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The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade is presenting an education conference for specialty food retailers immediately prior to its 2011 Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C.

The Super Retailer Summit will be held at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel on Friday, July 8, and Saturday, July 9. The Summer Fancy Food Show is July 10 to 12 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The summit was created to satisfy a need for advanced educational content for retailers of specialty food with in-depth information in three key areas: sales and marketing, operations and management, and sourcing. The keynote speaker will be noted consumer expert Paco Underhill of Envirosell, author of “What Women Want" and "Why We Buy.”

Modeled after the NASFT’s successful Super Retailer Summits in Chicago and Napa Valley, the conference provides a day and a half of expert education for retailers of specialty and natural foods, supermarket buyers and others in the specialty food industry. In addition to Underhill, featured presenters include Ellen Haas, former president of the Consumer Federation of America; Ari Weinzweig, cofounder of Zingerman's; Sam Mogannam of Bi-Rite Market; Brad Hedeman; Pete Sickman-Garner; and Vanessa Sly.

A special networking event, “U Street Dine-Around,” will take attendees inside noteworthy U Street restaurants where they will learn the history of this distinctive D.C. neighborhood.

For more information about the Super Retailer Summer, contact Laura Lozada at llozada@nasft.org or 646-878-0148.

NASFT is a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 to foster trade, commerce and interest in the specialty food industry.