I hope you are all taking advantage of this great summer weather!
As we slowly emerge from COVID-19, it is encouraging to see how our industry has responded. Many businesses have adjusted well and continue to innovate and grow. CIFST has also faced many challenges, and we have had to rethink how we interact with and serve our members.
Our weekly "Table Talks" Webinar Series was a huge success! Delivery of 14 webinars reached over 1000 participants. On July 29, we capped off our series with a "bonfire" chat with Dr. Rickey Yada. Dr. Yada provided the 80 plus registrants with his insights into what the future may look like as we emerge from COVID-19 restrictions. I want to thank all our speakers and remind everyone that, in lieu of any fees, CIFST made donations to the following worthy charities: Feed Nova Scotia; The Seed Guelph; Guelph Food Bank and Food Banks Canada.
I also want to especially thank Food in Canada Magazine for partnering with us on this valuable initiative. We continue to work with Food in Canada and look forward to growing our relationship by collaborating on future projects. If you missed any of these webinars, they are posted on our website and can be viewed anytime.
CIFST and Food in Canada have also commissioned a benchmark study that measures the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our food sector, and our businesses. The results are very interesting, and we will be sharing this with you very soon.
If you are a company looking to enhance your visibility and connect with buyers, you will want to become a sponsor and/or exhibitor at CIFST "Coast to Coast": Virtual Supplier Showcase which takes place October 28 from 11 am to 4:00 pm. Early exhibitor registration from Canadian and US suppliers has been excellent. Registration for attendees opens Tuesday, September 1 and is FREE. You do not want to miss this! See more details below.
As mentioned in my June message, our membership ranks continue to grow! Thank you all for being members and for your participation in our events. CIFST will continue to keep you informed of industry issues and events with regular updates either through this e-newsletter, our "Directions" newsletter or on our website.
I wish you and your family, friends and colleagues the best of health.
Rob
