April 27-29, 2009
Meadowlands Exposition Center
Secaucus, New Jersey

Virgo Announces Welcome Speaker and Education Program Additions for Focus on the Future

For Immediate Release
January 8, 2007

Contact: Amy Sharman
Marketing and Communications Manager, Virgo Publishing
Phone: 480-990-1101, ext. 1543; Email: asharman@vpico.com

PHOENIX -- Virgo Publishing announced recent speaker additions and that James Malinchak will be the Welcome Speaker at the 5th Annual Focus on the Future Executive Conference and Retreat set for Jan. 30-Feb. 2, 2007, in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the Caleo Resort & Spa.

Named Consummate Speaker of the Year by Sharing Ideas professional speaker’s magazine, James Malinchak will present “Great Leadership Starts with Attitude” on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Malinchak will discuss the true importance of attitude and how it really influences the success of an organization and an individual. This special presentation is sponsored by Embria Health Sciences.  

Education Program Additions:
-- President and Founder of Jones Soda, Peter Van Stolk, will join Nestlé’s Vice President of New Product Development, Steve Allen, and Jim Tonkin of Tonkin Consulting for the energy drink and functional beverage panel
-- Virginia Lee, senior research analyst for Euromonitor International, will examine the gap between consumer awareness and action in the “What Consumers Say, What Consumers Do” session
-- Tony Young, partner at Kleinfeld, Kaplan & Becker, LLP, will join Kraft Food’s Vice President of Global Research & Technology Strategy to discuss structural and regulatory challenges to designing food in a health conscious world
-- Kirk Neal, vice president of production for Arizona Nutritional Supplements, Glen Putnam, executive director of quality systems for USANA Health Sciences, and Michael E. Mangelson, Esq., chair for the Technology & Intellectual Property Section at Stoel Rives LLP, to join “Self Regulation for Dietary Supplements: A Specific Action Plan” panel moderated by industry thought-leader Loren Israelsen
-- Michael Lelah, Ph.D., technical director for NOW Foods, will participate on the "Open Forum" panel moderated by Virgo Publishing’s Director of Business Development, Jon Benninger

Other Education Program Highlights:
-- Capitol Hill Lobbyists and Herbalife International’s John Venardos to present a regulatory and legislative update
-- Countering negative media session to be presented by Natrol Founder and Executive Chairman, Elliott Balbert, and Vice President of Communications for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Judy Blatman
-- Tuft University’s Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., to speak about dietary supplements and the health care crisis
-- David Thibodeau of Canaccord Adams to present “Financial Performance of the Functional Food Sector”
-- Managing Partner at The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), Steve French, will present “Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors toward Food & Health” 
-- The Hartman Group’s Laurie Demeritt will present on “Trends in Consumer Food Habits and Behaviors”

A complete agenda, list of speakers and presentations, and registration details are available at www.focusonthefuture.net. The Education Program is by co-sponsored by InterHealth Nutraceuticals and Lesaffre Group.

Average temperatures in Scottsdale in February are in the 70s and winter is the peak tourist season, drawing people for golfing, hiking, shopping, spas and special events. Participants are encouraged to bring their spouses.

Virgo Publishing produces the SupplySide Trade Shows and Conferences, the Focus on the Future Executive Conference and Retreat, and the online training Web site nutrilearn.com; and publishes Natural Products INSIDER, Natural Products Marketplace and Food Product Design magazines.

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