The Leading Foodservice Focused Sales & Marketing Experience
July 13 – 15, 2025
Miami, FL
IFDA Learning Exchange at SMart
Real Conversations. Real Solutions.
The IFDA Learning Exchange at SMart is a unique opportunity to connect with fellow foodservice distribution professionals in small-group, 100% peer-driven discussions. No speakers, no presentations – just open, honest conversations about the challenges and opportunities you face every day.
You set the agenda. Bring your questions and experiences to the table and get practical insights from those who’ve been in your shoes. This small-group, high-impact format ensures every attendee has a voice. Past questions and topics include:
- Customer Engagement – What’s working to improve the ordering experience and build loyalty?
- Technology & AI – How are distributors using e-commerce and AI to support sales teams and customers?
- Marketing & Promotions – What strategies are driving engagement and increasing sales?
- Leadership & Recruitment – How are companies developing future leaders and attracting the next generation of top marketing and sales talent?
Every participant has the chance to ask their own questions, share insights, and exchange ideas in a collaborative, no-pressure environment. Spontaneous discussions are encouraged, leading to practical takeaways you can implement right away.
This interactive, small-group format fosters valuable connections, making it easy to continue the conversation long after the event. This program is for IFDA Distributor Members Only. Seats are limited. Add this program to your registration today!
Examples of Past Topics + Questions
CRM
- How does everyone utilize a CRM? What about a Supplier CRM tool or way of maintaining notes?
- Does anyone use a Supplier CRM type tool to track conversions and programs with supplier partners?
Customer Experience
- How are you enhancing the overall customer experience from ordering to delivery?
- What tools, technologies, or practices have you implemented to optimize customer satisfaction and retention?
- What are you doing today to make DSRs/Account Executives more consultative to their customers and not just order takers?
Loyalty Programs
- What kind of loyalty programs does your company have?
- What are the goals of your loyalty programs? Is the goal to push slow moving cases, increase volume, or reward loyal customers? What do you use to incentivize suppliers to participate?
Product + Promotions
- How to evaluate new product pushes from manufacturer partners? Who is involved, what is their role and what is the overall criteria?
- What are best practices for improving and encouraging product knowledge amongst the sales team?
- How are you approaching market entry and expansion? What challenges have you encountered, and what innovative approaches are you adopting to address the different demands and opportunities?
- What tactics have proven successful in driving customer engagement and increasing order volumes during seasonal peaks?
- What kind of marketing/promotional programs tend to drive the best results for your company? How often do you change up marketing/promotional programs?
Media
- How do you think about paid versus organic media? How are you allocating your resources? What channel works best for what messages?
- Does your company use one social handle for the company, or do your warehouses / DCs manage their own social channels? Pros vs. Cons? How are you using your platforms? Selling? Brand Awareness?
- How do you think about testing new marketing channels as part of your marketing plan and budget? Do you allocate funding each year?
- Community / Non–Profits – Does your company have any non-profits they are currently running or supporting? If so, what kind? What are some of the challenges you have had
Ecommerce
- What are you doing to improve customer online ordering adoption.
- Has the day-to-day of your marketing teams shifted towards spending more time and capacity to support the promotional opportunities and features available in these newer feature-rich e-Commerce platforms?
- For those who have an e-commerce platform/app, what tools do you use to work in congruence with the app to advertise products or push promotions?
- When looking at digital platforms to utilize for your E-com solution, what are the key factors you take into account?
- In a perfect world, what does your online platform look like?
- Why do you think DSRs are hesitant to allow their operators to utilize an online platform and how do we overcome the objection?
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- How is your company using AI in foodservice distribution now? What have you found are the upsides and downsides of AI?
- How are you using AI to help your sales team and customers?
- How are you using AI for marketing? I know many are using it for content creation but has anyone used for analysis or predictive modeling?
Leadership Development
- What are you doing to develop your future leaders? Are you putting together internal training programs, personal development plans, using outside sources, etc.?
- What is the biggest or toughest challenge your sales or marketing team is encountering? How are you tackling it?
Recruitment
- How are you finding good sales candidates? What are the top 3 things you feel you are doing?
- What is your situation regarding recruiting and retaining entry-level/early-career sales and marketing employees? What has been effective with younger generations?
Internal Communications
- How are you currently doing internal comms? How do you communicate with front-line employees that might not have a computer or a company email address?
- What have you found to be the most effective channels for communicating with your sales force?