Educational Seminar

1:00 – 2:00 PM: From Insight to Impact: Leveraging AI & Data Science Across the Product Lifecycle

2:00 – 3:00 PM: Beyond Avocado Toast: The Real Drivers Behind Gen Z Food Decisions

Generation Z is often characterized by viral recipes, social media food trends, and adventurous flavor choices, but those visible behaviors only tell part of the story. Beneath the headlines are deeper economic, psychological, and cultural forces that are fundamentally changing how this generation discovers, evaluates, purchases, and consumes food and beverages. Growing up amid financial uncertainty, climate awareness, digital connectivity, and unprecedented global access has created consumers who define value differently, seek authenticity, embrace cultural exploration, and expect food to deliver more than just nourishment. This session examines the underlying drivers shaping Gen Z’s decisions and distinguishes between behaviors that are simply part of being young and those that will remain as the generation matures. Attendees will also explore the emerging food and beverage trends influenced by these changing expectations, including wellness, convenience, sustainability, global flavors, functional beverages, and product innovation, and gain practical insights for developing products that remain relevant as consumer behaviors continue to evolve.

Learning Objectives

After attending this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the economic, psychological, and cultural factors driving Generation Z’s food and beverage purchasing decisions beyond social media trends and viral products.
• Differentiate between life-stage behaviors and lasting generational characteristics to better anticipate future shifts in consumer demand.
• Apply Gen Z’s evolving expectations around value, authenticity, wellness, convenience, sustainability, and global flavor exploration to identify future food and beverage innovation opportunities.