New Event Added to Grocery Industry Week

Path to Purchase Live is the name of the newest addition to Progressive Grocer’s Grocery Industry Week planned for November 1-4 in Orlando, Fla.

The Path to Purchase Institute, part of the EnsembleIQ family of brands, which includes Progressive Grocer, plans to showcase actionable 2021 brand marketing success stories and unveil proprietary marketing spend trend research while gathering industry leaders and experts to share new insights face-to-face for the first time in two years.

“Path to Purchase Live will provide industry-leading educational and networking experiences to reconnect the community,” said Eric Savitch, VP and brand director of the Path to Purchase Institute. “It will be a great opportunity for the industry to share what they have learned about changes in shopper behavior over the past 18 months.”

Path to Purchase Live will occur in conjunction with Progressive Grocer’s collection of events that comprise Grocery Industry Week, including the GenNext Leadership Symposium, the Retail Foodservice Innovation Summit, the inaugural Impact Awards and the Top Women in Grocery Leadership Development Program and awards gala.

“Grocery Industry Week is a groundbreaking concept Progressive Grocer is uniquely qualified to execute as food retailing’s leading media brand,” said John Schrei, publisher, Progressive Grocer. “We created Grocery Industry Week to unify four synergistic events and bring our industry together to celebrate, innovate, network, collaborate and promote talent development. The addition of Path to Purchase Live enhances the value of the week.”

At Path to Purchase Live attendees can expect to hear from leading industry experts who will present new strategies to activate now to drive sales following two years of unprecedented changes in how consumers discover, consider and make purchase decisions. The event will take place Monday, Nov. 1 through midday Wednesday, Nov. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida.

The emerging event program includes a keynote speaker delivering new insights into “How Will the World Shop Next?” It also includes sessions on sustainability, driving purchases online and in-store, pandemic leadership lessons from Institute Hall of Fame inductees, facilitated roundtable discussions of critical industry issues, and a retail executive panel sharing what retailers want from brand partnerships.

Path to Purchase Live will also provide an educational Adult Beverage Marketing Forum, with a keynote session on navigating the new omnichannel landscape, an online and in-store spending mix best practices session, and a breakdown of delivery capabilities and strategies. 

There will be opportunities for agencies and solution providers to present case studies and research in partnership with brands and retailers — and to demonstrate their capabilities at digital “Activation Stations.” The entire community will be provided with ample opportunities to network in person through an opening night welcome reception, breakfast and lunch gatherings, and the all-new Institute Omnishopper Awards dinner — immediately followed by a celebration afterparty.  

On day two, case studies of select successful 2021 activations will be presented by brands, retailers, agencies and solution providers through a “Creative Marketing Showcase.” The event will conclude on day three with a presentation of original research based on a survey of industry executives, benchmarking spending by marketing activity, sizing the overall market and exploring spending by tactic.