Registration is open for Petfood Workshop: New Product Development. If you also register for Petfood Forum, you'll save on your Workshop registration!
Register online or download a form to register by email, mail or fax.
Petfood Workshop: New Product Development will feature expert speakers providing in-depth, hands-on information on how to screen new petfood product ideas, develop and test concepts, conduct market and business analyses, set pricing and promotions and much more!
Opening keynote: New research on ways to jump-start innovation and improve chances of new product success—Vicki Gardner, senior VP of product innovation for Nielsen North America, shares 12 tasks every new initiative must do well to be successful. This assessment approach to innovation, called Nielsen BASES Factors for Success, is an industry first, Nielsen says, designed to comprehensively evaluate new product initiatives against consumer adoption through the lens of success.
Speakers for the breakout sessions include:
- Greg Aldrich, PhD, president of Pet Food Ingredients & Technology, on how to set and manage expectations and timelines in formulating and developing new products
- John Adams, president of Adams Development, on idea generation: techniques for generating new product ideas, plus best practices for evaluating the ideas
- David Dzanis, PhD, CEO of Regulatory Discretion Inc., on balancing trade-offs between formulation, marketing and regulatory needs, wants and issues
- Angele Thompson, PhD, president of Thompson Pet Tech, on the testing (feeding trials; palatability, product and market tests; focus groups; etc.) necessary to take a product to market
Ask the experts panel--here's your chance to ask anything and everything you've ever wanted to know about new product development! Panel members include Serge Boutet, agronomist/manager of petfood and nutrition for Mondou Ltd.; George Collings, PhD, general manager of Nutrition Solutions; Micah Kohles, DVM, director of technical services for Oxbow Animal Health; Leigh Ann Sayen, president of the Peterson Co.; and Robert Stuckey, president of FoodSciProcessing. Check back regularly as we add more panel members.
Wednesday, April 4
12:00-2:00 pm Registration/check-in
2:00-3:00 pm Opening keynote: New research on ways to jump-start innovation and improve chances of new product success—Vicki Gardner, senior VP of product innovation for Nielsen North America, shares 12 tasks every new initiative must do well to be successful. This assessment approach to innovation, called Nielsen BASES Factors for Success, is an industry first, Nielsen says, designed to comprehensively evaluate new product initiatives against consumer adoption through the lens of success.
3:00-3:20 pm Coffee break
3:20-4:35 pm First round of breakout sessions (each an interactive workshop; attendees rotate among the four rooms):
How to set and manage timelines and expectations—Greg Aldrich, PhD, president of Pet Food Ingredients & Technology, shares tips and insights on how to get the entire new product development team on the same schedule and agreeing to the same outcomes.
Idea generation—John Adams, president of Adams Development, explains techniques for generating new product ideas from all sources, plus best practices for evaluating the ideas to consider which ones merit development.
Balancing act: trade-offs among stakeholders—David Dzanis, DVM, PhD, DACVN, CEO of Regulatory Discretion Inc., advises on how to balance the competing formulation, marketing and regulatory demands, needs and issues.
Testing to take a product to market—Angele Thompson, PhD, president of Thompson Pet Tech, provides information on the various types of tests (feeding trials; palatability, product and market tests; focus groups, etc.) necessary to successfully launch a new product.
4:40-5:55 pm Second round of breakout sessions
6:00-7:00 pm Reception
Thursday, April 5
7:00-8:00 am Breakfast
8:00-9:15 am General session: Ask the experts panel—here’s your chance to ask anything and everything you’ve ever wanted to know about new product development. Panel members include Micah Kohles, DVM, director of technical services for Oxbow Animal Health; Robert Stuckey, president of FoodSciProcessing. Check back as we confirm more panel members.
9:15-9:45 am Coffee break
9:45-11:00 am Third round of breakout sessions
11:05 am-12:20 pm Fourth round of breakout sessions
All rooms at the conference venue, the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, have been reserved on the peak Petfood Forum nights of April 2 and 3.
Rooms are available at a special rate for Petfood Forum or Petfood Workshop participants at the Embassy Suites, just two blocks from the Renaissance Schaumburg. Free transportation will be provided between the two hotels on a regular basis throughout each day and evening.
To reserve your room at the Embassy Suites-Schaumburg/Woodfield (1939 North Meacham Road, Schaumburg, Illinois 60173), call +1.847.241.5415 or reserve online.
To check if any rooms have become available at the Renaissance Schaumburg, call +1.800.468.3571 or
reserve your room online.
Ground Transportation
O’Hare Airport to Renaissance & Embassy Suites Hotels
American Taxi
US$27 for up to three passengers
Advance reservations can be made one of the following ways:
- Online at www.americantaxi.com
- Phone: (800) 244-1177 (follow prompts) or call (847) 259-0276 for live operator
- After you collect your baggage – call (847) 259-0276 with your confirmation number
To order your taxi while at the airport:
- Call (847) 255-9600 after your collect your luggage
- Use the free airport kiosks and touch The Real American Taxi
Additional passengers must all be traveling to the same destination. Pricing may not include gratuity.
Go Airport Express shuttleUS$27.20 per person
Advance reservations can be made using one the following three options:
1. Direct with this
link 2. Online at
www.AirportExpress.com (enter the code “PETFOOD”)
3. By phone at (800) 284-3826 (use the code “PETFOOD”)
• Shuttles depart airport every 20 minutes
• Airport Express loading zones and ticket counters are located at Doors 1E, 2E, 3E and 5D (across from baggage claim)
• Pricing may not include gratuity