ISNA NUTRITION RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Top 4 Reasons for Attending a National Conference
A recent attendee’s experience at SNA’s School Nutrition Industry Conference.
BY KAYLA MCDANIEL, MS, NDTR K12 SALES SPECIALIST MENULOGIC K12
Have you ever experienced the vibrations of inspired energy from those surrounding you? Every room at the School Nutrition Industry Conference in San Diego, CA in January felt like this. The logistical gods were against me attending — but it was important to me to make it work. The conference marked the sixth week of my maternity leave and being thousands of miles away from my newborn for a week was something I couldn’t even begin
everyone is used to and reinvents the “Fourth Option.” You better believe I went right to buy his books for more inspiration! The schedule at this conference is packed with high-quality breakouts and specialized sessions with a targeted purpose. Hot Topics Sessions and District-Size Specific brainstorming sessions allowed you to get in a room buzzing with knowledge and bounce things off your peers. There were also USDA Listening Sessions scheduled: one for industry and one for operators. These can be a bit intense as burning issues and concerns are addressed head- on. But it can also be pretty therapeutic and validating hearing that you’re not the only one experiencing the challenges on your plate, and it feels good to have the USDA as the sounding board. In the Innovative Solution Sessions, attendees have the opportunity to hear a 60-minute presentation from companies that are thinking outside the box as they present to you new products and relevant solutions. These sessions offer an incredible opportunity to learn about a company at a deeper level. Not only can you learn about the actual product or service, but understand the backstory and real-world applications for your program. Live Q&A engages
to fathom. I did not want to miss this conference. In my mind, I could not. What is it about SNIC that lured me across the country with a few weeks remaining on my maternity leave and my six- week-old baby in tow? Opportunity for Inspiration, Problem Solving & Collaboration
As a pre-conference opportunity, a tour of San Diego Unified School District operations was offered along with a delicious meal prepared by their incredibly talented chef, Chef Juan Zamorano, and his team. The keynote speaker, Kaihan Krippendorff blew me away and his session was the talk of the crowd from day one. He presented that true innovation occurs when someone shakes up the norm by stepping outside the same three options
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