Agenda
Stay tuned for the 2025 Sosland Purchasing Seminar agenda, coming February 2025.
- 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Mermaid Room
Market Fundamentals
Mike Irgang, President and Owner, Global Risk Management Corp.
The Market Fundamentals session covers key concepts necessary for understanding commodity markets as well as basic tools essential for today's procurement manager for effectively managing food ingredient costs.
This workshop was designed to meet the needs of a broad range of industry professionals from the procurement associates new to the food industry to seasoned food industry executives seeking a refresher on today's complex commodity markets.
The first part of the session lays the foundation by covering the basics of commodity futures, how futures relate to ingredient prices and the role of cash premiums and discounts and commodity market structures.
The second part delves more deeply into key commodity market fundamentals, exploring topics including price seasonality, key USDA data, as well as outside market influences.
The session concludes with a practical mini-workshop demonstrating industry best practices for protecting by companies today to protect their financial results from commodity price volatility.
- 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
- Union Station
Cocktail Reception
- 6:30 AM – 8:00 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom A/B/C
Breakfast
- 8:10 AM – 8:20 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Welcoming Remarks
Josh Sosland, President, Sosland Publishing Company, and Editor, Milling & Baking News
- 8:20 AM – 8:50 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
DEVELOPMENT IN GLOBAL GRAIN TRADE AND US CASH WHEAT MARKETS
Bill Lapp, President, Advanced Economic Solutions
- 8:50 AM – 9:20 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Bakery Flour
Steve Freed, Consultant, Freed Consulting
Outlook for domestic bakery flour markets.
- 9:20 AM – 9:50 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Feed Grains and Millfeed
Ankush Bhandari, Grain, Oilseed and Biofuel Industry Research, Verition Fund Management
This session will provide an update on the outlook for corn and millfeed markets as well as an overview of the livestock sector and biofuels demand and policy.
- 9:50 AM – 10:20 AM
BREAK
- 10:20 AM – 11:00 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Edible Oils and Bakery Shortening
Alex Norton, President, Beeson & Associates, Inc.
Vegetable oil and shortening buyers have a myriad of challenges ahead of them in 2025/26. This presentation will address trade relationships that are evolving with a second Trump presidential term. Domestic production outlook and energy pricing and policies continue to play a critical role in the movement for fats markets. Global production and exports of palm oil, soybeans, and other fats will shape sourcing decisions in the months ahead.
- 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
World Weather and the Impact on Markets
Drew Lerner, President and and Senior Agricultural Meteorologist, World Weather, Inc.
Detailed analysis and outlook of domestic and global weather impact on key agricultural regions.
- 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
- City Beautiful Ballroom A/B/C
LUNCH
- 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Market Panel
Moderator:
Hayden Wands, Vice-President of Procurement, Commodities, Grupo Bimbo
Panelists:
Steve Freed, Consultant, Freed Consulting
Bill Lapp, President, Advanced Economic Solutions
Alex Norton, President, Beeson & Associates, Inc.
Ankita Roy, Director, Commodities & Risk Management - Procurement, Aspire Bakeries
Quickfire comments on grains and oilseed from industry experts.
- 2:30 PM – 3:10 PM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Sugar and Sweeteners
Ron Sterk, Senior Editor, Markets, Milling & Baking News, Food Business News, Sosland Publishing
- 3:10 PM – 3:30 PM
BREAK
- 3:30 PM – 4:10 PM
Breakout Session I - Choices Below
DAIRY – Neptune Ballroom A/B/C
Mary Keough Ledman,
Global Sector Strategist – Dairy,
RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness
Analysis and outlook of milk and key dairy product supply, demand and prices.
KEYING ON THE CRUCIAL FUNDAMENTALS – Neptune Ballroom E
Erin Nazetta, Director, Food and Ag Research, Broadview Capital Holdings
Guidance for executives responsible for selling, procuring and tracking multiple commodities.
SPICES – Neptune D Ballroom
Prakash Jhanwer,
Chief Executive Officer of Spices,
ofi
Analysis of global spice market and price/availability for domestic buyers.
