Food Marketing Institute and National Retail Federation Consolidate Member Offerings in 2018

ORLANDO, MARCH 21, 2017 – Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and National Retail Federation (NRF) will partner on PROTECT in 2018, according to a live joint announcement made today at the Audit, Safety, Asset Protection Conference in Orlando. The two associations will combine their existing risk and safety signature events into one cross-industry gathering starting in 2018.

The association executives for each group offered the following statements about the future of their working relationship and meeting the specialized needs of loss prevention, risk and safety, organized retail crime investigators, risk management and retail operations professionals:

FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin said, “Respecting the changing grocery landscape and the intense consolidation our industry has witnessed over the last several years, our trade groups are making similar strategic decisions to maximize efficiencies and deliver greater value to the audiences we serve. Our partnership with NRF on PROTECT 2018 will afford our food retail members the opportunity to expand their horizons, network in a larger sphere and get at the root of what they seek to do best – mitigate risk.”

NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said, “Securing retail brands, assets, people and profits is the essence of PROTECT’s brand promise. We are enthusiastic to amplify the sphere of influence of this gathering and ultimately help deliver the resources and information necessary to safeguard, prepare, protect and defend the nation’s commerce streams.”