Announcements

As you may know, last September, we had to cancel our annual retail dietitian in-person event - so in less than five weeks we produced (according to our survey of the 281 RDs that attended) the "ultimate virtual event." 

Registration is now open for retail dietitians to attend the RDBA Virtual Experience, Pave the Way: A New Era of Retail Dietetics. Scheduled for May 4-6, the event includes education sessions targeted to the unique business and industry needs of retail RDs, face-to-face networking with retail RD colleagues, facilitated discussion groups on topics of interest to retail RDs, and multiple opportunities for discussing partnerships with event sponsors.

The Retail Dietitian Business Alliance is now accepting applications for the 2021 Retail Dietitian of the Year Award.  This award recognizes a professional who shows leadership in utilizing business skills and industry knowledge to positively impact consumer behavior change through the retail sector.  The award, including $500 to be used towards professional development, will be presented at the RDBA Virtual Experience on May 6.  The RDBA Advisory Board and Executive Committee will review all applications and determine the award winner.

I’m Annette Maggi, the Executive Director of the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance, and I’m here today to share three exciting member benefits coming in 2021.

At this time of year, apples are top of mind in the produce department. While it’s likely you have great familiarity with apples, there’s more to this category than meets the eye. In fact, there are more than 2,500 U.S. apple varietals.

While you may have missed the RDBA Virtual Experience, no worries, as we’re bringing the content to you. Three sessions during the virtual conference shared insights on consumer changes during COVID-19 as well as consumer behavior as related to food trends. Each recorded presentation is just 30 minutes, perfect to catch during your lunch hour, during a quick workout on your treadmill or as you wind down in the evening.

Are you ready to unearth the excitement behind the latest fungi frenzy? IRI data indicates mushroom sales have been strong through the pandemic, and there’s no better time to ensure you’re up to speed on all things mushroom. For this reason, RDBA is thrilled to announce the release of our newest EduTrac – Mushroom Mania.

As an organization, RDBA takes the feedback and input of you, our members, very seriously. We value your opinion and use it to drive the education direction and focus of the work we do. We’re committed to helping you be successful.

There isn’t a retail dietitian we know who isn’t pulled in multiple directions and working on a variety of projects at once. We know your time is valuable and for this reason, the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance is only conducting one survey a year. This is that survey and we’d appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete it. As added incentive, we’ll do a random drawing for three $100 gift cards from all those who answer the last survey question.

This morning, RDBA launched the full agenda for their Virtual Experience. All sessions are of high relevance to retail dietitian roles and include topics such as reaching the sober curious generation, best practices for engaging the budget-conscious consumer, fresh ideas for virtual food demos, and reports of surveys on consumer habit and retail RD responsibility changes during the coronavirus pandemic.