Back in June 2015, it occurred to me that Zoomba Group could do something no one else in the foodservice industry could do: bring together two different audiences in one room for the purpose of creating original content around the specific topics of foodservice equipment and foodservice design.
Under the leadership of Editorial Director Joe Carbonara and the great team at Zoomba Group, the inaugural Foodservice Equipment and Design (FED) Global Thought Leadership Summit came to life.
Other publishing companies may have multiple magazines or news outlets, but what makes Zoomba Group unique is that we have two publications, driven by original content, that are focused on these very specific topics. This publication is unique in that no one else speaks directly with the design and operator community that builds out new restaurant locations or renovates existing concepts. Our sister magazine, Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, is a well-established publication dedicated to informing our readers — the full equipment and supplies distribution channel — with a keen focus.
The attendees to our first FED Thought Summit represented a hand-selected cross-section of the magazines’ distinct audiences and featured top thought leaders in the manufacturing and design communities.
The results were pretty spectacular. The energy and the insight that these speakers generated in their concise 18-minute talks was enhanced by
ample opportunity for networking and discussion among a wide swath of industry professionals who rarely find themselves in the same room. In feedback surveys, 98 percent of the attendees rated the experience as positive and an amazing 89 percent called it “excellent” or “very good.”
You can see every speaker as well as photos and more at rddmag.com/summit2016. We believe that these events animate and energize our magazines. They help to keep us abreast of the topics that readers find compelling.