2022 Annual Meat Conference Canceled

3-part “Power of Meat” analysis, discussion series to be available next month

1/13/2022

Although the in-person Annual Meat Conference won’t take place this year, NAMI and FMI, together with Sealed Air, will offer a virtual discussion series on “The Power of Meat” analysis.

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has led to the cancellation of another industry event: The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and FMI – The Food Industry Association (FMI) have pulled the plug on this year’s Annual Meat Conference (AMC), a move made by the organizations “out of respect for the health of our communities and due to the attention and consideration our respective members are putting into their operations.”

The event was scheduled for Feb. 7-9 at the Gaylord National Harbor, in Washington. D.C.

Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based NAMI, provided an additional reason for the cancellation. “The purpose of AMC is to bring together retailers and the meat and poultry industry,” noted Potts. “Like the meat and poultry industry, many of our partners in retail are experiencing significant operational and supply chain challenges. At this time, attending an in-person conference is difficult, which diminishes the value of the event for all participants.”

“Our community is prioritizing the health of its people and operations so that we will be able to continue to serve the shopper, but we are committed to sharing additional category insights with our audiences throughout the year,” observed Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based FMI.

All attendees, exhibitors and sponsors will receive a full refund, and event coordinators will cancel hotel reservations on behalf of registered attendees.

Although the in-person event won’t take place this year, NAMI and FMI, together with Charlotte, N.C.-based Sealed Air, will offer a virtual discussion series on “The Power of Meat” analysis, which is usually presented at the conference. The three-part series will start Feb. 7. Those interested in attending will be able to find registration information on the conference website and in a follow-up communication to previously registered attendees. The analysis will also be available free to members of the organizations and previously registered attendees.

Earlier this month, FMI paused its 2022 Midwinter Executive Conference, scheduled for later this month, citing many of the same concerns raised in regard to the meat conference.