AGENDA

This session will explore:

– the strategic benefits of positioning your firm as a one stop shop solution for clients in the HORECA industry

– how to actively listen to your clients in order to uncover what they truly need 

– key branding and marketing strategies to effectively communicate a multidisciplinary service portfolio 

– how hosting complementary activities such as industry conferences and events can strengthen your firm’s brand positioning and client engagement 

Artificial Intelligence is here and isn’t going away. The time to embrace this technology in your consulting practice is now. Every foodservice consultant is faced with learning how using these new tools will impact their day-to-day activities. Failure to adopt this technology puts our industry at risk. Learn more about how some firms have already adopted AI and what impact is has had already. The future is now!

Presented by Andrey Teleguz and Doug Huber, this session offers a clear and practical starting point for businesses exploring how to integrate AI into their operations. Attendees will learn how to identify areas where AI can bring the most value, with a focus on real-world applications rather than theory.

This session provides behind-the-scenes insight into how AI agents, automations, and assistants are being used to streamline workflows, support teams, and enhance decision-making. The goal is to equip participants with actionable strategies and tools they can begin using right away, no matter where they are in their AI adoption process.

 Learning Objectives: 

• Understand how to identify practical use cases for AI in their organization
• Learn how to prepare and organize data to support AI integration
• Gain step-by-step guidance on creating a custom GPT in ChatGPT/OpenAI
• Learn how to build a personalized AI agent using Microsoft Copilot
• Explore how to use Perplexity for research and decision-making
• Discover educational resources to further their understanding of AI tools and strategies

Join Heraldo Blasco to gain a deeper understanding of the Food Retail industry’s future direction and be equipped with the knowledge and tools to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

This session will explore:

– latest trends of Food & beverages in Latin American retail industry

–  new trends, business models, productive models, and product innovation

– examples of developments in the LATAM Retail industry

– key themes that are shaping the future of our industry and provide insights into what lies ahead

Learning Objectives:

– understand the latest trends and developments in the food retail industry
– learn how to anticipate and prepare for future changes
– define and identify the necessary design & equipment and resources to stay ahead of the curve

Discover how strategic kitchen design directly impacts the operational efficiency of your restaurant. This session provides guidance on planning optimized production spaces, from intelligent zoning and equipment selection to the integration of technology and ergonomic principles. Learn how to design kitchens that streamline workflows, enhance safety, and increase staff productivity  

Sustainability in foodservice isn’t one-size-fits-all— especially in Latin America. This dynamic session, co-led by consultants from the U.S. and Mexico, explores practical tools and strategies to reduce energy use, carbon emissions, and kitchen heat through smarter equipment specification and design. Using real project examples and an interactive back-and-forth format, the presenters will compare regional trends, challenges, and opportunities for consultants and manufacturers working toward greener kitchens. Topics include high-efficiency cooklines, ventilation systems,
induction equipment, refrigeration, and renewable energy integration. Together, we’ll ask: what does sustainability look like in a region as diverse and dynamic as LATAM—and how do we get there?

During this session, attendees will learn about a framework for trend analysis, distinguish the notions of signal, trend, hype, fashion, and driving forces, and learn about different patterns of change in Latin American gastronomy that will be of interest in identifying possible opportunities and threats.

This session will explore the following:

1. Define – What the heck does this mean!
2. Industry adoption – What other industries are doing and how they’re using these methods
3. Compare – Hardware deep dive.  Different types of hardware in the market (VR headsets, desktop, AR tools), cost of ownership and managing corporate application on them.
4. Examine – Technology used for facility digitization – Revit, LiDAR scanning with a live walkthrough of a digitized facility
5. Discover – Essential building blocks of a successful immersive experience from model optimization to spatial planning
6. Convergence – Pulling it all together.  Understand how data is integrated with immersive technologies to support training, real-time modification, and simulation of operational flows within a virtual environment
7. Participate – Live, hands-on headset demonstrations to experience learning firsthand and identify real-world applications in your own work.  – This will take place throughout the duration of the session, so people have time to experience it themselves.  Give those who have never been in VR and chance to experience it and see what is possible.