2024 GCCA Convention
General Sessions
Tuesday, September 24
Opening General Session | 4:30pm-6:00pm
Keynote Presentation: Economic Update
Schenker is the Chairman of The Futurist Institute, which trains leaders to incorporate new and emerging trend risks and opportunities into long-term strategic planning. Schenker has been ranked one of the most accurate financial forecasters and futurists in the world. Bloomberg News has ranked Mr. Schenker a top forecaster in 43 categories, including #1 in the world for his forecast accuracy, including for his forecasts of the Euro, the British Pound, the Swiss Franc, the Russian Ruble, the Chinese RMB, crude oil prices, natural gas prices, gold prices, industrial metals prices, agricultural commodity prices, US new home sales, and US jobs.
Keynote:
Jason Schenker | Chairman of The Futurist Institute and the President of Prestige Economics, LinkedIn Top Public Speaking Voice
Wednesday, September 25
General Session | 8:30am-9:30am
Keynote & Panel Discussion: Advocating on Behalf of the Global Cold Chain Industry
GCCA continues to expand its advocacy efforts globally. Hear the latest on GCCA’s work to advance cold chain industry priorities to policy makers including GCCA led Farm Bill legislation entitled the “FRIDGE Act” as well as upcoming regulatory changes that will impact the industry. Hear from GCCA’s International Directors about how GCCA is engaging with governments globally to elevate the profile of the cold chain in Africa, Canada, Brazil, Latin America, the E.U. and other parts of the world
Keynote:
Lowell Randel | Senior Vice President of Government & Legal Affairs,
Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA)
Panelists:
Thursday, September 26
General Session & Lunch | 11:45am-1:30pm
Keynote Presentation: The New Cyberthreat Landscape
Keynote: Rachel Wilson
Director of Cybersecurity, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Former Head of Counterterrorism Operations, National Security Agency (NSA)
As the types of cyberattacks and nature of the attackers has changed in the last 18 months, how should businesses be responding? Rachel brings her unique perspective as a former National Security Agency executive and current CISO for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management to bear on the question of how we can best defend ourselves against an increasingly hostile cyberenvironment.
Closing General Session | 4:30pm-6:00pm
Closing Keynote: A Conversation with Nicola Twilley, Author of Frostbite
Keynote: Nicola Twilley
Author of Frostbite
Join us for a conversation with Author Nicola Twilley as she reveals fascinating insights from her new book Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves. Twilley will share stories from her extensive research on the history of refrigeration, exploring the hidden corners of refrigeration’s impact on our food systems, from cheese caves to banana-ripening rooms. In this session, you will gain fresh perspectives on how refrigeration has reshaped our diets and environments and engage with Twilley’s unique insights into this transformative technology.
Focus Sessions
Wednesday, 25 September
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Macroeconomics, Demographics, and Impact on Food Consumption
This this session, Xinnan Li of Rabobank will provide an overview of key macro indicators on US economy such as GDP, inflation, interest rates, employment, energy, and Rabobank forecast. She will also explore the tipping point for US demographic changes and the impact on food consumption. All of these factors lead to food consumption changes, and strategic considerations for cold storage operators.
Presenter: Xinnan Li, VP F&A Packaging, Cold Chain Analyst, Rabobank
North American Industrial Real Estate Market Update
Learn about the latest North American real estate trends. This session will delve into recent industry shifts, including logistical changes and market dynamics, and their impact on property values and investment opportunities. Get key updates on emerging trends and strategic insights to navigate the evolving real estate landscape effectively.
Presenter: Todd Steffen, Executive Vice President, Colliers
Thursday, 26 September
9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Future of Energy & Data Utilization in Warehouses
The landscape of data and technology is ever changing. This panel discussion will explore the future of data, energy and equipment in the warehouse and how it may influence the evolution of the industry. Panelists will discuss how they see technology being utilized, how data, energy and equipment intersect and the various pitfalls and opportunities that come along with implementing new solutions. The conversation will converge the tangible cutting edge solutions you see today to the predictions of where we will go.
Moderator: Chris Thurston, Director, Energy & Sustainability, Lineage, Inc.
Panelists:
Jason Massey, CEO, Ndustrial
Edward Piscopo, Director of Energy Solutions, Madison Energy Investments
Bob Tippmann, President, QuickFreeze
Complexities & Considerations in Building an Automated Facility
The Built by the Best Award acknowledges CEBA members for their expertise and innovation in constructing, renovating and/or modernizing controlled environment buildings across the world. In 2023, Fisher received the Award for the Over $35 million Project, which was a facility built for NewCold in Lebanon, Indiana. In this session, we will discuss the complexities of building this project and explore the sustainable/ESG considerations of the build.
