Engage Customers & Take Sales to Insane New Levels 
Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender, Kizer & Bender
Tuesday, June 13  │ 9:00 AM

Learn the latest techniques to help you increase sales from retail strategists, Kizer & Bender. They have been featured as contributors on MSNBC’s “Your Business,” and have been named two of Retailing's “Most Influential People” and two of Meetings & Conventions Magazine's “Favorite Keynote Speakers.” During this session, Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender will share their expertise regarding customer engagement and how to use it to drive sales. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to utilize customer engagement to take their sales to insane new levels. Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn from two of the top minds in the retail industry!

Creating Store Layouts that Sell, Sell, Sell!
Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender, Kizer & Bender
Tuesday, June 13 │ 10:30 AM

One of the most challenging aspects of retailing is choosing the layout that’s right for your store’s unique configuration. Another challenge is to combine it with eye-appealing displays that pull customers in and convince them to buy. Your savvy customers want more than just a place to “buy stuff”—they can do that anywhere. This session offers up ideas and advice you can take to the bank. From the parking lot to the back door, and every space in-between, retail gurus KIZER & BENDER will take you through every aspect of store design. You’ll learn the latest in-store layout, visual merchandising, and tricks of the trade to increase your “shelf esteem” – and store sales!

Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender are retail strategists, professional speakers, authors and consultants whose client list reads like a "who's who" in business. Companies internationally depend upon them for timely advice on consumers and the changing retail marketplace. Rich and Georganne are experts on consumer trends, marketing and promotion, and everything retail. As consumer anthropologists they stalk and study that most elusive of mammals: today's consumer. Any speaker can talk about consumers, but Georganne and Rich actually become them. In addition to focus groups, one-on-one interviews and intensive on-site studies, their research includes posing as every kind of customer you can imagine. The result of their research is literally straight from the mouth of the consumer: solid ground level intelligence you can use to better serve your own customers.

Roundtables: Conversations for Candy Businesses
Wednesday, June 14  │ 9:00 AM

You choose the topics that best fit your unique needs and interests. During this hour-long session, participants will have the opportunity to join up to three different small groups to discuss specific topics relevant to confectionery business. Each small group will have a moderator to guide the conversation and address questions.

Topics to include:

• Business Operations
• Candy Formulations/Troubleshooting
• Human Resources/Hiring
• Marketing/Merchandising
• and more!

Ensuring FDA Compliant Nutrition Labeling & Packaging
Lorraine Oberholtzer, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate
Wednesday, June 14 │ 2:00 PM

Are you looking to gain a better understanding of FDA regulations on nutrition labeling and packaging? Look no further! Get clarity on FDA packaging and labeling compliance with the unique challenges of small to midsize operators in mind. Learn your way around the geography of a package from front to back and be able to identify important watch-outs, such as the statement of identity, nutrient content claims and net weight. Discover pitfalls to avoid and best practices for nutritional analysis and how to best represent nutritional information for e-commerce. Don't miss your chance to have your FDA concerns addressed.

Lorraine Oberholtzer is a registered dietitian nutritionist who has been in regulatory compliance for the cocoa and chocolate industry for seven years, first with Russell Stover (a Lindt subsidiary) and now with Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate. Lorraine is a seasoned labeling expert with extensive knowledge in the food industry. Her candy and chocolate experience stretches back to her first high school job working for Weaver Nut Company’s retail store. As an entrepreneur for nearly 20 years, she has a heart for small business owners and can appreciate the challenges they face.

Learn how to leverage various digital platforms to identify key flavor trends that capture the attention of your target audience and align with consumer demand. Take away effective techniques for social media enhancement and ideas for creating successful product launches by utilizing the media, brand ambassadors and influencer marketing to help tell your story and grow brand awareness. By the end of the session, you will have the confidence needed to effectively identify flavor trends and create successful campaigns that will have a lasting impact.

Mandy Robbins is an experienced food marketing and communications professional with a passion for enhancing customers' experiences through product development/market research, marketing and communication in order to help drive sales in the food and beverage industry. Mandy also enjoys sharing the voices of content creators and brands across their digital platforms to help build strategic brand awareness. When not flavor testing, researching product trends, crafting campaigns or creating content, she loves spending time with her husband and their dog, Riesling (who she is obsessed with).

Candy Clinic 
RCI Member Exclusive
Tuesday, June 13 │  3:00 PM

Get recognized for your creative, new ideas! If you have a clever concept that has worked well in your business, you're invited to share it! This session will give you creative ideas for your store as fellow RCI members share during a short presentation about their best products, packaging and marketing. Attendees vote for their favorite entrants and awards are presented to winners at the Awards & Afterglow on Wednesday evening. View what Candy Clinic is like!  Categories include:

• Best Summer Idea
• Best Christmas Idea
• Best Valentine's Day Idea
• Best Easter Idea
• Best Misc. Holiday Idea
• Best Marketing/Merchandising Idea
• Best Packaging Idea
• Best New Piece
• Best Innovation

Kettle Talk
RCI Member Exclusive
Wednesday, June 14 │  4:00 PM

Do you want to know the secrets to making exceptional confections? Join this open discussion where confectionery professionals ask questions and share knowledge on the topics of chocolate techniques, production, regulatory affairs, labeling laws, business ownership and more. Drop off questions in advance at the registration desk or ask questions directly during the session.