The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association and The Partnering Group Announce Foodservice Category Management Training and Certification

CHICAGO, Feb. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) and The Partnering Group (TPG), introduce IFMA's Foodservice Category Management Training and Certification Program. The program is powered by Full Plate™, Foodservice Category Management, developed by TPG and recently endorsed by the Foodservice Category Management Innovation & Activation board.

This marks the first time best practices category management training and certification has been made widely available in the foodservice industry. The program is built upon category management best practices and leverages content from "Full Plate: Category Management Process for Foodservice."

"This training and certification program is an extraordinary opportunity for individuals to actively work through the Full Plate™ process and learn how to practically integrate and activate best practices category management within their companies," said Larry Oberkfell, President/CEO of IFMA. IFMA's Training and Certification Program, powered by TPG's Full Plate™, teaches participants every step of the Full Plate™ process through direct instruction, small workshop sessions and interactive group sessions.  The training enables organizations to translate insights into action by activating the process within their organizations to achieve enhanced business results.

"IFMA's Training and Certification, powered by TPG's Full Plate™, will enable distributors, manufacturers and operators to efficiently build their category management capabilities as part of their ongoing journey to better serve the needs of their patrons," said Frank Grossi, CEO of The Partnering Group. The training and certification program will be open for registration in early March 2014.

To read more about Full Plate, click here.

To become a member of the Update Group and receive a complimentary copy of Full Plate™: Category Management in Foodservice, click here.

For more information on the 2014 training dates, contact Devon Gerchar at IFMA.

About International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)
IFMA is a leading trade association comprised of the world's most prestigious food, equipment and supply manufacturers in the $600 billion foodservice industry, as well as related marketing service organizations, trade publications, distributors and brokers. IFMA's mission is to serve as a business partner to its members by bringing them relevant, actionable services that are fundamental to their business assessment, planning and execution. For more information, visit ifmaworld.com. Follow IFMA on Twitter: @IFMAWORLD or join our group on LinkedIn.

About The Partnering Group
Founded in 1990, The Partnering Group (TPG) is an international strategy and general management consulting firm. Our mission is to provide proven enterprise-wide collaborative solutions for multiple business sectors worldwide. TPG led a major shift in the CPG industry with its focus on driving value through collaborative marketing, merchandising and fulfillment of products across the entire value chain and is recognized for Best Practices in Category Management & Assortment. For more information, visit thepartneringgroup.com. Follow us on Twitter: @TPGConsulting or on LinkedIn at: linkedin.com/company/the-partnering-group.

SOURCE International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)