Workshops

Joy is the “it” factor to achieve true retail greatness. When we live and work with JOY at the center of our focus, good things happen at all levels of our personal and professional lives. Our seminar will reset your compass and help you ask the correct questions to help find JOY in your work and create an atmosphere that is contagious amongst your staff and customers. In this session, Connoisseurs of Workplace JOY and Inspirational Retail Operators Mark Mulcahy [Read More]

A more in-depth look at one of the topics from the Wednesday All-Day Intensive Session “Hemp Cannabinoid Academy”. Knowing how we’ve built the legal framework we operate in gives us insight into what changes are likely in the future, and makes us better able to be the trusted retailer who can guide consumers through this complex product category. Presented by Joy Beckerman, and other industry professionals. Bio: Joy Beckerman Joy Beckerman is an internationally renowned hemp industries pioneer, advocate and [Read More]

Fungi are BOOMING in mainstream culture and have found their way into many beverages, foods, and supplements, but not all fungi based products are created equal. In this class we will discuss the scientific terminology around the parts of the fungi, best practices for processing, and the ethics of sourcing to expand on the current awareness surrounding some of our most popular mushroom friends. We will explore the challenges around terminology in a  burgeoning sector, and how to get a solid [Read More]

This session is designed for natural food businesses and retailers seeking to partner with or come to a deeper understanding of a co-packer relationship, and for natural food manufacturers who might offer co-packer contract manufacturing services. During this workshop, we will explore the co-packing search process, highlighting specialized tools like the ODA co-pack search and partnership building process. We will explore, navigating minimums, pricing, successful models of hybridized co-packing models and the different type of co-packing partners. Attendees will gain [Read More]

A new presentation of an always popular workshop about Brokers, the role they play and the potential for your business to benefit from engaging a broker. Brokers of many types have been instrumental for many years in supporting the stable growth of the Natural Foods Movement in the Pacific NW. Provender Alliance has enjoyed the participation and support of a large number of brokers throughout our history. Brokers are brand representatives.  In order to introduce and build a brand the [Read More]

Weather you’re charting your future for personal growth, , or the future of your organization as a high-level organization leaders, or the future role of some part of your organizations playbook as a mid-level program managers, this work shop will present a framework for a successful trip.  Consider attending this workshop as a leadership group from your business!   Presenter bio: Justin is the owner of Bagel Sphere, a rapidly growing regional wholesale bakery. He is co-founder of Oregon Co-packing, [Read More]

Omega-3 Oils: Sustainable From the Inside Out – Personal to Planetary Health At Carlson, we’re as committed to the environment as we are to high product quality. With the ever-changing needs of consumers’ overall health along with climate changes, evolution has occurred for Omega-3’s inside the bottle as well as outside the bottle. Omega-3s have over 40,000 studies regarding their benefits for overall wellbeing, and we will delve into some of the research, discuss the Omega-3 Index, look at fish [Read More]

When making plans for Growing Strong and stronger, whether we’re an individual planning a career in Natural and Organic Foods or if we’re a business facing the ever-new landscape of competition and opportunity,  we have to begin with accurate and unvarnished self-knowledge. In this session we will explore techniques and tools to bring a more accurate sense of who we are to the process of planning who we hope to become. This session will lay the groundwork for the Thursday afternoon [Read More]

Fungi are BOOMING in mainstream culture and have found their way into many beverages, foods, and supplements, but not all fungi based products are created equal. In this class we will discuss the scientific terminology around the parts of the fungi, best practices for processing, and the ethics of sourcing to expand on the current awareness surrounding some of our most popular mushroom friends. We will explore the challenges around terminology in a  burgeoning sector, and how to get a solid [Read More]

Using stories and personal experience, John will help us solve the mysteries  of reliable and conscious retail leadership. You will leave this experience with tools from business math to self-care and just about everything in between. Included will be Reverent Communication, Self-Defense Customer Service, Business Math – Margins and Magic, Embracing the Icky, and Self-Care. BIO: John Mabbott, in his 43 years in retail, has been a grocer, manager, entrepreneur, and management consultant. In retirement, when he is not consulting [Read More]