Chicken Marketing Summit

Attend

Join the chicken industry on July 27-29 at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, for the 2026 edition of Chicken Marketing Summit, the essential networking and educational conference for poultry business leaders.

Registration for the Summit covers: 1-1/2 days of educational presentations, 2 evening cocktail receptions, breakfasts, lunch, multiple networking breaks, and the option to participate in the annual Bill Roenigk Chicken Marketing Summit golf tournament. Registration is open with early savings available until May 31.

Register here

Registration fees to attend:
• General attendee (non-member) – now only $1395 ($1595 after May 31)
• National Chicken Council member – now only $1295 ($1495 after May 31)
• National Protein & Food Distributors Association member – now only $1295 ($1495 after May 31)
• Trade Association representative – $695
• Government or Academia – $695
• Retail Grocery, Foodservice – Complimentary with a $150 deposit*

🔔 EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY! Not only does registering before May 31 save you $200, you can also enter to win access to the VIP Hospitality Suite at the 2027 Valspar Championship, held at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida. Play the Innisbrook course during Chicken Marketing Summit this summer, then you might get to see how the pros play in March 2027! Winner will be drawn and announced at Chicken Marketing Summit this July. See the details and opt-in for entry during your Summit registration.

*Retail Grocery and Foodservice is defined as an executive level employee of a retail or foodservice company who is responsible for buying or marketing poultry products which are sold directly to consumers. All registrants in the category will be further qualified and approved by the organizer. Attendee must check in on site at the event. Refund will be given 7-10 days after the Summit ends.

Why attend?

• Join poultry business leaders and influencers from companies such as: Albertsons, Aldi, Amick Farms, Applegate, Church’s Texas Chicken, Claxton Poultry, Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, Fieldale Farms, George’s, , Mountaire Farms, Perdue, Popeyes, Publix, Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, Simmons Prepared Foods, Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Zaxby’s and many others
• Engage with key industry execs during multiple panel discussions, including the Supply Chain Partners Panel
• Find out who will be awarded Chicken Marketer of the Year
  
• Be the first to hear results from the annual Consumer Chicken Consumption Survey, which will reveal answers to new questions about the most pressing consumer topics

Chicken Marketing Summit is geared toward the interests of poultry marketing and sales executives; retail supermarket/c-store and foodservice – buyers, brand marketers, and culinary/product development; allied industry sales and marketing executives, distributors and more.

Serving a unique cross section of the chicken supply chain, Chicken Marketing Summit explores issues and trends in food marketing and consumer chicken consumption patterns and purchasing behavior.

Press and media seeking admission into the Chicken Marketing Summit must be approved by the event organizers. Organizers will provide press releases and video footage taken by Chicken Marketing Summit staff upon request. Please contact Chad Forster at cforster@wattglobal.com for more information.

2026 Agenda

All Summit activities will take place at in the Stirling Hall & Ballroom, unless noted otherwise

Monday, July 27

9-10:30 a.m.
NCC Marketing & Communications Committee meeting
Open to committee members and invited guests

10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Registration

12 p.m.
Optional: Golf tournament kick-off, includes boxed lunch
Location: Innisbrook Cooperhead Golf Course

12:20-3:30 p.m.
Optional: Tarpon Springs Sponge Boat Tour
Step aboard one of the most popular things to do in Tarpon Springs — a sponge-diving demonstration cruise on the Anclote River with St. Nicholas Boat Line. Your Captain narrates the rich history of the area’s sponge-diving industry while you enjoy a scenic ride beginning from the Historic Sponge Docks, with hands-on displays of the various types of natural sponges and their uses. Tour is 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
$45

5:30-6 p.m.
First time attendees’ reception

6-7:30 p.m.
Chicken Marketing Summit 2026 opening reception
Golf tournament awards announced

Tuesday, July 28

7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Registration

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Breakfast

8:30-8:45 a.m.
Introduction and welcome
Greg Watt, president and CEO, WATT Global Media

8:45-9 a.m.
Industry overview from National Chicken Council
David Jackson, COO, Simmons Foods

9-10 a.m.
Keynote: The GLP-1/high-protein consumer opportunity for chicken
Kevin Ryan, founder/CEO, Malachite Strategy and Research

Protein is having a moment. Approximately 12% of U.S. adults are currently using or have used GLP-1 drugs. Usage of these drugs is expected to increase to as much 25% of the adult population with the introduction of pills and as drug costs decline. Even the federal government is now recommending consumers increase their protein intake. Learn how GLP-1 use and the call for reduced consumption of “ultra-processed” foods is impacting consumers’ food choices and how chicken marketers can help satisfy this increased craving for protein.

