As I complete my hat trick (that’s three years for you non-hockey fans) of convening the industry’s most insightful minds to think about and converse on the topics that are top of mind, I’m inspired by the strength we saw at this year’s Consumer Brands CPG Summit. It only reinforces how much this industry embraces its core principles of transparency and accessibility. I leave our time in Carlsbad energized to see how the industry will continue to innovate and deliver for consumers in an ever-evolving landscape of politics, policy, geopolitical pressures, technological advancements and consumer behavior.

That’s why it’s so important that Consumer Brands continues to deliver a premier experience for our attendees. I’m humbled that our CPG Summit attendees hail from the C-suites of many of the most recognizable brands in the country. They choose our gathering as the place to discuss the transformative issues shaping the industry and to gain insights into how to navigate policy at the state and federal levels, digital innovation, sustainability, supply chain, workforce strategy and more.

This year, the CPG Summit was keynoted by our president and CEO, Melissa Hockstad, who is coming up on completing her first year leading the association. Her message was clear: Consumer Brands is already doing the work to champion this industry – an industry supporting 22.3 million American jobs and delivering the affordable and convenient products consumer depend on. Looking ahead, we’re primed and ready to take on a proactive offense to deliver even more powerful results. Our goal is not just to win the policy discussions that come our way, but to set the tone and parameters for those discussions going forward. When we say we’re ready to clear obstacles to CPG business growth, we mean it.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say how grateful we are to our sponsors for making the CPG Summit possible. These partners ensure we can continue to raise the bar every year, sending our attendees home with real, actionable insights they can see take flight at their own companies.

After a year of unprecedented change, we know there’s still more to come, but Consumer Brands is poised to run toward the next big thing (or, more likely, things). We’re grateful and proud to represent an industry that is so dynamic, consequential and there for every moment. Watch our new video, “We Are the CPG Industry” to see the energy, innovation and impact driving us forward.

I look forward to continuing our conversation at next year’s event and reflecting on how the industry is responding to challenges and opportunities.