The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, will kick off its conference, Convergence ’24, with a keynote address from Jim Jones, the deputy commissioner for human foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
 
Jones’ address will take place on Oct. 10, just days after the agency’s reorganization goes into effect. He’ll share perspectives about how dietary supplement oversight fits into the new framework, enforcement priorities, and what legislative updates to DSHEA the agency supports.
 
The conference is slated to take place Oct. 9-11 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. The annual gathering is open for both members and non-members in the dietary supplement and functional food industries.
 
Additional keynote speakers include Noelle Russell, founder and chief AI officer at AI Leadership Institute, who will talk about artificial intelligence’s impact on business, and Chris Cillizza, a political analyst and former politics reporter and editor-at-large at CNN.
 
“CRN’s carefully curated program of keynote speakers for CONVERGENCE ‘24 is designed to help keep supplement industry stakeholders connected to the latest developments at FDA, inspire innovation sparked by discussions around the future of AI, and make sense of what today’s headlines portend for the global political landscape,” said Steve Mister, president and CEO of CRN. “And, of course, attendees will enjoy the ample opportunities for networking and conversation about what’s next for our industry as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of DSHEA.” 
 
Prior to the Convergence program, CNR will offer concurrent Science in Session and WellComms events starting on the morning of Oct. 9.
 
Science in Session’s agenda will feature research on bioactive compounds that support longevity, kicking off with a talk by Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, PhD, professor at the University of Florida, with additional discussions on cognition, bone and skin health, inflammation, obesity, and more.
 
For those focused on marketing and communications, WellComms will serve as a forum exploring the latest trends and strategies in the supplements industry. Tommaso Visentini, divisional vice president of analytics, insights, and brand activation at Pharmavite, will discuss changes in the VMS (vitamin and mineral supplements) consumer landscape. He will cover how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a shift from reactive condition management to proactive health and wellness. Vissentini will talk about the influence of social media on shaping supplement preferences and purchase decisions, and will offer insights into advertising strategies for a new breed of informed and proactive consumers.
 
CRN will have its inaugural Innovation Exchange on the afternoon of Oct. 9, featuring a series of 25-minute presentations on ingredient research from a steering committee-selected lineup of experts. Innovation Exchange is complementary for all attendees.
 
Registration for CRN’s annual events includes a la carte options for Science in Session or WellComms. Special pricing is available when registering for both a pre-event and Convergence.