10-10:30 a.m.
Morning coffee break

10:30-11:30 a.m.
Supply chain under pressure: Executive panel

The chicken supply chain is no longer just about moving product — it’s about creating value. In this dynamic panel discussion, leaders from across the chicken supply chain explore the operational pressures, retail expectations and consumer shifts redefining how broiler industry connects to the marketplace. Walk away with actionable insights on collaboration, transparency, efficiency and innovation that can strengthen your competitive position in 2026 and beyond.

Confirmed panelists: 

• Don Kupski, vice president, purchasing and R&D, Lee’s Famous Chicken
• Randy Scruggs, vice president, supply chain, Bloomin’ Brands
• Others TBA

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Chicken Marketer of the Year
Winner announced and recognized

12-1:30 p.m.
Lunch

1:30-2:15 p.m.
2026 chicken consumption survey
Erkin Peksoz, protein practice principal, Circana

The results of the Chicken Consumption Survey will examine how GLP-1 drugs and the shift toward high-protein diets are impacting consumer purchase decisions. Erkin Peksoz with Circana will reveal the trends that keep consumers engaged during his exclusive presentation.

2:15-3 p.m.
Navigating the forces reshaping the broiler industry
Christine McCracken, executive director, animal proteins, Rabobank

Consumer behavior, geopolitics and supply‑side dynamics are shifting faster than ever, and the broiler sector sits squarely at the crossroads. In this session, Christine McCracken will break down the key trends that will influence consumers in the coming year. On the supply side, the industry faces a relatively favorable outlook, but as always, runs the risk of oversupplying industry needs. While regulatory pressures have eased, the ongoing threats of avian influenza, persistent hatchability challenges and tight labor markets have led the industry to take a more measured approach to expansion. At the same time, opportunities are emerging as the industry leverages new technologies to address these constraints and unlock improvements in yield, efficiency and waste reduction.

3-3:30 p.m.
Afternoon coffee break

3:30-4:15 p.m.
QSR’s chicken battleground: Consumer demand meets menu innovation
Maeve Webster, president, Menu Matters

Chicken remains at the center of the innovation battlefield for quick service restaurants (QSRs). This session zeroes in the forces driving QSR purchase decisions today: extreme value sensitivity coupled with willingness to trade up for craveable limited-time offers, core consumer needs driving demand for more meaningful experiences, forces beyond food shaping – and reshaping — consumer expectations and Gen Z’s influence on flavor profiles and brand expectations. Learn which chicken products and formats are gaining traction, what’s falling flat, and where white space opportunities exist.

4:15-5 p.m.
The shifting chicken shopper: Decoding 2026 retail trends
Lynn Dornblaser, principal consultant, Mintel

Almost everyone eats chicken. It is seen as an affordable protein. It’s PROTEIN! But we are seeing significant shifts driven by consumer preferences and market dynamics. We’ll explore some of those areas, including the growing influence of private label and value-driven purchasing, expansion of chicken consumption to new occasions, the increasing role of health (including GLP-1 impact), younger consumers and their desire for new flavors and forms, and the ever-present need for convenience.

5-6:30 p.m.
Networking reception

Wednesday, July 29

7:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Registration

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Breakfast

8:30-9:15 a.m.
Understanding the high-protein diet trend
Amber Pankonin, RDN, registered dietician and certified executive chef

As high-protein diets continue to dominate consumer wellness conversations, broiler producers and marketers face both significant opportunities and complex messaging challenges. During this session, Amber Pankonin, a registered dietician and certified executive chef, will help industry professionals understand why high-protein diets are so popular right now and where chicken fits in the evolving nutrition landscape.

9:15-10 a.m.
Protein as a brand: Obsession, fad or here to stay?
Hinda Mitchell, president and founder, Inspire

Chicken marketers have a new sub-brand to promote: protein. The rise of the protein obsession — fueled by GLPs, athletes, MAHA, weight management, carb-deniers and extreme-healthy lifestyles — has escalated consumption of high-protein foods, product introductions, restaurant innovation and traditional foods now “proteinified.” Hinda Mitchell will provide a road map for what protein-mania means for chicken marketers and how to capitalize on customers’ and consumers’ current preoccupation with protein as a brand.

10-10:30 a.m.
Morning coffee break

10:30-11:15 a.m.
HPAI’s impact on global poultry products and genetics trade
John Clifford, DVM, veterinary trade policy advisor, USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC)

The current H5N1 strain of HPAI is now found in wild birds in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and has caused record losses of domestic poultry in Europe and North America. The cost of the trade impacts of the HPAI outbreaks can exceed those of actual bird losses. John Clifford, DVM, will explain how the current distribution of HPAI in wild birds makes this outbreak different from others and will provide updates on how the U.S. and other countries are preparing to balance methods for stamping out the virus in commercial operations while keeping export markets open.

