21 September 2022

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2022

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2022

CLASSIC FINE FOODS MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 2022: “LET’S CONNECT TOGETHER”

Earlier this year, we held our second Management Conference, “Let’s Connect Together” with about 180 attendees from 11 different countries. This year, and to offer the best possible event experience to all attendees, a small Classic Fine Foods team was able to travel to Belgium where the conference was held in a professional studio. New technical improvements contributed to make this conference even more interactive with the use of a “virtual audience”, enabling everyone to appear on screen at the same time forming a big mosaic of Classic Fine Foods people.

 

ALL ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY

The theme for this year’s conference was sustainability and the common thread of the whole event, starting with the “Let’s Connect Together” event logo which bears a green leaf to represent our commitment to becoming a more sustainable company. Many subjects were covered during the sustainability segment of the conference, introduced by our CEO and followed by team members from our different countries. As an example, Classic Fine Foods Singapore covered the brand assortment (animal welfare, alternative proteins, & certifications), food waste management (more accuracy and frequency in forecast & early stage overstocking) and new initiatives to reduce energy consumption at the office while CFF Vietnam focused on local sourcing.

The goodies for all attendees this year were in line with this theme and included: a cotton tote bag, a reusable water bottle, a notepad made of apple peel, a pen made of sustainable birch wood, plus sustainable snacks & drinks. During the breaks, there were 2 different challenges on the sustainability theme with a quiz and a giant puzzle with sustainable quotes written on it.

COUNTRY SESSIONS & FEDERATIONS UPDATE

Each General Manager had the opportunity to present the current situation in her/his country, their key achievements from the past year and key priorities for the months to come. The presentations showed the great ambition and passion from all our countries, supported by enthusiastic and eager GMs.

We also had some presentations from our different Federations. The Classic Fine Foods Federations were created in 2021 with the aim of sharing best practices between countries to improve ways of working, processes, efficiency and effectiveness. The Sales Federation presented its key initiatives that include Training, Telesales and CRM to be implemented in all CFF’s long term. The Marketing Federation updated everyone on the most significant achievements over the past few months including the launch of our brand-new internal newsletter and the launch of our Digital Asset Management platform, as well as our upcoming group events at FHA and the launch of our Career Page on our corporate website. The Alternative proteins Federations shared more about the market trends for 2022 that show a strong demand for animal-free dairy products, cultivated meat, and more veg-centric menus in restaurants.

THE AWARDS CEREMONY

The Outstanding Leadership Awards Ceremony was presented by our MC and our Group HR Manager. They had the privilege to announce the winner of each country. Such a joyful moment! This year, some Secret Agents were recruited in each location to film the “live” reaction of the winners when their name was announced from the studio. Each winner received a beautiful cherry wood trophy, as well as a voucher for a meal for two at a high-end restaurant in their respective cities. Well done to our winners!

 

A SUCCESSFUL EVENT

The conference ended with all attendees joining the virtual audience so that everybody could celebrate with a drink and some confetti which was thrown at the studio for a festive finish.

The event was well received by all, the presentations were insightful, and the Master of Ceremonies praised for his natural talent as an entertainer. It was great to see all the faces, from top management to conference rooms all around the world.

The Management Conference is a fantastic way to connect, to learn about the challenges and successes of each Classic Fine Foods, to understand the direction the company is taking, and to fully comprehend that we are part of a successful international group.