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Join Us in Orlando for the Fall 2025 Supply Chain Expert Exchange Conference
New Timing, Same Powerful Community: Join Us After Market Vision in Orlando
October 15–16, 2025 | Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek | Orlando, Florida
The National Restaurant Association’s Supply Chain Expert Exchange Fall Conference is back—and this year, we’re flipping the script.
For the first time, the Expert Exchange will take place after the Market Vision Fall conference, offering a fresh opportunity for foodservice supply chain professionals to extend their time in Orlando with two distinct events: Market Vision (Oct. 13–15), with its focus on supplier engagement and commodity insights, followed by the Supply Chain Expert Exchange conference (Oct. 15–16), dedicated to professional development, small group connection, and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.
Whether you’re attending both conferences or just joining us for the Supply Chain Expert Exchange, this is your chance to dive into conversations that sharpen leadership, elevate strategy, and strengthen community. Our sessions are designed by and for restaurant supply chain executives—people who understand the challenges you're facing and the solutions worth sharing.
Wednesday, October 15
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM Registration desk opens
Photography headshots are available
12:00 PM Luncheon
1:30 PM Conference Begins
1:45 PM
Supply Chain Leadership: Insights from a Multi-Brand Operator
A candid interview with Joel Blanchard, Chief Supply Officer of Inspire Brands, one of the world’s largest restaurant companies with over 32,000 locations across several iconic brands. This session will explore the strategic leadership and innovative thought processes that drive success on a global scale. Gain insights into how Inspire Brands tackles the complexities of supply chain management to maintain its industry-leading position.
2:35 PM Break
2:55 PM
Interactive Networking & Problem-Solving Roundtables
Three rounds. Three chances to tackle the toughest foodservice supply chain challenges with your peers. In each expert-led discussion, you’ll dig into critical issues, swap ideas, and pressure-test solutions in real time. More than just conversation, these roundtables are designed to sharpen your thinking and send you home with strategies you can act on right away.
3:30 PM Roundtable Networking #2
4:05 PM Roundtable Networking #3
4:40 PM Day Wrap Up
6:30 PM Welcome Reception & Dinner
Thursday, October 16
7:30 AM Breakfast
8:30 AM Opening Remarks
8:35 AM
Freight: From Cost Center to Strategic Lever
Freight isn’t just trucks and rates — it’s a dynamic market that behaves in ways every supply chain leader needs to understand. From shifting capacity and volatile pricing to the macroeconomic forces driving the industry, this session will demystify freight and explain why treating it as a strategic category matters. MIT researcher and DAT Chief Scientist Dr. Chris Caplice will break down current market fundamentals, share a forward-looking rate and capacity outlook, and highlight what executives should watch heading into 2026. You’ll walk away with sharper insights to guide RFPs, supplier negotiations, and long-term transportation strategy.
9:25 AM
Hot Topics & Emerging Issues in Supply Chain
This session highlights the issues making headlines right now — and their potential impact on foodservice supply chains. From tariffs and shifting commodity prices to new regulations and emerging risks, we’ll examine what’s driving uncertainty as the year closes out. The conversation will focus on how these developments could affect your operations and what you can do to stay prepared in a volatile environment.
9:55 AM
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): What Operators Need to Know
States across the U.S. are rolling out new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements for packaging, and foodservice operators are squarely in the mix. From compliance obligations and supplier agreements to the impact on waste management, EPR is reshaping how supply chains must operate. In this session, Dr. Michael Washburn and Chloe Kapanen of Washburn Consulting will break down the latest legislation, outline key requirements, and help you prepare for the challenges ahead.
10:25 AM Networking Break
10:45 AM
State of the Restaurant Industry — Presented by Capital One
The restaurant industry is entering one of its most dynamic recovery cycles in decades. Capital One’s restaurant research team shares exclusive insights into consumer demand shifts, supply realignment, and category winners — from QSR resilience to the surge of experiential dining. Learn what the “rising tide” recovery means for supply chains, where risks remain, and how operators can position for growth in 2026 and beyond.
11:35 AM Keynote - TBA
12:25 PM Closing Remarks
12:30 PM Depart