11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m.
How can artificial intelligence help me do that?
Details coming soon

John Clifford, DVM

Prior to joining the U.S. Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) in 2019, John Clifford, DVM, served for 33 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). He held a number of roles in his time with APHIS including serving as chief veterinary officer for the U.S. and chief trade advisor for APHIS. Clifford also served as the U.S. official delegate to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and deputy administrator of APHIS. He has served on the front lines of disease control efforts for HPAI and exotic Newcastle disease as well as negotiations with trading partners.

Lynn Dornblaser

Lynn Dornblaser brings almost 40 years of product trend knowledge to her position as client advisor. In this role she provides insight to clients and the industry, leveraging her career’s worth of knowledge and Mintel’s rich data sources. Prior to joining Mintel in 1998, Dornblaser covered new product trends at several trade magazine publishing companies. She has been quoted by major U.S. news organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times and CNN. Dornblaser holds a BS in journalism from the University of Illinois.

Elizabeth Doughman

Elizabeth Doughman is the editor of WATT PoultryUSA and Poultry Future. In this role, she is responsible for managing and creating engaging content about what’s next for the broiler, turkey and layer industries across print, e-newsletters, websites, videos, podcasts and in-person events, including the Chicken Marketing Summit and the Poultry Tech Summit. Prior to joining WATT Global Media in 2019, Doughman worked at a multimedia brand covering the animal research sector for 14 years. Doughman obtained a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree in journalism from Northeastern University.

Moderator

Don Kupski

Don Kupski started in the industry as a store manager for KFC while completing his degree at the University of Cincinnati. Following graduation, he moved into KFC’s R&D department where he worked on a number of non-fried offerings including the pot pie, Rotisserie Gold and TenderRoast chicken, among many other projects. In 1995, Kupski moved to RTM Restaurant Group in Atlanta. RTM was a major franchisee of Arby’s, along with owning Mrs. Winner’s Chicken & Biscuits and Lee’s Famous Recipe. One highlight from this employment was the development of the Double Dippers, a spicy breaded fried breast chunk. Following seven years at RTM, he moved to Sara Lee Foods meat division for a short stint before returning to Lee’s in 2004 as the vice president of purchasing and R&D.

Christine McCracken

Christine McCracken is the executive director of Animal Protein at Rabobank, where she leads the North American pork and poultry team within RaboResearch. In this role, she provides timely analysis on issues of strategic importance to the global protein industry. McCracken is an internationally recognized speaker and an active member of several key industry organizations, including the International Meat Secretariat, the National Chicken Council, and the International Poultry Council. She currently serves on the Executive Board of USPOULTRY and Egg Export Council.

Hinda Mitchell

Hinda Mitchell is president and founder of Inspire, a national, multi-service communications and marketing firm with a deep and longstanding practice in food production, animal agriculture and pets.

Terrence O’Keefe

Terrence O’Keefe began his association with the poultry industry in graduate school and has been working with and writing about poultry for 36 years. In his role as content director at WATT Global Media, O’Keefe leads a team of 24 reporters, editors and artists who cover the world’s poultry, animal feed and pet food industries. He has written for and edited publications covering the broiler, turkey and egg industries. Prior to joining WATT, he worked for broiler and turkey companies in variety of live production and processing roles including serving as manager for broiler and turkey slaughter and deboning plants. O’Keefe earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at the College of William & Mary, a master’s degree in poultry science at the Pennsylvania State University and an MBA at James Madison University.

Moderator

Amber Pankonin, RDN

Amber Pankonin, RDN, is an award-winning nutrition educator and chef based in Lincoln, Nebraska. With more than 25 years of experience in the food and nutrition industry, she serves as a registered dietitian and certified executive chef at the Great Plains Culinary Institute. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in culinary therapeutics from The Culinary Institute of America, further deepening her work at the intersection of food, health and clinical application. Pankonin was named the 2021 Outstanding Dietitian of the Year by the Nebraska Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of “10 Dietitians to Follow on Social Media.”

