Food, Drink and Agriculture

FDA - Network with industry peers

Welcome

Our mission is:

To benefit members involved in the food, drink and marketing chain by providing a specialist forum for the interchange of ideas, contacts and developments, and to promote participative activities and marketing professionalism.

Our members benefit from:

• Regular presentations by specialists from industry, marketing agencies, government and the academic world.
• On-site company visits.
• Marketing skills workshops.
• National conferences.
• Student competitions.
• A group newsletter.

The group has 750 members across the UK covering the full spectrum of marketing activity in the agricultural, food and drink sector.

Our aims are to try to address the Big Ticket issues in the sector by engaging high profile speakers, to work with other MIGs on joint events and selected regional CIM branches where possible and to run events both in and outside London and the Home Counties.

Joining the FDA for professional marketing executives in the agricultural, food and drink sector means opportunities to:

• Meet and network with fellow professionals from across the supply chain.
• Hear industry and market leaders discuss the key issues of the day.
• Gain valuable cross-industry experience.
• Earn CPD hours.
• Attend events based in both London and key regional centres.
• Attend our regular annual conference event.
• Receive our twice yearly newsletter giving details of past and future events.
• Participate in our high-profile industry awards and dinner at the House of Lords.

Our activities

Our FDA Conference attracted over 100 delegates to hear speakers from Coca-Cola, Ginsters and The Grocer amongst others. Presentations from the day are available under related downloads.

Mark Price, Managing Director of Waitrose, addressed our President's Dinner and Awards - a review of the evening is available under related downloads.

Our most recent newsletter takes a look at the future of the dairy industry, explains what we as a group are trying to achieve, and considers how help is provided in emergency food situations.

One of the new activities of the FDA in the last 18 months or so has been the development of a programme of academic liaison with a number of key partners around the UK. All of these have a strong reputation for work in the area of agricultural, food and drink marketing. These include:

• The University of Reading.
• Harper Adams University.
• Newcastle University.
• Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
• The University of Kent.
• Myerscough College, Preston.

This programme of academic liaison involves a number of activities such as the award made each year to the outstanding student studying in agricultural, food and drink marketing.

For those starting out in their marketing careers, Cambridge Marketing College offer a specialised version of our Professional Certificate, aimed at those working in the agri and rural business sector (for more information see related websites).

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at one of our events soon!

For further information on joining the group, please contact the membership services team.