IFMA Committees

“The greatest value of being on an IFMA committee is sense of community. Even bigger than that from a business perspective, it’s diversity in thought and opinion. Even though most companies have similar challenges, they come at it from different angles and it opens your mind and broadens your thinking.”

SVP Foodservice

Tyson Foods, Inc.

Our committees are central to collecting and facilitating the knowledge and insights that set foodservice industry change in motion. Committees are the backbone of IFMA, helping to shape the conversation and provide solutions in the areas that matter most to our members.

All of our programs and events are run by committees. Whether it’s sourcing speakers, providing direction on study topics or gathering insights to create new models and best practices—these groups serve in numerous roles. And many members find that the more they contribute via committees, the more they get back.

That’s why over 70% of member companies participate in one or more committees.

If you want to make the most of your IFMA membership, and you’re looking to make an impact as a leading industry voice, consider joining a committee. This is a fantastic way to learn, share and connect as you drive content that is shared back to the rest of our members.

Board of Directors

IFMA’s Board of Directors provides thought leadership and direction for the association and the industry. The Board is represented by a diverse group of manufacturers from across foodservice.

COEX

The COEX committee plays an integral role in the development of the annual conference’s programming, including identifying key areas of focus and socializing IFMA’s thought leadership, identifying expert presenters, networking opportunities and more. The committee is led by 40+ operators and IFMA members.

Consumer Planning Program

The Consumer Planning Program (CPP) Committee leads the direction of and receives access to annual cutting-edge consumer and operator research. Additionally, CPP members participate in share groups and exclusive webinars, benefit from IFMA’s thought leadership, and much more.

Education Foundation

At IFMA, we champion industry excellence by investing in the future of foodservice. The IFMA Education Foundation serves as a hub for providing education about and opportunities within the industry, scholarship distribution and internship placement between our manufacturer companies and budding foodservice talent.

Gold & Silver Plate Celebration

The Gold & Silver Plate Celebration committee, consisting of the manufacturing community, plays an integral role in planning, marketing and executing the industry’s most prestigious awards celebration. This Celebration has grown to truly celebrate the industry with the recent additions of the National Restaurant Association’s “Legends” Award and Women’s Foodservice Forum’s “Women in Manufacturing” Award, joining IFMA Silver Plate Award winners and the announcement of the distinguished Gold Plate Award winner.

Marketing & Sales Leaders Forum

Comprised of marketing and sales professionals from the manufacturer community, this committee focuses on the development of the program agenda, including identifying key areas of focus, socializing IFMA’s thought leadership, identification of expert presenters, networking opportunities and more.

Membership

IFMA’s Membership Committee is comprised of IFMA’s Board of Directors and focuses on the association’s growth and retention, which is critical to the industry for the socialization of IFMA’s insights and best practice work.

Presidents Conference

Led by senior leaders amongst IFMA’s membership, the Presidents Conference committee leads the direction of the program, including agenda creation, sourcing speakers, identifying networking opportunities, and more.

Strike Team: Consumer Food Journey ™

Members of this strike team are creating a model to understand consumer consumption decisions to better serve their customers/patrons. This group is one of the three key components of IFMA’s “Food Future 2025” model, along with New Go-to-Market Model and New Operator Landscape Model.

Strike Team: New Go-to-Market Model

Members of this strike team are developing a new go-to-market model, intended to help provide manufacturers with the quantifiable information needed to make decisions on how to go to market and reach operators today and tomorrow. This group is one of the three key components of IFMA’s “Food Future 2025” model, along with Consumer Food Journey ™ and New Operator Landscape Model.

Strike Team: New Operator Landscape Model

Members of this strike team are creating a model that identifies forces that are shaping the operator landscape to help manufacturers make informed strategic decisions. This group is one of the three key components of IFMA’s “Food Future 2025” Model, along with Consumer Food Journey ™ and Go-to-Market Model.

Supply Chain Optimization

The Supply Chain Optimization committee, consisting of operators, manufacturers and distributors, works to create a collaborative, transparent industry best practice in delivering product to the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity.