The Rungis symposium
THE RUNGIS SYMPOSIUM
SEMMARIS started up the Rungis Meetings (Entretiens de Rungis) in 2006. This event is a one-day conference, held towards the end of September, which provides a perfect moment to meet and discuss pressing issues in our product and client sectors. Speakers, round tables and question/answer sessions follow each other, using a study commissioned for the event as a common thread to provide input and get reactions.
• 2006 : “Current management practices in commercial catering”
• 2007 : “The price of fruit, vegetables and fish”
• 2008 : “Food facing difficult economical environment and evolving conumer demand"
• 2009 : “What is the future for wholesale markets ?”
THE 2009 EDITION, HIGHLIGHT OF THE WUWM CONFERENCE
The 4th edition, which will be held on 24 September, will have a special dimension since it will take place in the middle of the WUWM conference. The theme will therefore focus heavily on current wholesale market problems, such as new distribution methods, urban and environmental logistics, communication or the ties maintained with the upstream fruit and vegetables sector. These points will be tackled with a view to the future, as indicated in the theme for this edition: “What future for wholesale markets?”
A STUDY AT EUROPEAN LEVEL
The study that will serve as the common thread for this year’s Symposium was run with upstream and downstream professionals from the French, English and Spanish fruit & vegetables sector. The goal was to determine the image and role of wholesale markets for these key players. The study was run by HEC Junior Conseil in the second quarter 2009 and supported by Mercamadrid and New Covent Garden
ORGANIZACION
The day will be split in 4 sessions lasting 1:30 hour.
For each of them, different speakers will present :
• main speaker ("Grand Témoin") presentation
• case study
• débate
DETAILED PROGRAMME OF THE DAY
8am : A shuttle is available from your hotel
9am : Welcome
9.30am : Opening speech by Graham Wallace, Chairman of the World Union and Marc Spielrein, Chairman and CEO of Rungis Market
10.am : Are wholesale markets in phase with the demands of new distribution channels?
MAIN SPEAKER : Bertrand Oudin, Blézat Consulting
11.30am : Sustainable logisitcs : what is at stake ?
MAIN SPEAKER : Andrew Palmer, Cranfield University
1pm : Lunch
2.30pm : Brands, values, communication areas: what identity should wholesale markets defend to stop being considered as simple intermediaries ?
MAIN SPEAKER : Gérard Baylin, HEC Paris
4pm : Do we need to reinvent the wholesaler – producer relationship ?
MAIN SPEAKER : Jean-Noël Kapferer, HEC Paris
5.30pm : End of the day. Shuttle service back to your hotel
