Thu, May 07
|Publix Headquarters, Lakeland
Spring Food Industry Summit Publix Corporate Headquarters
This Exclusive Publix Headquarters event in Lakeland, Florida has Limited Seating, and features industry leading presenters on innovation and future trends.
Time & Location
May 07, 2026, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Publix Headquarters, Lakeland, 3300 Publix Corporate Pkwy, Lakeland, FL 33811, USA
Guests
About the event
Spring Food Industry Summit at Publix Headquarters
An exclusive gathering of food industry leaders featuring four dynamic presenters sharing insights on the future of our industry.
Please Hurry -- This is a Limited Seating Event.
AGENDA:
12:00noon:
Networking Hour with Publix served lunch, soft drinks and coffee.
Thank you, Publix!
1:00 - 3:00pm:
Our Special Guest Presenters:
Four 20-minute Speaker Sessions with 15-minute coffee break.
Speaker Sessions & Topics
Environmental Monitoring - Taking a Data-Driven Approach
Speaker: William Melnyczenko
Natural Colors, Science, and Sourcing
Speaker: Holly Edwards Ph.D., Category Director, Prinova
Focus: Navigating colorant changes and the latest FDA regulations.
Coffee Beyond the Tropics: Integrating Research, Production, and Breeding
Speaker: Felipe Ferrão, Ph.D. (Research Scientist, University of Florida)
Focus: Exploring the development of a U.S. coffee research program, this session evaluates adaptation, productivity, and quality in non-traditional environments like Florida. It combines field experimentation with genetic approaches to support local growers and the broader coffee community.
Speaker Bio: Felipe holds a Master’s in Plant Breeding from Universidade Federal de Viçosa and a Ph.D. in statistical genomics from ESALQ/USP, including an internship at the University of Chicago. After implementing genomic selection in Florida’s blueberry breeding programs, he assumed leadership of the UF coffee research program in 2022.
GLP-1s and their Impact on the Food Industry
Speaker: Lauren Scott, Product manager, Great Life Products
Focus: The Science and Impact of GLP-1... Snacks are out, functional foods are in. Food reformulation for nutritional support and increased revenue. New drugs and new opportunities
Location:
This exclusive event will be hosted by Publix,
in Lakeland, FL
at their beautiful and state-of-the-art
Publix Super Markets Corporate Headquarters.
*ALL* Proceeds
support IFT Florida Scholarships.
We look forward to seeing you at Publix Headquarters for this special event!