With the proverbial curtain on this year’s Consumer Brands CPG Summit closed, I appreciate having a moment to reflect on how the Consumer Brands team did and what we heard from our attendees. On the “what we did” side of the ledger, I’m confident in saying that this incredible Consumer Brands team put together 36 hours full of opportunities for the more than 150 CPG CEOs and industry executives onsite to engage, converse and learn. And what did we hear? A resounding agreement on the incredible impact the CPG industry has on so many aspects of our lives.

Like many of you gentle readers, I have spent a lot of time at conferences, conventions and events throughout my career. I can honestly say that the CPG Summit stands out because of its audience. Certainly, conferences where folks like me — staffers, leads of key business functions, experts and specialists — come together are powerful because they offer us a community and key expertise. But when the CEOs of the country’s largest and most recognizable CPG brands take the time to gather to talk amongst themselves and work through issues or share best practices, something very powerful happens in the room. And to see it this year, just weeks before a pivotal presidential election that will undoubtedly impact our industry with either administration taking office, felt particularly prescient.

Speaking of industry impact, we were also pleased to use this Summit to preview our newly launched CPG Industry Economic Impact Report just completed in partnership with PwC. The new data shows the industry’s massive contributions to the U.S. economy and across communities. We don’t always think about the ways consumer products impact nearly every moment of our days: from the toothpaste we reach for in the morning to the snack packs we keep at the ready for hungry kids after school, to the spices and sauces in the pantry that are key to getting a satisfying meal on the table even on the busiest nights, to the disinfectant wipes that aid in dinner cleanup to even the pet food for our beloved four-legged family members. Our economic report pulls all of those everyday connection points together to paint a powerful picture of jobs created and economic contributions made. The reality is this industry creates more than the products we rely on every day; it creates and sustains more than 22 million jobs across the country. That’s more than one in 10 U.S. jobs … more than the population of New York City … and more than the entire GDP of Canada! Whether we’re counting lab techs ensuring product safety or truck drivers hauling products to retailers, that’s a lot of everyday people relying on America’s most trusted everyday brands to enable their day and their economic well-being.

The full report is available here.

As if that wasn’t enough news for one Summit, we also announced the new president and CEO of Consumer Brands: Melissa Hockstad, who will start at the outset of the new year. Melissa brings extensive industry experience to build upon the association’s strong foundation and positive momentum and we at staff-level are excited to chart new territory with her expertise at the helm.

While we’ll always be looking ahead, the CPG Summit gave us the chance to see just how far we’ve come as an association and an industry. I know I speak for the entire Consumer Brands team when I say we can’t wait for next year in Carlsbad, California, to do it all again.