Erkin Peksoz

Erkin Peksoz is a principal at Circana’s  Protein Practice. Prior to joining Circana in 2017, he held various brand management roles across the food and alcoholic beverage CPG industries. In his own words, nothing excites and energizes him more than observing and reacting to the ever-changing consumer trends and decisions. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in civil engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Kevin Ryan

Kevin Ryan is founder/CEO of Malachite Strategy and Research, a CPG, retail and foodservice-focused insights and innovation agency. Kevin previously served as the global strategic senior planner at Amazon, overseeing the team responsible for corporate brand and advertising strategies for Global Prime and Non-Prime consumers. Prior to Amazon, Kevin was director of strategy and innovation at General Mills. For 15 years, Kevin led corporate and brand initiatives to discover new opportunities globally. Kevin is an expert in the front end of innovation, specializing in deep ethnography, strategic mapping, consumer jobs-to-be-done development, design thinking, agile methodologies and new product ideation. Kevin holds both a master’s and PhD in food science and a MSc in food anthropology. Kevin writes a food industry newsletter (FoodStuff) and also hosts a food industry podcast called 3 Squares.

Randy Scruggs

Randy Scruggs has spent 25 years in the food industry spanning manufacturing and supply chain management. He started his career in the manufacturing space working with industry leaders like Tyson Foods and Frito Lay before transitioning into procurement. Driven by a passion for developing strong collaborative relationships, Scruggs takes pride in the foundational partnerships he has built over time. Currently vice president of supply chain for Bloomin Brands, he has worked with three multi-branded casual dining companies leading procurement, distribution and facilities management. 

Tom Super

Tom Super brings more than 20 years of combined experience in strategic communications, public policy, politics and meat and poultry issues management to the National Chicken Council’s senior management team. He is responsible for day-to-day media relations, media outreach, social media management and strategic communications planning to supplement the NCC’s legislative, regulatory and public affairs efforts. Prior to his joining NCC, Super spent three-and-a-half years at the American Meat Institute, most recently as vice president of public affairs. He previously spent six years at Greener and Hook LLC, a Washington-based strategic communications consulting firm where his focus was on planning and executing communications strategies and delivering strategic communications and media relations counsel to corporations, trade associations, ad-hoc organizations, non-profits and political candidates at the local, state and federal levels. Super began his career in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill as a press assistant and legislative correspondent for U.S. Senator John W. Warner (R-Va.). A graduate of Washington & Lee University, in Lexington, Va., Super earned his bachelor’s degree in public policy.

Moderator

Greg Watt

Greg Watt is the president, chief executive officer and agrifood group publisher for WATT Global Media where he directs the company strategic vision, corporate culture, business growth and acquisitions. He joined the company in 1993, and in 2007 became the fourth generation to lead the company, which was founded in 1917 with the purchase of Poultry Tribune magazine by James W. Watt, his great-grandfather. Watt currently serves as the Communications Working Group Chair for the International Poultry Council and is a member of the NPFDA Scholarship Selection Committee. He directed and founded the Poultry Tech Summit, which is hosted every other year in Atlanta in collaboration with University of Georgia department of Poultry Science, Georgia Tech Research Institute, and USPOULTRY, and facilitated partnership with the National Chicken Council to produce the annual Chicken Marketing Summit. He is publisher of Egg Industry, WATTPoultry USA, Feed & Grain, WATTPoultry International, Executive Guide to World Poultry Trends, Feed Strategy, and the annual WATT IPPE Directory, now in its 40th year in cooperation with the IPPE.

Maeve Webster

Maeve Webster, president of Menu Matters LLC, is a consultant and thought leader for the food and beverage industry with 25 years of experience. In 2025, Menu Matters LLC will celebrate its tenth anniversary of supporting clients with exceptional one-on-one expertise in understanding, prioritizing and leveraging insights and trends. Webster has practical foodservice experience, having owned a café in Bennington, Vermont, for four years, and is a regular speaker at leading industry events and a resource for national and international media, including BBC Radio, NPR, New York Times and Sunday Morning.

Sponsorship

Grow your brand presence at Chicken Marketing Summit 2026

Sponsorship opportunities at the Chicken Marketing Summit take you beyond advertising and go further toward enhancing your company’s brand. Be among the first to sign up for sponsorship to maximize your exposure across multiple opportunities before, during and even after the event.

All Chicken Marketing Summit 2026 sponsorship opportunities are on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you become a sponsor, the more value your company will receive from being featured in event promotions. Contact your WATT Agribusiness sales manager today for pricing and details.

View the 2026 Sponsorship Prospectus

Five reasons to be a part of the Chicken Marketing Summit: 

1. Reach key poultry business leaders and influencers
2. Engage with the entire chicken supply chain
3. Build new relationships and share ideas with your poultry industry colleagues
4. Learn tips on connecting with the dynamically changing consumer
5. 1 1/2 days of exclusive networking and learning opportunities at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida