Fall 2007 International Exchange Forum

Honoring the Age of Dignity: Perspectives for the U.S. and Europe

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It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle of Life

—The Lion King, music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice

‘The Circle of Life’ Workshop

Though these words are from a popular song, from a popular academy award-winning Disney musical, the truth of the concept can still haunt us, and compel us to re-think our linear understanding of life stages and indeed product development to consumers in various life stages.

The focus of this interactive workshop is to examine the impact of different life stages on life choices. While we will consider a variety of themes, our focus will be on food.

Themes we will be discussing:

  • Developmental issues from birth to Prime Time (55+) – an examination of key drivers and other main issues, and how these affect life choices

  • Compare and contrast two apparently ‘extreme’ stages of life - between the early and later years of life (comparing children to Prime Timers)

  • An exploration of the role of childhood experiences and memories – particularly on food choice and a lifetime of food experiences

  • A brief look at life stage modeling, and how these might apply in our quest to understand and to design the best products.

Workshop facilitator Bryan Urbick will be drawing upon his extensive experience working with population groups across various lifestages from around the world. Participants can expect to glean fascinating insights into, and examples of, what Bryan has uncovered about the food and life values that different age groups and cultures treasure. And then put those insights to give us an understanding of how to utilize them in practical application.

A Note from Amanda Archibald

I have personally known Bryan for a number of years. Over the years, I have seen him fascinate senior executives from the food industry, with his insights into how children, women, baby boomers and prime timers think about, and value food. His presentations are memorable. His insights are seldom matched. Indeed, I am convinced that when Bryan presents at the U.S. New Products Conference every year, there are a large number of people who return to the conference, simply to hear Bryan present. Regardless of the time he presents, seating is at a premium to hear Bryan speak. It is an incredible honor and privilege to host Bryan at this Forum.