Plus, FDA’s Welch on DSHEA and Deputy Commissioner Jones of Human Foods
Room block closes Sept. 17 for Salt Lake City event
SEPTEMBER 3, 2024
WASHINGTON – The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, is pleased to present artificial intelligence (AI) innovator and Founder & Chief AI Officer of the AI Leadership Institute Noelle Russell as a keynote speaker at its CONVERGENCE ‘24 event taking place Oct. 9–11 in Salt Lake City at the Grand America Hotel. Details are available at crnusa.org/2024events. CRN’s room block with event group rates is available through Sept. 17 or while space remains available.
“The Future of AI in Your Industry” session, taking place the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 10, will include an immersive deep dive into generative AI and other emerging technologies changing the ways we live, work, and do business with real-world examples and insights from Russell on responsible, ethical, and inclusive applications.
A panel discussion, “Applying AI Technologies to the Dietary Supplement Industry,” will follow Russell’s address, with: Jim Flatt, co-founder and CEO, Brightseed; Akash Shah, co-founder and CEO, IngredientAI; and other senior executives from the supplement industry. The panel will discuss how AI is revolutionizing the identification and development of bioactive compounds in supplements, accelerating personalized nutrition, and innovating across an array of industry applications. Panelists will candidly reflect on AI’s potential and limitations, offering a balanced view of AI’s promise and the challenges ahead.
Jim Jones, FDA deputy commissioner for Human Foods, will deliver the opening keynote—his first address to the dietary supplement industry since his appointment last year. Mr. Jones’s remarks about FDA’s priorities for dietary supplement oversight will come just days after the agency’s official reorganization of the Human Foods Program and the creation of a new “super-office” that includes dietary supplement regulation.
“Navigating the News Cycle – Making Sense of the Headlines” will feature political analyst Chris Cillizza, former CNN Politics reporter and editor-at-large. Cillizza will share insights on the constantly evolving state of politics and its impact on cultural and business landscapes. With less than a month before the presidential election, he will examine the national climate and international events that are driving voter decision making.
“DSHEA—what’s working, what’s not, and how to fix it,” will be the final session on Friday, Oct. 11, featuring Cara Welch, Ph.D., Director of FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs, along with industry representatives, to discuss potential legislative changes and regulatory enhancements to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), the industry’s foundational law, 30 years after its passage.
“CRN’s CONVERGENCE presents a unique opportunity for dietary supplement professionals to come together as a community to learn and discuss exciting cutting-edge technologies shaping our future, alongside real talk about the critical regulatory challenges we face,” said CRN President & CEO Steve Mister. “Open to CRN members, as well as non-members, CONVERGENCE will inspire reflection on the supplement industry’s growth propelled by DSHEA and what’s needed for the future to assure the continued advancement of our industry, which is so essential to consumers’ health and wellness.”
CONVERGENCE ‘24 kicks off with a reception the evening of Oct. 9. Prior to CONVERGENCE programming, CRN is presenting Science in Session and WellComms starting the morning of October 9. These events offer content and networking for targeted audiences with a nutrition science or marketing and communications focus, respectively. That same afternoon, CRN will present its first-ever Innovation Exchange, a series of 25-minute presentations on ingredient innovations.
Registration spanning the different options is available with special pricing for packages, groups and CRN members. Learn more at crnusa.org/2024events.
About the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 180+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Follow us on Twitter @CRN_Supplements and LinkedIn.