Dear FCSI member,
I hope this message finds you all healthy and safe. It certainly has been an interesting year as the world attempts to return to a sense of normalcy, as we get back to working in our offices and gathering at in-person meetings. It has been so wonderful to see colleagues again face-to-face. As our globally recovery continues, I wanted to inform you of the continued efforts being made by your FCSI Worldwide Board of Directors.
As I mentioned in my letter earlier this year, as the President of FCSI Worldwide, my goal is to keep you regularly informed of the global Society activities. I am excited to report that we have made great strides in our projects during 2022. This includes carrying forth some previous undertakings as well as some new ventures to improve the FCSI global brand.
In June the Worldwide Board of Directors met in London at the offices of the official FCSI publishing company to host a two-day Planning Workshop. Senior members of leadership of the Society came together for the first in-person meeting since before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the workshop was to set “a roadmap for the next 10 years.” The group opened the meeting discussing the importance of working together and with respect for all Divisions/Local Units and varying cultures which represent FCSI globally. Workshop attendees considered half a dozen strategic and operational issues vital for the growth, security and ongoing success of the Society. In addition, the workshop considered the Society’s vision, mission and goals, how all FCSI Divisions/Local Units and the FCSI Educational Foundation could best collaborate, and FCSI’s ongoing relationship with vendor partners.
The workshop produced many positive results, but one of the key outcomes were the establishment of three new WW standing committees. The Board created a Membership Committee, Technology Committee, and the Website, Marketing and Communications Committee which are now well underway. While each committee is charged with a number of objectives, here are the main goals. The Membership Committee are examining whether existing membership categories remain fit for purpose and if there should be FCSI-wide qualifications/educational tests for all or some membership classifications. The Technology Committee are discussing all aspects of how consultant and allied members utilize technology and how it can be best standardized for efficiency. The Website, Marketing and Communications Committee are initially charged with planning the redesign of the www.fcsi.org website and how Worldwide interacts with Divisional and Local Unit vehicles of communication (both websites, social media and enewsletters).
As we are now returning to in-person activities, I would like to mention a few event highlights. Earlier this year I was honored to attend the FCSI EAME Conference in beautiful Chantilly, France. The Conference was hosted at the Hyatt Regency Chantilly, an incredible venue with an interesting history and beautiful meeting space. The Conference theme was “#TACT22,” which stands for “Together, Action, Change, Transformation.” And I have made sure to implement that in my professional and personal life as much as possible since attending the EAME sessions. I once again thank the EAME Board of Trustees and staff members for producing such an exciting and informative event.
Key events
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my incredible experience at the FCSI TAD Conference earlier this year in Montreal, Canada. The Conference theme was “Together Again” and how fitting is the title as we once again got together in-person to enjoy amazing educational and to share some personal time with colleagues and friends after so much time apart.
FCSI had a strong presence at Fine Food Australia this past September at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Fine Food showcased products from across food and specialty, catering and front of the house equipment, drinks, bakery equipment, healthy living, hospitality and retail technology, the dairy world and packaging. I was so fortunate to spend time with fellow FCSI members and learn so much about what new items are impacting our profession.
FHA HoReCa Singapore just took place this past month at the Singapore Expo, which featured over 40,000 square meters of exhibition space. FCSI was present in many aspects of the event including a stand in the tradeshow, panel sessions, pod casts and personal interviews with key decision makers in our industry. I put forth a special thanks to our sponsors who helped to make this event such an international success. It was heartening to experience the amazing interest in FCSI membership from consultants and manufacturers across Asia, especially India, Vietnam, and Thailand.
I am pleased to announce that FCSI Worldwide has signed a contract extension with Progressive Content/GlobalData, our key publishing partner for FCSI’s Foodservice Consultant platform of products. This includes the magazine, website, enewsletter and editorial and production support at FCSI sponsored events. As we all know the world is a rapidly changing place, and it took some time for us to come to a collective agreement that would satisfy both FCSI and PC, so that all goals can be recognized. I am confident that that with our key agreement in place that the Society once again has the most stable creative force in place to ensure our public and member publishing interests are best served.
The WW Board will meet again in-person later this month to review the progress made on the strategic plan and to set the stage for a dynamic 2023. I very much look forward to reconnecting with Divisional members from around the world who take time out of their busy schedules to dedicate effort to ensure the success of our global FCSI family. As I mentioned in my letter earlier this year, we have so much to offer each other as foodservice professionals. We should never miss any opportunity to share, support or inspire one another!
You can always reach out to me personally via LinkedIn, email, or What’s App to raise any matter that should be addressed by the WW Board, or to just simply connect and say “hello.”
Mario Sequeira FCSI, President, FCSI Worldwide
