Probiotics: Market Trends, Consumer Attitudes & Capitalizing on the Category

Date: Saturday, October 25, 2008
Time: 8:30-11:30am
Location: Venetian Resort & Casino – Murano 3201A
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Workshop Leaders

Christopher Shanahan, Research Analyst, Frost & Sullivan
Gregory J. Stephens, RD, Vice President, Strategic Consulting, Natural Marketing Institute
Tom Vierhile, Productscan Online, Datamonitor Naples

The global market for probiotics continues to grow. Consumer awareness is expanding, and product innovation is at an all-time high. And, there is a steady flow of research suggesting probiotics can have many positive effects, from digestive health to immunity and more. The time to capture a share of this market is now. Learn about consumer attitudes towards probiotics, the latest market trends and much more in this workshop.

Speaker Biographies

Christopher Shanahan, Research Analyst, Frost & Sullivan
Christopher Shanahan is a research analyst with the Frost & Sullivan North America Chemicals, Materials & Foods Practice. He focuses on monitoring and analyzing emerging trends, technologies and market dynamics in the Food Ingredient, Personal Care and Specialty Chemical industries in North America. Since joining Frost & Sullivan, Shanahan has specialized in the Food Ingredient and Specialty Chemical industries. Recent studies include an in-depth look at rising food prices and its impact on ingredient suppliers and processors, a market study on functional beverages, and several studies exploring specialty chemical ingredients in personal care products. Prior to joining Frost & Sullivan, Shanahan was a Research Associate and Teaching Assistant in Agribusiness Marketing at the Ohio State University. He brings with him econometric-based market analysis; the analysis of production and consumption behavior; mathematical programming; and statistical benefit-cost analysis. He has direct experience in hedonic pricing models, modeling product innovation diffusion, and technology adoption. Shanahan has received acclaim for his research in the Review of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness: An International Journal and the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association Review. He has also been cited by the Associated Press, Fox Business News and Food and Beverage Packaging.

Gregory J. Stephens, RD, Vice President, Strategic Consulting, Natural Marketing Institute
Stephens brings 25 years of specialized expertise in the nutrition and pharmaceutical industries to NMI. His background includes sales, marketing, strategic planning, clinical research and regulatory affairs for companies such as Nurture Inc. and Ross Nutritional Products Division of Abbott Laboratories. He received a bachelor’s of science degree in human nutrition from Georgia State University and is a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association. He is a frequent author of published articles, a contributing editor for Nutraceuticals World magazine and has spoken at industry events such as Natural Products Expo, SupplySide, American Dietetic Association, and American Healthcare Association to name a few.

Tom Vierhile, Director, Productscan Online, Datamonitor Naples
Vierhile is the director of Datamonitor’s Productscan Online database, the world’s largest online database of new products. He has more than 20 years of experience in consumer packaged goods reporting and analysis. Vierhile is an internationally recognized expert on new product marketing, and has made television and/or radio appearances on CNN, PBS, the BBC and Fox News Channel. He has authored numerous articles on new products for a variety of trade publications. In addition, publications including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, Newsweek and The Washington Post frequently call upon Vierhile for his views on new product introductions and packaged goods industry trends. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. Bonaventure University, and a master’s of business administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo, with a concentration in finance.

Agenda

8:30am – Welcome Comments
Jon Benninger – Director, Business Development, Virgo Publishing LLC

8:35am – Probiotics: Market Trends, Consumer Attitudes and Capitalizing on the Category
Gregory J. Stephens, RD – Vice President, Strategic Consulting, Natural Marketing Institute

9:35am – Probiotics: Exploring Strategies for Product Development and Market Success
Tom Vierhile – Director, Productscan Online, Datamonitor Naples

10:25am – North American and European Probiotics Markets – 2008 and Beyond
Christopher Shanahan – Research Analyst, Frost & Sullivan

11:25am – Closing Remarks
Jon Benninger – Director, Business Development, Virgo Publishing LLC