Consumer 360 Conference Keynote Speakers Revealed

The Nielsen Company last week revealed the keynote speakers for its annual Consumer 360 (www.consumer360.com) conference, which will take place May 12 to May 14 at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla.. The educational and networking event for the consumer packaged goods industry attracts over 1,000 industry professionals each year.

"We've structured this year's conference to offer value by providing rich content designed with CPG companies’ needs in mind," said John J. Lewis, president and CEO, Nielsen Consumer North America. "Collaborating in today's difficult times demands new insight, shared experiences, best practices and recognized experts' opinions."

In keeping with this year's theme, "Clarity through Collaboration," industry leaders will offer insights for CPG manufacturers and retailers to understand how to engage and win consumers in an ever-changing economic landscape. The conference will open with remarks by David L. Calhoun, chairman and CEO of The Nielsen Company, and Lewis.

Among the featured keynote speakers and topics are:

--Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author of "Outliers," "The Tipping Point" and "Blink" and staff writer for The New Yorker, "Outliers: Why Some People Succeed and Others Don't."

--Tom Davenport, author of "Competing on Analytics" and a professor at Babson, "Competing on Analytics."

--Ken Romanzi, COO, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., "Reintroducing the Cranberry to America."

--Tim Snelling, VP, North American consumer sales, Kimberly-Clark, and Derrick Penick, SVP of merchandising and distribution, Food Lion, "Clarity through Collaboration."

--Katie Bayne, chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America, "Media Fragmentation."

--Joe Uva, CEO, Univision, "From Hispanic Marketing to Total Marketing."

--Dr. A.K. Pradeep, president and CEO, NeuroFocus, "The Three Screens . . .Where the Mind is At . . ."

Additionally, Nielsen thought leaders Pete Blackshaw, Todd Hale and James Russo will present keynote addresses at the conference.

"Today's business environment is unmatched, mandating that CPG manufacturers and retailers collaborate by understanding consumers' changing behavior more than ever," said Lewis. "Finding ways to work together to create immediate, innovative and integrated solutions necessary for success in today's tough environment is what Consumer 360 is all about."

Registration details and the full conference schedule, which includes more than 25 concurrent and hands-on sessions, can be found at www.consumer360.com.

The Nielsen Company, based in New York, is a global information and media company with leading marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications, including Progressive Grocer.