educated customer who understands the business and works with his or her food service provider in a partnership. Honesty, trust and a commitment to excellence are required elements. Having a thick skin and a sense of humor helps too. Be a sponge. Ask questions. SFM is full of folks who are willing to help and share their experiences.

What and where was the best meal you ever had?

Wow that’s a tough one, but I guess I will go with the dinner that I had with my wife and children last year at Perla in the LaConcha Renaissance Resort in San Juan. The food, atmosphere and service were perfect.

Annual Sponsors:

Diamond ARAMARKCoca-Cola RefreshmentsCompass GroupSodexo

Platinum Dr. Pepper Snapple GroupGold Ecolab, Inc. National Conference Sponsors:

Diamond ARAMARKCoca-Cola RefreshmentsCompass GroupSodexo

Platinum Dr. Pepper Snapple GroupGold Ecolab, Inc.Silver BSI, LLC

Peet’s Coffee and Tea Power Soak Systems, Inc. Sara Lee Foodservice

Critical Issues Conference Sponsors:

AgilysysARAMARKArtisanal CheeseCoca-Cola RefreshmentsCompass GroupDr. Pepper Snapple GroupEcolab, Inc.Georgia-Pacific ProfessionalNational Pork BoardOtis Spunkmeyer Party Rental LTD Peet’s Coffee and TeaRed BullSara Lee FoodserviceSodexoIf you wish to participate in an SFM event, contact Lorraine Houghton, Director of Sponsorship and Advertising Sales at 502-574-9036 or lhoughton@hqtrs.com

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