Panelists:
Christopher Wright, Project Manager, Fisher Construction Group
Michael Lokerse, Director Design & Engineering, NewCold
Innovations in Food Rescue
Learn from GCCA members about how they have created programs and partnerships to reduce food waste in their communities.
Presenters: Catherine Lambert, Communication, Employer Branding & Government Affairs Strategist, Congebec Inc.
Joris Olbrechts, Director, Jodifrost
Rodrigo Vassimon, CEO, SuperFrio Logística Frigorificada
10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
AI in the Cold Chain: A Case Study
Facing a need to scale operations to support growing customer demand, leadership at Central Storage & Warehouse in Madison, WI saw the need for a more proactive and data-driven approach to manage the inherent volatility of warehouse operations and scheduling. CSW teamed up with their WMS and data consultant to explore AI solutions and implement a machine learning based predictive planning tool to automate labor forecasting down to the hour. With this real time data, CSW is optimizing staffing, scheduling, and warehouse performance while also leveraging predictions to set accurate and reliable labor standards. With the support of this solution, CSW continues to "train" the model to generate relevant and reliable predictions even as customers' requirements change and labor needs fluctuates.
Presenters:
Hill Hamrick, Co-CEO, CSW
Frank Jewell, CRO, Datex
Optimizing Warehouse Efficiency & Maximizing Carrier Relationships: A Case Study
In this session, you will hear how SnoTemp transformed its dock management strategy and protocols with innovative technology, from their initial challenges with scheduling to the integration of scheduling software into their operations. This session will offer practical insights into leveraging technology to streamline logistics operations and enhance overall warehouse scheduling and efficiency
Presenters:
Shawn Thomas, IT Manager, SnoTemp
Chris Sargent, Digital Sales Manager, OpenDock
Health Plan Financing: Self-insuring and Captives
Learn how small to mid-size employers are self-insuring with reduced risk and volatility, with access to turnkey point solutions to create a multi-year strategy aimed at reducing health care cost.
Presenters: Leslie Hillman, SVP, Practice Leader & Chris Meyer, Vice President, Lockton Companies
1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Building with a Sustainable Design in a Complex Environment: A Built by the Best Case Study
The Built by the Best Award acknowledges CEBA members for their expertise and innovation in constructing, renovating and/or modernizing controlled environment buildings across the world. In 2023, Ti Cold received the Award for the Under $35 million Project, which was a facility built for CORE X COMPLETE in Sturbridge, MA. In this session, we will discuss the complexities of the site, such as site issues and working with the community, as well as explore the - including site issues, the sustainable design and energy saving features.
Panelists:
Rob Adams, Executive Vice President, Ti Cold
Logan Stuller, Account Manager, Ti Cold
Bryan Hedge, President & Regional Partner, CORE X COMPLETE
Set Point: A discussion on the implications of changing frozen food storage and transportation temperature policy
In this session, a panel of experts will explore the growing interest of academics, industry, and regulators in varying the commonly accepted standard storage temperature of 0oF in frozen food. Experts from the frozen food industry and the cold chain will talk about the reasons behind the growing calls for change, the balance of opportunity and risk that it presents, and what is required in terms of further research, engagement, and regulatory oversight for the potential to be tested against reality.
Panelists:
Stephen Neel, Phd, VP, Global Food Optimization, Lineage, Inc.
Mathew Moore, Vice President – Global Market Strategy, Americold
Sanjay Gummalla, Vice President Regulatory and Technical Affairs, American Frozen Food Institute
Cold Chain Café
Tuesday, 24 | 2:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
The Cold Chain Café is a roundtable discussion component of the program where attendees will participate in valuable dialogue with their peers. Participants will engage in up to 3 fast-paced, 20-minute discussions and choose from over 13 different topics.
How will this work?
Each topic will correspond to a numbered table on the patio. Participants join the table/topic of their choosing and spend the next 20 minutes discussing that topic with their peers. The goal is that in 20 minutes each group will share tools, ideas, and have a stimulating conversation about a particular topic. That will happen two more times. By the end of the entire session, each participant will have spent 20 minutes with 3 different topics/issues/questions.
Why are we doing this?
The Cold Chain Café format allows attendees to share and discuss relevant topics important to them and their business. This format of informal, peer-to-peer conversation is an innovative yet simple way to encourage discussion and have conversations that matters. As each round occurs, the conversation can continue to build, and even carry beyond the session and into networking time.
Who will facilitate the discussions?
We have chosen a group of your peers to facilitate the discussions. As a table facilitator, their role will be to keep conversation flowing with a table of 10 participants (including yourself). They will start the conversation, possibly lead it, direct it, guide it, encourage it, but not talk the entire time. (This isn’t a presentation.)
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