Here comes Grocery Showcase West!

The grocery industry's most important event on the West Coast is less than a month away.

Grocery Showcase West takes place April 10-11 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver and promises to offer visitors many aisles of ideas and new products for store shelves.

The annual show is put on by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers. This year's honorary chair is David Stezenko of Quality Markets in Thunder Bay, Ont.

The theme of this year's show is "What's Next?"

With that theme in mind, Grocery Showcase West will offer delegates thought-provoking sessions led by engaging speakers. They include:

• Mike Lipkin, a motivational speaker, who'll discuss 10 trends that will affect business owners over the next two years;

• Harold Lloyd, a well-known industry expert on grocery and retailing trends;

• Social media journalist and consultant Amber MacArthur will explain how to stretch marketing dollars through the use of online social media;


• Cheryl Cran, a business strategist and president of Sythesis at Work, who will discuss how to foster excellence in leadership and buy-in.

CFIG president John Scott will also lead a panel of grocers focused on the next generation of superstar retailers. The panelists include Anthony Greco from Concord Food Centre in Thornhill, Ont., Shannon Forner of Valu-Plus Foods in Keremeos, B.C., and Steve Lockhart of Choices Market in Surrey, B.C.

For more information on Grocery Showcase West, visit the CFIG website.