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Maureen Slocum

2020 should be a fascinating year in the restaurant industry as we embark on a new decade that promises an even greater allegiance to change than the one that we are leaving behind. The ever-quickening pace of change drives new concepts to emerge and old ones to reinvent themselves with dizzying speed. As the industry strives to match rapidly changing consumer habits, technological advances and key trends marked by inescapable terms like “authentic,” “real” and “sustainable,” it seems that each of us is forced to run a little bit faster just to keep up.

We can help. Our editors are constantly working to distill and impart key concepts and information through the stories told by your peers. At our core, we are a bridge that brings like-minded industry professionals together to share vital details about what works and what doesn’t when tackling the difficult challenges that face this unique industry.

One of the ways that we set out to provide this kind of critical information exchange is through the Foodservice Equipment and Design (FED) Global Thought Leadership Summit, which is held every other year in Chicago. This year’s event will be held September 29 to October 1 at the St. Jane hotel.

The idea is to bring together the best and the brightest from the audiences of this magazine and our sister magazine, Foodservice Equipment and Supplies. Surprisingly, there are very few opportunities for members of these distinct audiences to network and interact. FED Summit brings together designers, architects who specialize in restaurant design, consultants, dealers, manufacturer reps, noncommercial and commercial operators, service agents and manufacturers to listen to, and then discuss, concise thought-provoking TED-style talks from a carefully curated list of speakers.

The event is strictly by invitation in order to keep it intimate and productive. If you would like to be considered for an invitation or if     you would like to recommend an associate, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..