ASK ALISON: Top Takeaways from The MAFSI 2024 Conference - Feb/Mar 2024

Question: What Were the Top Take Aways from MAFSI 2024?

Answer:

MAFSI 2024 was our largest conference to date! When we are given the chance to gather every other year at the MAFSI Conference, we are better together and become stronger with every new member. I have eight takeaways to share as I reflect on this year's amazing event.

Presentations and Keynote Videos will be available next week (Feb 26^th) on the MAFSI 2024 Website. You will receive an email with login information.

We Broke Records Again.

 Well, our members did it again. They took another record and obliterated it. On January 21-24, over 730 attendees descended upon the La Quinta Resort & Spa, Palm Springs, CA to learn, network, and inspire the future of foodservice – and most importantly – the future of themselves. Discussions occurred. Ideas emerged. And we all left knowing more about the issues facing us, our industry partners, and the future of the foodservice industry. MAFSI 2024 was our largest conference to date, beating 2020’s record by over 10 attendees with 406 reps (highest number in MAFSI history) from 145 different rep agencies and 228 manufacturers from 116 different factory brands. Add the spouses, speakers, guests, allies, and everyone who came ready and eager to learn and prepare their business, careers, and themselves for what’s next, and the grand total of attendees was 737.

MAFSI Has Something for Everyone.

MAFSI 2024 truly had something for every attendee. Whether you are a rep, manufacturer, or an associate member/allied partner, we pride ourselves on creating inclusive events that encapsulate every attendee’s attention!

We had sporty activities such as a golf outing and a pickleball tournament to appeal to our athletic members. For our musical attendants, we hosted a Coachella-themed karaoke and a live band performance on our final night of the conference; this brought the house down. We drank and snacked the night away with cocktail hours and mixers for our beverage and food aficionados! With the help of our M Chef Collective, we were spoiled with thoughtfully crafted bites, ranging from sweet to savory!

You Are Guaranteed to Learn.

And learn they did. Our remarkable speakers covered topics ranging from unique perspectives and advice from world-famous chefs, the trending economy, AI and how it can affect foodservice, how to tackle and prevent professional and personal burnout, and we learned to sweat the little things!

All in all, MAFSI 2024 offered 63 educational sessions, including nine keynotes, 30 breakouts, 23 microlearning sessions, and one Emerging Leaders/Rising Stars workshop taught by 70 experts from both inside and outside the industry. They taught members how to see the future and gave them the tools to transform their companies. As reps and manufacturers, they know how they need to work together, and they know how to capitalize on opportunities ahead. See our full conference schedule and speakers. 

Our Conference Chairs Helped Us See the Bigger Picture

They knocked it out of the park with their content programming and speaker selections, and it’s their hard work that made this year’s conference the most successful EVER. We not only appreciate their input and Oscar-worthy acting skills but also their very hard work (and manual labor) in making this conference the best one yet! We can truly never thank them enough. 

• Stephanie Gilbert, Executive Vice President, BSI, LLC
• Kellee Johnston, Vice President of Marketing, Alto-Sham, Inc.
• Carl Kisner, President, Ignite Foodservice Solutions
• Mike Klosterman, Outside Sales, Curate
• Mitch Marcotte, President, Elevate Foodservice Group
• Garrett Redd, President, Premier Marketing Group, Inc.
• Jeff Tait, President, Tablecraft Products Corporation

Pictured left to right: Garrett Redd, Carl Kisner, Stephanie Gilbert, Mike Klosterman, Kellee Johnston, Jeff Tait, Mitch Marcotte

The Green Machines

For a complete list of MAFSI's 2024 Board of Directors and Executive Committee, please CLICK HERE. 

The MAFSI Board of Directors is devoted to progress and serving the needs of you, our valued members. Our Board fearlessly confronts the obstacles facing members with the ever-changing industry landscape while identifying and maximizing opportunities to advance reps in every way possible.  

You could easily spot one of our green machines by their bright, cheerful green blazers. They were easy to spot in the crowd, and many folks came up to share their thoughts, compliment the conference, or simply introduce themselves.

Representing our individual regions plus five At-Large positions, our Board is a culmination of all our members’ unique perspectives. Moreover, they’re here to listen to YOUR issues and YOUR challenges. They’re your voice in our association's tactical and strategic direction, and they want to hear what you have to say.

And the Award Goes To….

Throughout the conference, 14 MAFSI members were presented with 11 awards for their demonstrated leadership, as nominated by their peers. For a full list of MAFSI Award Recipients, click here.

• Tony Award: Chris Jeens, CPMR, D. Colledge Co., Ltd.
• Market Mover: Mitch Cohen, Blodgett/Middleby
• Michael Posternak Pacesetter Award: Mike Klosterman
• Progressive Partner: SEFA, LLC and Winston Industries
• Ed Gregory Marketing Excellence Award: Eaton Marketing
• Jay Mincks Mentorship Award: Alan Squier, CPMR, CFSP, Squier Associates, Inc.
• Gary Inverso Inside Excellence Award: Gary Inverso, ONE SOURCE REPS
• Special Achievement Award: Bill Peters, Food Equipment Representatives
• Lifetime Membership Award: Tom Mitchell, CFE, TLC Marketing, Inc.
• Rep Rising Star: Kate Pennington, Greenwald Sales & Marketing, LLC; David Phillips, Premier Foodservice Group; Colin Squier, Squier Associates, Inc.
• Pros to Know: Tiffany Hughes, Tablecraft Products Corporation

Pictured: Chris Jeens, W. D. Colledge Co., Ltd. receiving the Tony Award from Neil Inverso, MAFSI President

Lots of Good Friends, Awesome Experiences, and Delicious Food.

And, oh yeah. Almost forgot. We had a LOT of fun, too. MAFSI was the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends and chat with new members, and we fostered life-long friendships over shared meals and drinks. It's the one time every other year when 700+ reps, manufacturers, associate members, and allies can get together in one room and revel in a beautiful, shared experience that we will remember for years! It's always so lovely when we look back on past MAFSI conferences to remember everything the industry has walked through and overcome.

The food in Palm Springs was outstanding! The event staff worked tirelessly to provide a delicious and nutritious breakfast buffet complete with flaky pastries and thoughtfully prepared plated lunches. These meals gave us the time to break bread with friends and laugh together, which was needed after our past few years in the industry.

And finally, we can never thank our sponsors enough. Without you, none of this would’ve been possible. Similarly, each and every MAFSI Conference is an example of how vast our support is. Special shoutout to our Diamond Sponsor, SEFA, LLC. For a complete list of sponsors, click here.

You are a Part of the 2nd Largest Rep Organization in North America.

By committing to MAFSI, our members have chosen to be trend-setters and world-changers within the foodservice industry. We are North America's 2^nd largest industry-specific rep association and are growing fast, and that's for good reason! When we are given the chance to gather every other year at the MAFSI Conference, we are better together and become stronger with every new member. Attending the MAFSI 2024 Conference made our members feel like they matter!

Have a question for Ask Alison? Email Alison at acody@mafsi.org.