CHICAGO, July 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the success of IFMA's five Operator Foodservice Leadership Councils (FLC), IFMA is expanding its network by adding a council that will serve the Sales Agency community.

Several long-standing Sales Agency IFMA members – those companies that provide sales and marketing representation services to food-away-from-home manufacturers – encouraged IFMA to organize and convene the community to more effectively engage and address industry issues and opportunities.

The unique nature of the work that these important entities do, especially as extensions of IFMA member sales forces, requires a collaborative framework and the ability to develop standards and best-practices to advance food-away-from-home industry growth.

"Given the transformation of this segment of our industry, we are excited to facilitate and more intimately engage our sales agency members to provide solutions, create content, and see them participate in our programs and events," said Phil Kafarakis, IFMA President & CEO. "We are excited about the output of this new FLC and welcome the diverse voices of this category of members."

The IFMA FLCs provide a forum for leaders within foodservice communities to learn, share and create new insights and best practices. "We are very proud of our ongoing association with the IFMA organization and are very happy about the creation of the new Sales Agency FLC to be a resource to all IFMA members. All of us in the Sales Agency Community look forward to working together with other IFMA committees in providing knowledge and insights from the sales and service perspective, with the goal of elevating our foodservice industry together," said Al Latizio, President & CEO Al Latizio Sales & Marketing Inc.

Each of its existing operator councils – K-12, College & University, Business & Industry, Healthcare, and Restaurants – has prioritized initiatives and are developing actionable content that will drive incremental business to help their respective communities and broader industry deliver greater value to the consumer. The newly created Sales Agency FLC will immediately mobilize to contribute and be a voice on the prestigious IFMA Presidents Conference program planning committee.

Dan Dougherty, CEO of Acxion also commented, "IFMA is the clear leader of not only communication but also innovation in our industry. We at Acxion are very excited and privileged to have a seat at the IFMA table which allows us to complete the seamless service cycle we provide our manufacturing partners."

IFMA welcomes all sales agency companies to evaluate the benefits of IFMA membership and consider the introductory incentives available to join. Contact membership@ifmaworld.com for more information or see details here.

About International Foodservice Manufacturers Association
IFMA is a trade association founded in 1952. IFMA empowers, nurtures, and connects an inclusive and diverse $1.3 trillion food-away-from-home ecosystem of manufacturers, distributors, operators, and others. By sharing insights, fostering best practices, and developing networking and educational opportunities through events, IFMA informs and instructs its members, and motivates change to improve both individual organizations and the foodservice industry at large. For more information, visit IFMAworld.com.

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SOURCE International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)