As the battle for shelf space and store presence intensifies, sales execution at the local level is becoming increasingly important. Beverage Industry and Snack Food and Wholesale Bakery have teamed up to host the DSD Strategies: Direct Store Delivery Distribution & Marketing Conference, an event designed to help companies make the most of these in-store sales opportunities. The conference will be held May 3-4 at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., and will feature industry speakers from major beverage, snack and baking companies, as well as experts in sales and technology.

DSD Strategies is the first conference to address the unique distribution and marketing opportunities available through direct store delivery, including the ability to make crucial decisions regarding pricing, packaging, retail trade promotions and consumer promotions at the local level. The conference will address issues such as how to organize the sales force and the distribution system; how to manage different channels of distribution; how to discover and profit from new channels; developing a strategic approach to distribution; sales management techniques; merchandising; shelf/space management; multi-brand management; introducing new products; RFID; retailer perspectives and needs; and manufacturer case studies.

Lending his extensive distribution knowledge will be Stanley Makadok, president of Century Management Consultants Inc., Princeton, N.J., who will moderate the day and a half long conference. Makadok specializes in strategic planning, marketing and distribution, with a substantial portion of his practice in the direct store delivery business. With more than 30 years of experience in consumer product marketing and distribution, Makadok has worked with consulting firm Coopers & Lybrand as well as Pepsi-Cola Co., American Cyanamid Corp. and Westinghouse Electric Corp. His practice covers the areas of promotions, packaging, pricing, sales management, delivery, advertising, new products and acquisitions, and Makadok’s direct store delivery assignments have included the soft drink, beer, bottled water, juice, wine, snack, cookie and cracker, and dairy categories.

Hal Kravitz, vice president of business development and chief revenue officer at Coca-Cola Enterprises, Atlanta, will keynote the conference with an opening address. With 22 years of experience in the Coca-Cola system, Kravitz is responsible for revenue growth management, including business planning and insights, pricing strategy, channel and sales operations, and category planning for the largest soft drink bottler in the country.

Other speakers at DSD Strategies will include James J. Daniels, vice president, retail shelf merchandising, national retail sales at Anheuser-Busch Inc.; Brian Hodgson, vice president of marketing at Eleven Technology; Brendan O’Malley, director of enterprise applications at Tasty Baking Co.; Gary Hallett, vice president of sales and marketing at Southeast-Atlantic Beverage Corp.; Dave Hampton, director of customer delivery systems at Frito-Lay Inc.; Fred Katz, practitioner faculty at the Graduate School of Business department of marketing at Johns Hopkins University; Richard Kochersperger, associate professor of the food marketing department at the Haub School of Business at St. Joseph’s University; Kevin Krigline, vice president of supply chain optimization at Sara Lee Corp.’s food and beverage division; Mike Warehime, chairman of Snyder’s of Hanover; and Michael Zielinski, president and chief executive officer of Royal Buying Group.

DSD Strategies is targeted toward executives in all aspects of direct store delivery, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers and suppliers for categories such as beverages, snacks and baked goods. For more information, call 847/405-4000 or visit dsdstrategies.com. BI