PROTEINS – Mermaid Room
Adam Stout,
Risk Management Consultant,
StoneX Financial Inc.
The protein markets have been amongst the most volatile commodities so far in 2025. This session will take a broad overview of the beef, pork, and poultry markets, exploring the current supply and demand dynamics and offering insight into what we can expect for the balance of 2025 and beyond.
- 4:10 PM – 4:20 PM
BREAK
- 4:20 PM – 5:00 PM
Breakout Session II - Choices Below
EGGS – Neptune D Ballroom
Brian Moscogiuri,
Vice President,
Eggs Unlimited
The US has been hit with the worst HPAI outbreak in history over the last three years. This session will discuss the impact of HPAI and the resulting record prices for both shell eggs and egg products.
COCOA – Mermaid Room
Hugo van der Goes,
Vice President of Cocoa,
Barry Callebaut USA
This session provides a view on the future supply picture, focusing on how sustainability is linked to supply and demand.
PACKAGING – Neptune Ballroom E
Lauren Jia,
Managing Director,
Macquarie Group
Packaging markets across plastics, paper, and aluminum have been caught up in the volatility of trade war headlines. With Canada being a significant producer of packaging feedstocks and Mexico being a large consumer of American materials, markets will face the push and pull of uncertainty. This presentation will focus chiefly on polyethylene, polypropylene, linerboard and aluminum.
RISK MANAGEMENT – Neptune Ballroom A/B/C
Dan Basse, President, AgResource Company
Tools to help food manufacturers mitigate price swings.
FRUIT - Muse Room
Steve Nugent,
Director of IQF, dried and export sales, Milne Fruit Products Inc.
Supply, demand and price trends for major fruits.
- 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
- J. Reiger Co. Distillery
Cocktail Reception
- 6:15 AM- 8:15 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom A/B/C
Breakfast
- 8:15 AM – 8:55 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Energy
Tim Statts, Vice President of Commodity Services, Schneider Electric’s Energy and Sustainability Services
This session will cover the current outlook for the US natural gas and global crude oil market, highlighting the price drivers in each market and what could happen over the next 12 months.
- 8:55 AM – 9:35 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Turbo-Charging Procurement: How a combination of Reliable Data and AI can Help Drive Smarter, Faster Decisions and Strengthen Supply Chain Resilience in the Food Ingredient Sector
Prerna Dhawan,
Chief Product Officer,
Beroe Inc.
This session will explore how teams can leverage AI to help drive smarter, faster decisions and strengthen supply chain resilience in the food ingredient sector.
- 9:35 AM – 10:15 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Serving the Needs of Unscripted Consumers
Sally Lyons Wyatt,
Global Executive Vice President & Chief Advisor, Consumer Goods & Foodservice Insights, Circana
Macroeconomic factors provide insight into consumers' ability to buy, but understanding their lifestage, lifestyle, shopping habits, purchasing decisions, and dietary choices is essential to know what they will buy, where and when. This session will provide valuable insights into these "unscripted consumers," ensuring that your portfolio can meet their needs today and in the future.
- 10:15 AM – 10:35 AM
BREAK
- 10:35 AM – 11:15 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Transportation
Jim Ritchie,
President and Chief Executive Officer,
Redstone Logistics
Focusing on the impact of the Trump administration on supply chains, this session will explore everything from regulations and compliance to trade policies and tariffs, providing a specific focus on how these impacts will affect US-based supply chains and what attendees can do to be better prepared for potential disruptions.
- 11:15 AM – 11:55 AM
- City Beautiful Ballroom D/E
Economy
Scott Colbert,
Executive Vice President, Chief Economist and Director of Fixed Income Management,
The Commerce Trust Co.
This session will provide a mid-year update on the outlook for the US economy, as well as an overview of the financial markets. It will also focus on the likely impact of the Trump administration’s policies and the likely impact on future economic activity in regard to changes in taxation, tariffs and immigration.