Food for Thought is a monthly, members-only e-newsletter from the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST).
PRESIDENTIAL FODDER
I hope all of you are having a good start to 2020!  According to Wiarton Willie, we are in for an early spring (except, perhaps for parts of Eastern Canada – sorry folks).

As we approach spring, CIFST is also coming to the end of our governance year and the end of my term as President of CIFST. 

This will culminate with our 2020 Canadian Food Summit and AGM June 3-5 at the Delta Hotel by Marriott in Winnipeg. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate as a Sponsor, Exhibitor or Attendee! Please follow the link above for more information.

We had great response to our last webinar; AI’s Competitive Advantage in the Food Industry by Brian Lenahan. As we learned from Brian, the exponential pace of technological innovation and change is having a significant impact on our industry. We need to reinvent ourselves and our businesses in order to survive and thrive.   

I recently came across a new book titled; The Future is Faster Than You Think – How Converging Technologies are Transforming Business, Industries & Our Lives – by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler. This book is so engaging and enlightening that I think it should be required reading. The future has caught up with us and I will argue that most of us are unprepared for the impact (positive and negative) this will have on our industry, our businesses and our lives. 

One of the key benefits of membership in CIFST is the opportunity to access the extensive network of colleagues, friends and businesses in our industry. Sharing information, experiences, developments will go a long way to helping us remain competitive and stay up to date.
 
I mentioned in my previous message that the growth and survival of CIFST depends on the collaboration and participation of all its sections. The CIFST Board of Directors and I look forward to working with you!

I wish you all continued success. Please reach out to me, or Constance Wrigley-Thomas (CIFST Executive Director) or any of our board members if you have any thoughts or questions. I look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you in Winnipeg!
Rob Kowal
CIFST President
Tel: 416-566-3826
CIFST Canadian Food Summit
Planning for the 2020 CIFST Canadian Food Summit is well underway and the Conference Committee has already met a few times to begin mapping out a successful event. For more information, please click any of the links below:

Sponsorship - Five sponsorship categories have been created, each with their own unique benefits. Don't see what you are looking for? We can customize sponsorships to suit your branding needs.

Call for Exhibitors - Participating as an exhibitor at the 2020 CIFST Tabletop Exhibit is an excellent opportunity for your organization to receive maximum marketing exposure in addition to gathering knowledge and networking with key government officials and industry peers. The table top exhibition will take place on Thursday, June 4th at the Annual Food Summit.
BITS & BITES
CIFST Awards

Nominations for this year’s CIFST Awards are currently being accepted. Each of the awards is listed here along with a brief description of the award and a link to download a nomination form.

The CIFST Awards recognize the significant contributions of dedicated food and beverage sector professionals working across Canada. Handed out annually, CIFST Awards recipients will be announced and recognized this year during the 2020 Canadian Food Summit taking place June 2 – 4, 2020 in Winnipeg, MB.

The deadline to submit nominations is April 16, 2020.

Mentorship 2020

CIFST will be launching its 2nd edition of its mentorship program this spring and will begin inviting member Mentors and Mentees to participate later this month. The program will be launching in May.

If you are interested in participating as a mentee you must be a member in good standing so make sure that your membership is up to date by February 15th.
Call for Volunteers

CIFST's Membership Committee is ramping up their membership renewal campaign for 2020 and requires volunteers to help.

If you are interested in contributing approximately 4 to 6 hours, please click the button below to complete our quick survey. Please complete by February 15th.

Once we receive your expression of interest, someone from the Membership Committee will be in touch.

Thank you!
2020 Quebec Section Suppliers' Night

Exhibitor registrations for CIFST Quebec Section's 2020 Suppliers Night have been brisk. This event is taking place on April 30, 2020 at the Place Sport Expert in Laval, QC. This is the must attend event for the food and beverage sector in Quebec.

To sponsor or exhibit, please click here

Or visit CIFST Quebec's website for more information.
Please visit our Job Postings page by clicking here .

Looking to recruit new talent? The CIFST website features a Job Postings page on which companies can place their job ads. The current rates to per each job posted are as follows:

  • Members – $210 (plus HST) for a 30-day posting; $105 (plus HST) for each 30-day extension
  • Non-Members – $390 (plus HST) for a 30-day posting; $195 (plus HST) for each 30-day extension

Once an ad is posted, it is featured in a regular Monday communique distributed to approximately 2,300 recipients.
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