2019 SQF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Presentation Proposal Guidelines - - PDF document

2019 SQF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Presentation Proposal Guidelines

Presentation proposals must be submitted online through Monday, March 11, 2019, 11:59 pm PST using the online Call for Proposals Portal. The SQF Conference is a unique education and networking event providing SQF stakeholders and food safety professionals with practical knowledge and skills to improve the efficacy of their food safety and quality assurance programs and ensure compliance with government food safety regulations, corporate policies, and the SQF Code. We are accepting your presentation ideas to share insights, best practices, emerging trends, groundbreaking research and critical industry updates in the area of food safety and food quality certification and retail food safety

Target Audience

SQF Stakeholders and food safety professionals such as:

• QA & QC Professionals
• SQF Practitioners & Consultants
• Foodservice Food Safety Staff
• Retail Food Safety Personnel
• Compliance and Training Staff
• Regulatory Advisors
• Internal and 3rd Party Auditors
• Product & Solution Providers
• Certification Body Personnel
• Food Safety Business Development and Marketing Professionals

Success Factors

Factors that will improve the chance of your proposal being selected include:

• You submit your proposal online before the March 11 deadline
• Your proposal has a unique angle on the topic of interest
• You have a unique or interesting way of delivering the content
• The session description clearly states the learning objectives and expected takeaways

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• The content offers an applied not academic approach, providing practical advice and takeaways

(case studies are highly encouraged)

• You have not presented at the SQF Conference in the last two years

Session Formats and Schedule

Tuesday, November 5

• 1. General Session (3 slots available) – 45 minutes

Format: Presentation by one or more presenters, followed by Q&A Approximate number of attendees: 700-900 Wednesday, November 6

• 1. General Session (1 slot available) – 45 minutes

Format: Presentation by one or more presenters, followed by Q&A Approximate number of attendees: 700-900

• 2. Learning Labs (9 slots available) – 45 minutes

Format: Presentation, Case Study, Class Exercise by one or more presenters, followed by Q&A Approximate number of attendees: 100-300

• 3. Fast Facts (6 available) – 7 minutes

Format: 7 slides, 7 minutes non-commercial presentation. No Q&A Approximate number of attendees: 700-900 Thursday, November 7

• 1. General Session (1 slot available) – 45 minutes

Format: Presentation by one or more presenters, followed by Q&A Approximate number of attendees: 700-900

• 2. Learning Labs (6 slots available) – 45 minutes

Format: Presentation, Case Study, Class Exercise by one or more presenters, followed by Q&A Approximate number of attendees: 100-300 Education sessions may be delivered by one presenter, co-presenters or a panel. Please note that any speakers listed/proposed should already have agreed to speak in the session.

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SQFI Non-Commercial Policy

Attendees at SQFI’s conferences are seeking quality education sessions free from commercial influence

• r bias and are critical of presenters or sessions that seek to advertise, promote or market products or
• companies. SQFI therefore mandates that presenters may not use a conference session for commercial

sales pitches or self-promotion. Speakers are not permitted to distribute promotional literature, brochures

• r sales materials in any form to attendees during their session. Presentations must be free from

inappropriate use of brands, trademarks or logos. Proposals that do not adhere to this policy will not be

• considered. SQFI reserves the right to maintain control over the content of the sessions and to make

modifications as appropriate.

Topics of Interest

This year’s education program will focus on the theme of “Shaping the Future of SQF Together.” Education sessions will fall under one of the following three categories:

• SQF and Food Safety Fundamentals

Target audience: food safety professionals new to the SQF Program

• Application of the SQF Code (SQF Code-focused topics that take an applied, not academic

approach and deliver actionable takeaways) Target audience: experienced food safety professionals seeking practical advice on application of the SQF Code

• Future Trends & Emerging Topics

Target audience: all food safety professionals interested in what’s coming down the pipeline in the world of food safety Potential topics of interest to our members may include, but are not limited to:

• SQF and Food Safety Fundamentals
• Dissecting an SQF Audit
• “What I Wish I had Known When I Started”: Advice from Experienced Professionals
• Improving Your Technical Writing Skills
• SQF for Small Sites
• Application of the SQF Code
• The Regulatory Landscape
• Food Fraud
• R&D – Bringing Food Safety Together
• Results and learnings from recall investigations
• Building Management Systems: Beyond the SQF Checklist

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• Why SQF is the best of GFSI
• ROI Case Study
• Approved Supplier Program – Taking it to the Next Level
• Systematic Corrective Action – Sustained and Preventative Measures
• How and Why to Measure Near Misses
• Improving Audit Predictability
• Cold Chain Transportation Challenges
• Allergens
• Future Trends & Emerging Topics
• Water Treatment in Produce
• Cleaning in a Dry Environment
• Reducing Food Waste/Sustainability
• Cultured Meat – Where Does it Belong and What are the Hazards?
• Gene Editing – What is it? Where is it Going?
• Lean Approach and Process Controls
• Preventative Internal Auditing – How to Get Ahead of the Curve
• Physical Contamination – Reacting to Narrowing Thresholds
• Workforce Recruitment and Retention in the Food Safety Industry
• Traceability / Blockchain
• Impact of Artificial Intelligence / Technology on the Future of Food Safety

Speaker Content Development Requirements

In order to ensure the highest level of quality of the conference education program, all speakers must adhere to design and content development guidelines. A list of speaker requirements can be found on the www.sqfconference.com website.

Video Submission

Presenters are encouraged to make use of the video upload option to support their submission. The video can either show the presenter speaking at another event or can be a verbal description of the proposed content. This task is optional.

Remuneration and Fees

No fees are required to present / participate in an education session; however, participants wishing to attend the conference are expected to register for the SQF Conference and pay the appropriate registration fee minus a 20% discount, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing with SQFI. Most industry speakers do not receive remuneration or expense reimbursement and are responsible for their own travel and registration costs. Please contact us for further details.

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Proposal Review, Selection and Notification Process

• Proposals must be submitted by Monday, March 11, 2019, 11:59 pm PST using the online

Abstract Management System. The submission portal will close once 100 proposals have been received or on the closing date, whichever comes soonest. No extension of this date will be granted. Proposals must include: ○ Full contact details including phone and email addresses ○ Presenter(s) bio ○ Full information on additional presenters ○ Selected topic ○ Summary of content ○ List of attendee learning outcomes

• Proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of SQFI-member committees and

SQFI staff according to the following criteria: ○ Timeliness and appropriateness of subject matter ○ Practical application and participant take-aways ○ Clearly stated and achievable learning outcomes ○ Originality (cutting-edge content not previously presented) ○ Qualifications and expertise of presenter(s) ○ Comprehensiveness and value of presentation objectives

• SQFI reserves the right to request/make modifications of content prior to acceptance
• Since the actual day and time of the session cannot be provided in advance, please ensure that

the presenter(s) are available for the duration of the event dates (November 5-7, 2019).

• SQFI technical staff and committee volunteers will review all proposals and accepted presenters

will be notified no later than June 1, 2019. Presenters will be notified only if they are accepted to speak. For more information, please contact abondthorley@fmi.org | 202.220.0606