Nourish was well represented at SIAL Canada 2019, one of the world’s preeminent food industry conventions. Panels and lectures were led by President Jo-Ann McArthur, CCO Andreas Duess, and Multicultural Lead Salima Jivraj. Here’s a rundown of the timely topics we covered.
The Future of Grocerants
To discuss the changing ways in which consumers source and purchase meals, Jo-Ann gathered a group of industry experts: Christy McMullen, owner of Summerhill Market and Chair of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers; Jenny Boudreau, Head of Strategic Sourcing at Chefs Plate; and Faye Pang, Head of Restaurant Success at Uber Eats.
Together, the group chatted about the remarkable shifts seen recently in the grocery and meal-prep environment. From HMR to meal replacements and delivery options, today’s consumer has a staggering amount of choice when it comes to putting dinner on the table. The impact of technology and the challenges of operating sustainably were also topics touched on during the enlightening conversation.
To learn more about Jo-Ann's discussion, you can read about it in this article from the Canadian Grocer website.
Understanding the Halal Consumer
Salima’s panel on the halal market brought together four distinct and insightful minds uniquely familiar with this growing segment. Her guests included: Syed Ali, Founder and President of Riz Global Foods; Jay Holmes, National Manager, Food Labelling for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA); Kevin Andrews, Director, Control Brand Marketing for Loblaw Corporation; and Omar Subedar, COO of the Halal Monitoring Authority (HMA) Canada.
During this fascinating session, statistics shared revealed the staggering rate of growth of the halal market. The Muslim population is growing faster than any other non-Christian religious group. In Canada, Muslims are expected to outnumber ethnic Chinese by 2021. Clearly, this is not a demographic group anyone can afford to ignore.
Together, the group helped to illuminate the realities of the market, who the consumers are, and what they want. It was a highly insightful dialogue, and doubtless opened many eyes and minds to the possibilities that are ripe for the taking.
If you missed it, you can read about the conversation at the Canadian Grocer website, who were there covering the event.
Artificial Intelligence and Voice in the World of Food and Drink
Andreas gave the crowd a glimpse into the future of kitchens, and it may have been a surprise to many that the future is now. Once the stuff of science-fiction, it is now entirely possible to speak to your appliances and search for recipes without putting down your spatula.
As voice-operated assistants like Google Home, Alexa, and Siri become increasingly present in our lives and our homes, it’s only logical that they find a place in our kitchens.
That means now is the time for food companies to learn how to hone their digital marketing and make it discoverable via voice search. In a talk that covered everything from the history of automata to the present state of algorithms, Andreas left no doubt that to miss the voice-search bus is to miss the chance to reach your future audience, a future that has already begun. For a free copy of his presentation, click here.
If you have an interest in being the go-to meal source for busy consumers, tapping into the lucrative halal market, or future-proofing your business, talk to us today.
