10:45 - 11:25 The Search for Experiences: Loyalty Points as Currency
Steve Sickel, Senior Vice President, Multibrand & Relationship Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group

Membership in U.S. loyalty rewards programs alone has reached 1.3 billion, more than four times the national population. In this evolution of an established economy, has loyalty has reached a saturation point? The proliferation of "loyalty" programs has consumers wondering which programs are good for them and which are just good for the company. Learn how Priority Club Rewards has capitalized on this changing loyalty value proposition, leveraging points as currency to facilitate members' lives beyond travel and gaining greater loyalty in return.

11:30 - 12:10 Fragmegration, Reconciliation and Reunification: Aiding Consumers in their Quest for Dynamic Holism
Valerie Jacobs, Director, Trend Analysis, LPK; Assistant Professor, Design, University of Cincinnati

As the trends of authenticity, sustainability and spirituality coalesce and evolve we ask, "What next?" We believe that the next iteration of these trends will be the desire for consumers to seek guidance (in the form of brands, services and products) to help them achieve consilience in their daily choice making. In an era of excessive choice and fragmented brandscapes, consumers require more help in understanding how brands truly fit their elevated and evolved lifestyles. With many brands appearing increasingly transparent, authentic and conscientious, consumers will require them to deliver this and more: a path to enlightened harmony.

12:10 - 1:30 Lunch and trend download: Speakers host trend topic tables

1:30 - 2:10 2007 Flavor Forecast: How Do People Eat?
Colleen McClellan, Food Insight Strategist, McCormick and Company, Inc.

Defining this year's taste – tangerine and thyme, crystallized ginger and salted pistachio, wasabi and maple. What do these flavors have in common? Spanning sweet, hot, tangy, bitter, sour, and everything in between, they are just three of the trendy, tantalizing flavor pairings reviewed in this latest report. Learn how changing demographics impacts food and flavor.

2:15 - 2:55 More Than This: Millennial-Led Consumer Relationships in the Age of Entitlement

Nancy Robinson, VP, Consumer Strategist, Millennials, Iconoculture
Rob Tregenza, VP, Consumer Strategist, Transportation/Travel/Leisure and Sports/Fitness, Iconoculture
 
Millennials – aka the "entitlement generation" – are giving the Boomer "Me" generation a run for its purchase power. Millennial expectation of anytime/anywhere access combined with rationalized consumption make for a potent mix that's changing the consumer relationship. Take a look at what's behind this young gen's debt-accepting sense of security and what's fueling their indulgence and heightened value expectation.
- Find out why the new cool is value and luxe is in the eye of the beholder
- Learn why point of purchase is only the starting point of the consumer relationship
- Understand how Millennials' ability to slice and dice media is morphing across verticals (and demos) quicker than you can say "game over"

10:30 - 11:10 LIVE MOM'S PANEL || The Many Faces of Today's Mom: BFF, Mommy Posse, Un-Donna Reed
Lynn Casey, Former Vice President, Marketing, Paramount Pictures Television; Founder, NOESIS
Janis Gaudelli, Formerly with Teen People; Founder, NOESIS

Forget what you know about marketing to moms. The new mom - a Gen X and/or Millennial, has a whole new way of parenting. From preparing to have a baby, to setting up play dates, choosing products or deciding about returning to work, a whole new paradigm is being carved out. There is a whole new world of Mom for marketers. A panel of real moms will join this session to take your questions about the Mom of tomorrow.

11:15 - 11:55 Trends in Outdoor Recreation: Converting Trend-Watching into Strategy
Candyce Johnson, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

REI has encouraged employees to take risks in interpreting and identifying emerging trends, whether the impact is at the outdoor industry level, the retail level, or the product level. You'll hear how the company has monitored lifestyle and industry trends to become and remain a retailer that inspires, educates and outfits its members for a lifetime of outdoor adventure.

12:00 - 12:40 Establishing Trust through Traceability: Protect and Empower your Brand for Today's "Omni Consumer"
Guy Blissett, Consumer Products Industry Leader, IBM Institute for Business Value, IBM

The purchasing behavior of today's "Omni Consumer" is influenced by factors relating not only to the product, but also to its broader impact on society. To guide their purchasing decisions, these consumers leverage trusted sources of information, which traditionally included consumer products (CP) companies. However, product contaminations, recalls and confusion over marketing claims have eroded trust in CP manufacturers. Guy Blissett will present IBM's point of view on how CP companies can rebuild consumer confidence and reestablish brand relevance by employing Full Value Traceability.