Face it, we all miss meeting in-person; the ability to see, touch, taste products, feeling the energy of people when you are sitting across the table face to face, and sharing a joke with them over cocktails during a networking function. Last year I’ve been to almost 20 ECRM Food & Beverage sessions as well as other industry events, and like everyone else, I’ve had to accept the fact those personal connections will not happen for quite some time.

However, being forced to adapt to a virtual world has forced us to embrace new technologies, and in doing so we’ve learned the efficiencies they can deliver. Brian Ferrier, Merchandising Manager for Giant Eagle is a case-in-point. While he loves meeting with vendors in person, he admits that virtual tools have driven efficiencies into his day-to-day activities, particularly his participation in ECRM’s recent Candy Planning: Easter & Valentine’s Day Virtual Session.

In this episode, I speak with Brian about how he's adpted to this new virtual word, how it's helped give him some time back to focus on strategic initiatives, and where he sees virtual playing a role in the future. He also share for suppliers on what he likes to see in virtual presentations.