Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc. hosted industry-leading retailers for its 14th annual technology conference on April 27-29 in Destin, Florida. The E360 Annual Conference provides supermarket, convenience store and foodservice industry professionals with the opportunity to learn and share best practices for improving retail facility operations.
“The E360 Annual Conference equips retailers with valuable information to navigate industry changes and stay on top of emerging trends, creating meaningful dialogue around key issues,” said Mark Dunson, president of Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions business. “Facing an increasingly competitive landscape, our retail customers are evolving their facilities to meet demands for foodservice and address regulatory changes. This event not only focused on innovative solutions, but also shared real customer case studies and best practices to achieve operational efficiency, lower costs and gain executive buy in on project investments.”
Conference attendees participated in panel discussions, roundtable dialogues and in-depth sessions led by keynote speakers, industry experts, retail end users and Emerson speakers. The three-day event focused on four themes, providing attendees with several important takeaways, including:
Best Practices for Competitive Advantage: With increasing investments in foodservice and a focus on fresh foods, retailers learned how they can use facility management systems to control HVAC, refrigeration and lighting equipment, while enhancing operations and improving their customers’ experiences. Sessions on electronic case controls and mobile store management highlighted the benefits of these technologies, including increased visibility and savings. Attendees also learned strategies from industry peers to strengthen relationships between operations and maintenance teams, which can help with introducing new policies, reducing costs and executing projects.
Future of Refrigeration: Attendees received practical advice to address upcoming regulatory changes that will impact their refrigeration systems, including refrigerant change outs, management and new sustainable options. As retailers evaluate the impact of refrigerant changes on their businesses, conference sessions from end users, service mechanics and Emerson experts helped attendees understand the benefits and challenges of CO2 systems. Convenience store and small format retailers learned key information about the refrigeration solutions specific to their facilities.
Information Security: Attendees explored the latest trends in information security, including compliance, mobile, cloud solutions and machine-to-machine technology, and the impact information security controls can have on facility systems. Emerson shared strategies for staying on top of trends, best practices to ensure safe, profitable operations and tips on how to engage successfully with IT teams. A demonstration of setpoint management systems also showed attendees the benefits of enterprise remote monitoring and control in preventing food waste and sustaining long-term savings.
Emerging Trends in Climate Technologies: A focus on innovation and driving change was carried throughout the entire conference. Various forward-looking sessions shared insights with attendees on relevant trends, including wireless technologies for facility management systems, user experience enhancements for interacting with systems and food scrap recovery to improve sustainability efforts. Attendees also learned how facilities data can be collected and applied to gain actionable insights for operational efficiency. As foodservice offerings increase, connected kitchen equipment can make updating menu files more efficient and accurate, as well as provide performance data that will allow operators to recognize and adapt to changing business needs.
This is the first annual technology conference within the E360 platform, a program designed by Emerson to provide industry expertise and resources through webinars, quarterly publications and regional forums. With a focus on creating a dialogue around today’s industry challenges related to energy, environment, equipment and economics, the event, formerly named the Technology in Action Conference, is now an integral element of the E360 program.
For session highlights and more information about the E360 Annual Conference, visit www.EmersonClimate.com/E360AnnualConference.