Dairy Processing - December 2021 - 65

prepare for the future, " Soubra said. " The theme of every
dairy form has been 'shape the future,' 'what's next,' 'dairy
evolved,' all of these very forward-thinking things ... we
always need to have our eye on the ball to be prepared for
what's happening next, and we talked about, at those previous
Dairy Forums, disruption and how we needed to be prepared
for disruption. "
Health and wellness will be a hot topic, as the industry
continues to work to establish dairy as a healthy food.
" We really want to make sure that we're positioning dairy
in the healthy food category, because that's what we believe
our product is, " said Soubra. " It nourishes bodies and souls. In
the whole wellness category, we wanna make sure that dairy
stays in there. "
ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
Attendees can expect to learn and network sessions, panel
discussions, special presentations, networking and topic deep
dives on issues including health and wellness, technology
throughout the supply chain, trade, people, social impact and
sustainability.
Keynote speaker Jim Donald, chairman of Albertson's
and former CEO of Starbucks, Pathmark Supermarkets and
Extended Stay Hotels will give his insights and perspectives
during his keynote, " Leading Beyond the Walls of the
Workplace - What They Don't Teach You in Business School. "
Mel Robbins, best-selling author and award-winning CNN
commentator will speak during the Chairman's lecture.
" There's such an emphasis there on people, "
Soubra said. " As we've all learned over the
course of the past 18 months, our organizations
are made up of the people that work in them,
and so as our industry goes through some
challenges with the workforce and how to
retain talent, attract talent, the Chairman's
Lecture (with) Mel Robbins is really focused
on how to inspire your people, how to make
them feel connected to your organization and
aligned with that purpose-driven mission. "
Programming will also cover diversity,
equity and inclusion in the workforce with
a panel of chief diversity officers and chief
human resource officers from Schreiber Foods,
Inc., Dairy Farmers of America, Lank O'Lakes,
High Road Craft Ice Cream, Inc., and Tillamook
County Creamery Association, who will come
together to talk about what the challenges are
for the workforce and creating more diverse,
equitable and inclusive places within industry.
" We're going to talk about labor shortage
" We always need to have our eye on
the ball to be prepared for what's
happening next. "
Heather Soubra, senior vice president, strategic initiatives, IDFA.
challenges and how we're working as an industry to be more
attractive to a wider, more diverse talent pool, " Soubra said.
A study commissioned by LeanIn.org and McKinsey,
examining women in the workplace, will also be highlighted
during Dairy Forum.
" Some statistics that just came out of their native study
are sobering, " said Soubra. " They're going to share those
with us, what's happening on the positive side, what do
we need to be aware of, and what do we need to do as
organizations to really mitigate against that and make
sure that we're creating diverse, inclusive and equitable
workplaces across the board. "
CHANGING TIMES
In January 2021, Dairy Forum went virtual in accordance with
CDC guidelines related to COVID-19. While the 2022 event will
be in-person, organizers are still cognizant of the continued
risks associated with COVID-19 and are encouraging
attendees to act responsibly.
" We will be following CDC guidelines to ensure safe
environment, " Soubra said. " We would like for people to be
vaccinated, we encourage people to do so at this moment.
There is a mask mandate that may or may not be lifted by
the time we get to a Dairy Forum. We will be following CDC
guidelines, and we encourage others to do the same to really
make sure that they're taking personal responsibility for their
health and being safe and getting vaccinated and wearing a
mask if they're not vaccinated. "
If there is anything to be taken away from the past year,
it's that the industry can evolve to meet the needs of any
disruption, Soubra said. Coming together to support each
other and having that sense of community is why she believed
the industry has faired well, overall, throughout the pandemic.
Now, the industry is ready to come together again and work
through what's next.
" We all are looking for opportunities to connect in-person,
and nothing beats Dairy Forum in the beautiful Coachella
Valley for inspiring that spirit of unity and engagement, " said
Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and chief executive
officer. " It is the premier annual event for the dairy industry. If
you're a leader in the dairy industry, food and beverage space,
this is an event you won't want to miss. "
DAIRYPROCESSING.COM | DEC 2021 65
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