ARLINGTON, Va. – FMI – The Food Industry Association said Tuesday that it will pause plans for its Midwinter Executive Conference, slated for later this month, and focus on reconvening the industry, in-person, when it is more feasible to host this type of high-impact, industry dialog. FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin offered the following comment regarding the decision:

“As much as we would like to host our first in-person industry gathering in nearly two years later this month in Orlando, it does not appear to be in the best interest of the industry to do so. I respect the business and personal challenges our industry continues to face, especially when it comes to their collective health, as well as their operations. I also recognize the tremendous pressures our industry continues to experience regarding the supply chain, which are exacerbated by absenteeism associated with the pandemic. Therefore, we will pause our plans to host the 2022 FMI Midwinter event, at least for the time being.

“We remain committed to listening, supporting and championing our members needs as they continue to keep America fed and safe.

“I continue to celebrate the relationships and strategic planning our annual event inspires among our tight-knit community, and I look forward to the opportunity to reconvene at a later date in 2022 when circumstances improve.”