2024 Executive Leadership Forum Recap
48th Executive Leadership Forum Held in Santa Barbara, California Exceeds Expectations
Over 140 snack industry executives and guests gathered for 2.5 days of education and collaboration. The event featured business leaders and experts discussing topics such as artificial intelligence, snack trends, global economic issues, innovation, and nutrition.
28% of attendees were female, marking a 13% increase from 2023 and a 59% increase from 2022. This growth is part of SNAC’s WinS (Women in Snacks) initiative, aimed at promoting female advancement in the snack industry. Additionally, SNAC’s Rising Stars program showcased four emerging leaders nominated by their company, ELF, along with 24 first-time attendees overall.
Thank you to our generous sponsors for making the successful event possible. Presentations are now available to watch and download, as well as session summaries and photos below.
Welcome and State of the Association
SNAC President & CEO Christine M. Cochran opened the Executive Leadership Forum today in Santa Barbara by celebrating the remarkable success and growth of the SNAC industry. She highlighted how the association supported the industry throughout 2024 by refining its advocacy priorities to combat Prop 65 in California, tackle sodium reduction targets, and protect SNAP choices. Looking ahead to 2025, Christine shared strategies to champion innovation in packaging, enhance SNAC’s advocacy effectiveness, and expand membership.
The Economy Heading into 2025
Christopher Thornberg, PhD, Beacon Economics, provided valuable insights into the current state of the economy and its implications for Americans, particularly within the food and beverage industry as we approach 2025. In his closing remarks, Professor Thornberg stressed, “The greatest challenge we face is that U.S. policy lacks direction, as it focuses on misleading narratives instead of fundamental economic realities.”
American Politics and the 2024 Election
Weeks before the November 5th election, it was an honor to hear from NPR’s Mara Liasson on what’s at stake in this election, what we might see in the battle for Congress, and hear about her historic career covering politics in Washington.
Future of Snacking: Balancing Intent with Indulgence
Snacking has become an integral part of our culture, accounting for half of all eating occasions. Davey McHenry continues the Forum by exploring the correlation between consumers’ intentions and their indulgences, examining healthy snacking behaviors alongside the contents of their pantries.
Tapping the Power of Generative AI at Work
Conor Grennan, Chief AI Architect, NYU Stern School of Business, led an interactive workshop on how to effectively engage with ChatGPT. The session aimed to move beyond the traditional Google mindset of “COMMAND > RESPONSE > MOVE AWAY,” instead encouraging participants to communicate with ChatGPT in a more human-like way. He emphasized the importance of engaging in a genuine conversation to foster more effective interactions.
Snack Packaging, Sustainability, and the Road Ahead
Dan Felton from AMERIPEN, encouraged snack producers and suppliers to start having important internal conversations about the packaging in their sustainability portfolio. He suggested that they should also engage in discussions with external stakeholders to have an impact on policy outcomes. He also mentioned that this is important for the industry as it could lead to increased fees, the need for more human and operational resources, compliance monitoring and enforcement, as well as potential litigation and harm to reputation.
Nutrition, Science, and the Health of the Consumer
Food policy expert Maggie Sommers Gentile, MS, RD, LD talked with nutrition specialists Richard D. Mattes and Siddhartha Angadi, PhD, FACSM to dig into leading health and nutrition topics shaping the food industry, including human physiology, GLP-1 drugs, ultra-processed foods, MSG, and their roles in the American diet in the coming years.
Innovating for Growth
Rising inflation, supply chain challenges, and reduced portfolios have led to a slowdown in product launches and authentic innovation within the U.S. food and beverage sector. Experts Poorvi Patodia of Biena Snacks, Kirsten S. from SkinnyDipped, Matt Weiss, CFA from RIND Snacks, and Denise Woodard of Partake Foods discussed the importance of fostering a culture of innovation and creativity during challenging times.
How Unconventional Insights Drive Innovation
Gunny Scarfo and Lindsey Wehking from Nonfiction Research highlighted the shift towards more genuine consumer insights, urging snack manufacturers to adopt a culture-first innovation strategy. They emphasized the importance of creating products that connect with cultural trends and inspire a desire for a chip even before anyone has tried it.