PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: Neil Inverso - Dec/Jan 2023-2024

In 2024, MAFSI Will Deliver.

MAFSI members have much to look forward to in the coming year, and I left the recent board of directors meeting in Atlanta with a sense of pride on behalf of the association for the things we’ve accomplished and can look forward to as members in 2024. 

However, to best appreciate what is about to be delivered, we should reflect on what brought us to this point.

Here is a MAFSI 2023 Year in Review.

1. The NAFEM Show – The year began with this amazing event. The 2023 exposition in Orlando was a brilliantly organized and grand event, with manufacturers introducing an unprecedented number of innovative new products. The MAFSI membership meeting held during the show set the stage for many initiatives to be introduced in 2023 and allowed the membership to thank Tom Mitchell for his efforts as president for the previous two years.  
   
   
2. Membership Growth – Special attention was paid to membership growth and engagement in 2023, and our new Manufacturer and Rep membership numbers have never been higher in a single year. Congratulations to the Membership and Marketing Committee for their fantastic work!
   
   
3. MAFSI Messenger – One of my goals as president, has been to ramp up communications with members and the Membership and Marketing Committee helped me out with their launch of our bi-monthly newsletter, MAFSI Messenger. Whether you're looking for information on industry regulations, networking opportunities, or educational resources, MAFSI Messenger has you covered.
   
   
4. MAFSI Live – Launched last January, our quarterly webinar series features our online panel discussing topics that our moving our rep firms, manufacturers, and associate members forward. We have received great feedback and participation from members and look forward to continuing MAFSI Live in 2024. 
   
   
5. The Good, The Bad, and The Foodservice Industry Podcast (GBFSI) – Launched in June 2023 and hosted by Chris Jeens, Mike Colligon and Shawn Gallagher, this podcast covers industry trends. They will release their next episode in January, discussing the critical partnership between reps and service agents with special guest CFESA President Nick Cribb. They will also film two live podcasts at the conference in January.
   
   
6. The Evolution of SpecPath – The proof is in the 113 rep firms and 102 brands using SpecPath. Their participation in this program helps track credits and manufacturers and reps get priceless market and consultant intelligence. This program, built on a crowd-sourced system, wouldn’t be possible without our members’ participation. With other industry technologies, wait until you see what SpecPath with deliver in 2024!
   
   
7. The Launch of SpecSpotter – Launched in May of 2023, SpecSpotter is an easy, web-based interface where customer service or accounting staff at the rep or manufacturer can mark projects awarded and enter the PO Number by brand in an easy-search portal. The power of SpecSpotter is yours - for free. Login to SpecPath and navigate to the SpecSpotter tab on the left-hand sidebar. 
   
   
8. Foodservice 101 – This online training program took off in 2023, helping businesses in all facets of our industry educate new employees on the intricacies of our industry channel. How much time does that save us all? And training dollars? According to our members, a lot! I encourage all members to send their new hires through Foodservice 101. 
   
   
9. Pantry of Knowledge (POK) – From start to finish, MAFSI's Pantry of Knowledge (POK) provides the guidance and knowledge necessary to build high-performing teams. POK's 800+ courses, 15 learning paths, and 12 core competency categories engage your workforce to improve their core skills, develop new skills, and prepare for a changing business landscape. Congrats to the Digital Training and Education (DTE) committee for their hard work in launching this program! 
   
   
10. MAFSI 2024 – Planning has been underway for nearly two years, and now it’s almost here. Our conference chairs have created an incredible agenda with speakers and topics you can’t afford to miss. We already have our highest pre-registration EVER for the conference and are on deck to break every attendance record in the history of the conference.  Everyone will be there, so join us and see the results of everything MAFSI has been working on in 2023.   
    
    
11. The People – The proof is also in the dedication of our 30+ board of directors, executive committee, and 40+ committee members. Their combined efforts have helped us move the association in directions previously unheard of. I’m personally grateful to each of them for their ongoing dedication and leadership. Also, big thanks to Alison Cody, Heather Pittman, Cheryl Goode, Stacey Morken, and our partners at Craeve & Co. for making the association the best it can be for our members. 

For information on all our MAFSI Programs, click here, and click here to view MAFSI Live.

I hope you and yours have very happy holidays, and a prosperous new year.
As for 2024 and the year ahead, MAFSI will deliver EVEN more -- we promise. 

See you in Palm Springs.

Be well.

Neil