Smarter Together

Friday 26 September

After being greeted at the airport for their scheduled transfers to the Don Carlos resort, delegates gather throughout the day. Following registration and check-in there’s time for a little sunshine before a relaxed evening drinks reception and dinner for all attendees launches the event. 

Claer Barret

Consumer Editor at the Financial Times

Katherine Morgan

DGA Group

Emma Bourne

Director, Circular Economy for Defra

We’ll then focus on the Out of Home market with insight and data analysis from Lumina Intelligence covering foodservice and on trade, and an update from our own trading team. 

In the afternoon we’ll host the first of two Meet the Member sessions, where suppliers can book a series of 15-minute one-to-one sessions with our members.

These are perfect for sharing your promotional plans and new product pipeline. These sessions can be booked on the event app, which launches shortly before the conference 

In the evening you can join our organised social activity, enjoy some networking time with other delegates or explore some of the local area. 

Today starts with two bespoke sessions. While Unitas wholesale members receive their internal trading and financial updates, our supplier guests will be treated to exclusive deep-dive presentations from three of our members, followed by an interactive session hosted by our Supplier Council. This is your opportunity to contribute ideas and amendments to Unitas’ supplier engagement over the year ahead. 

Back in plenary, we’re focussing on the launch of the Unitas AI Academy and how this technological revolution will impact both wholesalers and suppliers. We’ll be sharing how we can exploit this game-changing opportunity. We’ll be hearing for Unitas members including Simon Hannah on how JW Filshill is embracing AI across all aspects of its business, and we’ll have other pioneering members explaining how their early investment is already paying dividends. 

It’s retail in the spotlight as we look at the state of play in our biggest member division, with a market overview from our friends at TWC, our own trading team reviewing  performance and revealing plans, and a panel of members and supplier discussing future collaboration. 

There’s then an opportunity to present yesterday’s Supplier Council feedback and challenges to the Unitas team and members, before we break for lunch and another Meet the Member opportunity. Finally, we bring the curtain down on the business sessions with a fantastic guest speaker – no clues, but it’s an astonishing, heartwarming and even heartbreaking story of determination, teamwork, friendship and triumph.