IFDA Learning Exchanges
June 23-24, 2025
Nashville, TN
Overview Section
NASHVILLE MEETING WAS A SUCCESS!
IFDA Learning Exchanges are an intimate peer-to-peer forum that offers unparalleled networking opportunities and allows foodservice distribution professionals to discuss effective, practical solutions to and ideas around their everyday opportunities and challenges.
The 2025 meeting was held June 23-24 in Nashville, TN.
A Sales and Marketing Learning Exchange was held in July in conjunction with SMart (registration is a $49 add-on to conference registration). A Transportation Learning Exchange will be held in October in conjunction with The IFDA National Championship (registration is a free add-on to event registration). The format for both are the same 100% peer-driven discussion as the June meeting.
Peer-driven discussions
The June meeting consists of 100% peer-driven discussions, with agendas made up of questions and topics related to operations, HR, IT and finance determined by participants. The Sales and Marketing meeting and Transportation meeting follow the same format, but with a focus on those disciplines.
The meetings offer unique opportunities to network with professionals from within your own field across organizations.
Participation is exclusive to representatives from foodservice distribution/redistribution companies that are IFDA members to foster open conversations.
“[These meetings] are an excellent opportunity to discuss best practices, pain points, and fresh ideas with your peers in a more intimate setting. The moderated discussion keeps the schedule on point, while also broadening the topics with knowledge from the industry. You can expect to walk away with a greater sense of how your KPIs line up industry wide, and new ideas to bring back and implement.”
Jim Hoss, Vice President, Transportation & Operations, Cash-Wa Distributing, in Kearney, NE
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should attend?
Meeting participation is exclusive to professionals at IFDA-member foodservice distribution and redistribution companies to foster open and uninhibited conversation.
The June IFDA Learning Exchanges meeting focus is on the core disciplines of operations, IT/technology, human resources, and finance and is best suited for professionals in those fields, but individuals in other fields may also attend. There are no restrictions or requirements on title levels, but participants typically range from manager and director, to vice president and head-of-department. Multiple individuals per company are allowed.
Similarly, the Transportation Learning Exchange meeting in October is generally attended by transportation professionals, but related functional areas may attend.
The Sales and Marketing Learning Exchange meeting in July is aimed at sales and marketing professionals, but is open to related field, as well.
Discussions are generally held around tactical ideas and solutions to everyday practical challenges and opportunities rather than strategic directions and concepts.
Registration
Registrants for the June Learning Exchange meeting will receive a 25% discount on registration for the IFDA Solutions Conference. Registration for the Sales and Marketing Learning Exchange is tied to registration for SMart, and Transportation Learning Exchange registration is tied to registration for The IFDA National Championship.
Meeting format
The meeting format is an intimate forum with 100% peer-driven discussions. There are no speakers or breakout sessions. Participants submit questions/topics in advance of the meeting that make up the agenda. Each participant will have a chance to ask their own questions to receive ideas and feedback from fellow participants. Spontaneous discussion is strongly encouraged, as well.
Each participant is expected to actively contribute to the conversation by asking questions and sharing their expertise and experience with various situations, solutions, and strategies. Problem-solving works best when all aspects are taken into consideration.
Questions and discussion topics can take any form and be as broad or as specific as you’d like. You may seek peer input on task-specific solutions, systems and processes, best practices, key industry challenges, recommendations for specific situations, ideas for improving workflow and tracking success, and more.
To foster an environment of sharing information and experiences freely, the meetings are not recorded or summarized.
What is the IFDA Learning Exchanges Program?
We consolidated the various long-running IFDA’s Share Group meetings under one umbrella for a more cohesive approach to these popular forums. The full IFDA Learning Exchanges program consists of one standalone meeting focused on operations, IT/technology, HR and finance in June; one meeting focused on sales and marketing in conjunction with IFDA SMart in July; and one meeting focused on transportation held in conjunction with the IFDA National Championship in October.
Justify your attendance
To help make the business case to your employer to attend the IFDA Learning Exchanges, we’re offering a template business ROI letter. It outlines the value that participating in the IFDA Learning Exchange meeting provides not just for you, but also for your entire organization.
More questions?
Email: Annika Stensson.
Thank you to our 2025 Sponsors!
