Food and beverage supply chain leaders bring AI, automation and fulfillment…

Food and beverage supply chain leaders bring AI, automation and fulfillment lessons to NextGen 2026

Executives from Mars Snacking, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Target and Berry Direct will explore how data, technology and new distribution strategies are reshaping food and beverage supply chain execution

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Food and beverage supply chains operate under a particularly unforgiving set of demands. Products must move through complex networks quickly and accurately, inventory decisions can carry shelf-life implications, and changing consumer expectations require companies to support new channels without losing control of cost or service

Those pressures are making artificial intelligence, automation and better-connected fulfillment operations increasingly important across the sector. They will also make food and beverage one of the industry paths attendees can follow at the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference, taking place Oct. 21-23 at the W Nashville in downtown Nashville

Across the conference’s awards program, main-stage panel discussions and interactive Small Group Sessions, leaders from Mars Snacking, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Target and Berry Direct will offer practical perspectives on how food and beverage organizations are improving decisions, modernizing distribution and responding to a more demanding fulfillment environment

Mars turns AI into faster supply chain decisions

The food and beverage conversation will begin Thursday morning when Mars Snacking receives the NextGen Supply Chain End User Award for Intelligent Transformation

Kristen Daihes, senior vice president of analytics, digital and data at Mars Snacking, will represent the company during the awards program and discuss how Mars is embedding artificial intelligence into supply chain decision-making

At the center of the transformation is V2C, or Volume to Customer, an AI-powered platform that brings sales, customer care and supply chain teams into a shared workflow. The platform replaces fragmented tools and manual processes with predictive analytics, machine learning and SAP integration

To view the latest agenda, click here

To register for the conference, click here

Organizations interested in sponsoring the conference, click here

Mars said that V2C reduced a decision-making process that previously required more than 50 labor hours to seconds. The platform has also supported sales enablement, customer service, working capital performance and cross-functional alignment and is now being scaled globally

The project illustrates an important shift in enterprise AI: The value does not come simply from generating another forecast or dashboard, but from connecting information and decisions across functions so teams can act faster

Modernizing beverage distribution

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits will bring the beverage distribution perspective to Thursday’s Small Group Sessions in a joint case study with Dematic, “Modernizing Beverage Distribution: How Southern Glazer’s and Dematic Built a Scalable Fulfillment Network.”

Karli Sage, vice president of supply chain management technology and engineering at Southern Glazer’s, and Paul Havens, director of project management at Dematic, will take attendees inside the work required to develop a more scalable beverage fulfillment operation

 

The session adds a sector-specific dimension to one of the conference’s central themes: how companies can translate automation investments into operational capabilities that support growth, improve execution and accommodate changing customer requirements

Like the other Small Group Sessions, the presentation will be offered during both the morning and afternoon blocks, allowing attendees to incorporate the case study into a personalized conference schedule

Food fulfillment meets the new retail economy

Food and beverage fulfillment will also be represented during Thursday afternoon’s executive panel, “Retail Reinvented: Automation, Omnichannel Execution & the New Fulfillment Economy.”

Eric Watts, vice president of food supply chain operations at Target, and Jay Di Sieno, senior supply chain manager at Berry Direct, will join Jeff Kellan, division president, omnichannel retail in AmAPAC at GXO Logistics. Norman Katz, president and CEO of Katzscan, will moderate the discussion

To view the latest agenda, click here

To register for the conference, click here

Organizations interested in sponsoring the conference, click here

Berry Direct supports the delivery and fulfillment network behind Edible Arrangements, giving Di Sieno a view into a specialized operation where product handling, customer experience and last-mile execution converge. Watts will bring the perspective of a major retailer managing food supply chain operations at scale

Together, the panelists will examine how consumer expectations, omnichannel demand, automation investments, labor challenges and regulatory complexity are reshaping retail networks. The discussion will focus on the practical tradeoffs involved in balancing service, speed, cost, compliance and profitability

A broader celebration of supply chain innovation

Mars is one of seven organizations being recognized through the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Awards, sponsored by Zion Solutions Group. The program is designed to do more than recognize innovation: Winners will share the projects, implementation lessons and measurable results behind their achievements

CVS Health will receive the End User Autonomous Operations Award for a robotic fulfillment ecosystem that increased daily processing capacity from 150,000 to more than 400,000 units, achieved greater than 99.9% pick accuracy and reduced picking costs by 40%

Ryder and BJC HealthCare will receive the Partnership in Execution Award for a healthcare logistics collaboration that improved fulfillment, inventory visibility and service while reducing order-processing costs. Tractor Supply will receive the Visionary Award, with Chief Supply Chain Officer Craig Ledbetter discussing how supply chain can become an engine for growth

To view the latest agenda, click here

To register for the conference, click here

Organizations interested in sponsoring the conference, click here

Friday morning’s Solution Provider Awards will recognize Netstock for Intelligent Transformation and Pickle Robot for Autonomous Operations. Robust.AI will receive the Startup Award for Carter, its collaborative mobile robot designed to work alongside warehouse associates while improving productivity and flexibility

Nashville networking—with a soundtrack

NextGen’s educational program will be paired with networking opportunities throughout the three-day event, beginning with a Wednesday evening welcome reception and continuing through breakfasts, breaks, lunch and Thursday evening’s rooftop reception at the W Nashville

The rooftop reception will feature a performance by Nashville songwriter Travis Hill, who performs under the name Scooter Carusoe. His songwriting credits include No. 1 songs recorded by Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker and Brett Eldredge, along with songs recorded by artists including Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Eric Church, Lady A, Uncle Kracker and Dierks Bentley

The mix of education, peer discussion and informal networking is designed to give attendees opportunities to continue conversations with speakers and fellow supply chain leaders beyond the formal sessions

Sponsors support the NextGen experience

The 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference is supported by technology providers and service organizations looking to connect with senior supply chain decision-makers. Current sponsors listed in the conference materials include:

• Diamond Sponsor: Zion Solutions Group
• Platinum Sponsor: Gather AI
• Gold Sponsors: Cycle Labs, Dematic, Geek+, Dexory and Zimark
• Bronze Sponsor: Verity
• Associate Sponsors: AutoScheduler and Argano

Sponsorship opportunities remain available, including a limited number of Gold Sponsorships. Gold Sponsors receive a 30-minute customer case study presented jointly with an end-user customer, giving attendees a practical look at how supply chain technology is being implemented in real-world operations

The 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference will bring together leaders from supply chain, logistics, procurement, operations and technology for three days of executive education, networking and peer-to-peer learning. Registration is open, with additional speakers and session details to be announced as the conference approaches

SCMR

Food and beverage supply chain leaders from Mars Snacking, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Target and Berry Direct will share practical lessons in AI, distribution automation, omnichannel fulfillment and operational transformation at the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference.

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