ARLINGTON, Va. — The Food Industry Association (FMI) is organizing a new virtual trading partner program that aims to accelerate business recovery as stay-at-home orders are rescinded across the United States.

The FMI Midsummer Strategic Executive Exchange kicks off on July 7 with “a compelling keynote” and will run over the course of eight business days.

“COVID-19 has provided FMI members a vivid reminder of the need for enhanced communications and planning, and has proven that agility and speed are the new normal as companies seek to stabilize their business operations and better prepare for a future filled with unknowns,” says Leslie Sarasin, FMI’s president and chief executive officer. “To help facilitate addressing these industry needs, I am pleased to announce a unique, virtual, strategic opportunity for trading partner collaboration to identify, prioritize and address the industry’s most pressing business issues.”

Sarasin noted that the Midsummer event is the latest in FMI’s Strategic Executive Exchange series, which represents the association’s ongoing educational campaign aimed at helping its members master practical tools, gain insights they can apply quickly, and connect with potential partners and other resources that can help them deal with challenges.

The Midsummer program is open to FMI members from retail, wholesale, consumer products companies and suppliers who sell food, beverage and nonfood products.

Using a collaborative technology platform, FMI is scheduling 48 possible meeting time slots to allow for optimal flexibility over the course of the eight days. The menu of meeting windows offers retailers and suppliers the ability to pick the dates, times and number of meetings that best meet their availability and needs over the course of the event, FMI says.

“The possibility of focused private online meetings with multiple company teams over the course of a few days is an excellent opportunity for trading partners to regroup, discuss business challenges, opportunities and anticipate post-pandemic shifting consumer shopping behaviors,” says Mark Baum, FMI’s senior vice president of industry relations and chief collaboration officer.

FMI notes that the Midsummer program offers business continuity and complements other association programs, including the FMI Annual Business Conference, scheduled for September 13 to September 16, and FMI’s marquee event, the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference.