2025 FEDA Annual Executive Leadership Conference Info
2025 FEDA Annual Executive Leadership Conference Info
September 10-13, 2025
Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort & Spa
September 10-13, 2025
Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort & Spa
The FEDA Annual Executive Leadership Conference offers foodservice equipment and supplies professionals invaluable insights into modern strategies for building successful and enduring enterprises. Drawing from the latest research and expert insight, the four-day event examines how distribution models are adapting to the rapidly changing business environment and unpacks how dealers and manufacturers can collaborate to solve industry challenges to achieve sustainable success.
Attendees can network with fellow high-level company leaders while gaining practical knowledge through engaging sessions centered on critical areas such as the supply chain and emerging technology. This is a must-attend event for leaders seeking to position their companies as industry frontrunners in an increasingly competitive and transforming market.
Meet Our Speakers
Keynote Presentation
Jim Collins
Business Researcher and
Author, Good to Great
Chosen as one of the "Greatest Living Business Minds" by Forbes, Collins has spent more than a quarter century learning what separates good enterprises from great ones. The results of his research have served as the basis for his seven bestselling management books, including Good to Great. At the FEDA conference, Collins will give a 90-minute presentation on what it takes to build successful and enduring enterprises. Later, he will conduct an hour-long, leadership-intensive training session.
Special Guest Presentation
Erik Brynjolfsson
Professor and Senior Fellow
Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI
One of the most cited authors on the economics of information, Brynjolfsson was among the first researchers to measure the productivity contributions of IT. Brynjolfsson's special guest presentation will focus on the future of artificial intelligence and what it means for businesses, the economy and the workforce. He'll also share insights into how companies can harness the possibilities of new technology and the best ways to incorporate AI into business strategies.
Supply Chains of the Future
Chad Autry
Professor of Supply Chain Management
University of Tennessee
As part of the conference's opening general session, Chad Autry, associate dean of faculty and research at the University of Tennessee's Haslam College of Business, will detail his work with FEDA's Future of Distribution Council in developing supply chains of the future for the foodservice equipment and supplies industry. He will also share insights from his work with large businesses across industries and from the Haslam College of Business Supply Chain Forums.
Programs At a Glance
State of the Industry
The State of the Industry presentations will feature new insights from Mark Rossi, CEO and founder of Avanti, and Erik Lampe, president and CEO of The Vollrath Company, into the key challenges and trends dealers and manufacturers are tracking. The information covered in the reports will set up the themes that will permeate the conference and tee up presentations from FEDA's educational partners on critical topics.
Tech Talks
These 10-minute presentations will provide a deep introduction to the technologies that dealers and manufacturers are most interested in integrating into their operations and services. The presentations will be led by experts at FEDA member companies who are already actively using those digital solutions and will cover real-world applications and best practices.
Industry Roundtables
The industry roundtables position attendees to put their insights from the general session into action. Participants will choose their table from a corresponding list of persistent and emerging topics, and sit down with similarly interested professionals from dealer, manufacturer and business services companies to dissect the issues and identify potential solutions.
Executive Networking
Golf at TPC Scottsdale
The 2025 FEDA Golf Tournament will be held at TPC Scottsdale, home of the PGA Tour's WM Phoenix Open. Teams of four will compete in a scramble format on the Stadium Course, which features the famous par-3 16th hole, the PGA Tour's only fully enclosed hole and the location of the iconic grandstands during tournaments.
Pickleball
For those looking to sweat a bit with their industry peers, the FEDA Pickleball Tournament will be a great opportunity for attendees to pick a doubles partner and square off against other teams in one of the United States' fastest-growing, beginner-friendly sports.
Putting on the Rocks
Putting on the Rocks will be a friendly but competitive putting competition held on the putting green at the Gainey Ranch Golf Club. Participants will play through a set putting course while enjoying a prickly pear margarita, a traditional Southwest cocktail.
Conference Resort
The 2025 conference will be held at the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. The newly rebranded resort has been reimagined to connect guests with the spirit of the American Southwest. Having completed a $155 million renovation in October 2024, the hotel now boasts 496 rooms designed to harmoniously blend sophisticated architecture with the raw beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
The luxurious and relaxing environment provides the perfect setting for impromptu connections or planned get-togethers over golf or at one of the hotel's six elevated dining experiences. Attendees will have much to talk about, as the conference's lineup of speakers and programs will cover critical topics such as the state of the industry, the business implementation of cutting-edge technologies and supply chain optimization.