There is so much to learn at conferences, but often the lunchtime discussions with new friends can be more informative than (or even opposed to) what’s being presented.
There’s nothing nefarious going on… who would want to air their company’s dirty laundry on PowerPoint? But I see frustration or a disconnection when the cases presented seem to be sunshine and rainbows, with whole teams devoted to regulatory affairs, artwork or supply chain. Refreshingly, Jim Butschli and I attended a few conferences this year in which that wasn’t the case, where panelists discussed their companies’ compliance and recall challenges.