Category Management Experts to Present Workshop at FMI 2001

Interactive Edge, the award-winning provider of interactive consumer packaged goods (CPG) presentation and analysis software solutions, in collaboration with The Partnering Group, Armature, and IdeaBeat, announced their workshop at the upcoming Food Marketing Institute (FMI) 2001 conference in Chicago. The workshop, entitled Continuous Category Management, examines how to implement integrated, automated and interactive applications throughout the entire Category Management process. It will also cover how retailers and manufacturers can integrate Category Management into their day-to-day business decisions and processes.

FMI 2001 is the supermarket industry's leading convention and educational exposition. This year's conference is being held at McCormick Place in Chicago from May 6th-8th. The Continuous Category Management workshop will be held once a day starting on Sunday, May 6th from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm; Monday, May 7th from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm and Tuesday, May 8th from 10:00 am - 11:00 am. All workshops will be held in meeting room N133.

"It's a pleasure to join forces with the leaders in category management to present this important topic during FMI," said Zel Bianco, president and CEO of Interactive Edge. "Category Management systems automate and improve the workflow of manufacturer and retailer data, help manufacturers develop interactive merchandising and new product introduction presentations and support the bottom line by increasing sales force productivity."

"A key requirement for successful Category Management is to integrate it into the day-to-day business processes of retailers and manufacturers," said Brian Harris, co-founder of The Partnering Group. "Until this occurs, Category Management will remain too much a project-based approach. Continuous Category Management provides the answer. It represents the next logical step in the evolution of Category Management as a core business process in the consumer goods industry. This seminar represents the launch of this important concept in the U.S. The seminar brings the combination of business process and technology tools expertise that is needed to bring Continuous Category Management to a reality."

Workshop space is limited; therefore registration for the workshop is strongly encouraged. To register, contact Patrick Moriarty of Interactive Edge at 800-961-9296 x412 or send e-mail to workshop@interactiveedge.com.

Interactive Edge will also demonstrate its Category Management solutions CMS-Pro, CMS-Xpress and CMS-Web, and its Brand Planning Solutions BPS-Planner and BPS-New Item in booth N6310 located in the Technology section of the FMI exhibit hall.

More About The Partnering Group

The Partnering Group is a strategic management consulting firm, dedicated to helping consumer product retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers achieve competitive advantage through Category Management Best Practices and Efficient Consumer Response (ECR). TPG is recognized worldwide as the pioneer developer of the Category Management approach. TPG has authored the Best Practices Category Management Reports for ECR U.S., Europe and Brazil. Over the past ten years, TPG has trained hundreds of companies and thousands of practitioners in these business methods. TPG operates globally with clients and offices in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Africa, Australia and the Pacific Rim. For more information about TPG call 513-381-0093 or visit www.thepartneringgroup.com.

More About Armature

Armature is the world's leading provider of supply-chain solutions to food retailers as well as other fast-moving consumer-goods retailers, distributors and manufacturers. Armature provides more than 20 applications spanning distribution, logistics, replenishment, order management, category management and store operations. North American clients include Marsh Supermarkets, Overwaitea Food Group, Pep Boys, Save Mart, SUPERVALU and Wal-Mart. In Europe, Armature clients include Kruidvat, Schuitema, Somerfield, Sperwer, Van Eerd, Thorntons, Focus Do It All and Waitrose. For more information about Armature call 630-505-5775 or visit www.armature.com.

More About IdeaBeat

IdeaBeat.com, which has received a "Best of the Net" designation from About.com, is a destination site for professionals in retailing and related industries. The site offers retail news, insights and analysis as well as Online Profit Guides: business-building strategies and tactics for retail key categories. It also offers Retail NewsBeat, a feature that provides daily news and analysis of events relevant to the retailing industry. IdeaBeat.com is sponsored by leading industry suppliers and service companies who work with the IdeaBeat staff to produce informational micro-sites within IdeaBeat.com. Current sponsors include M&M/Mars, The Minute Maid Company, Good Humor-Breyers, Kimberly Clark, Coca-Cola, Georgia Pacific, Nabisco, Time Distribution Services, A.C. Nielsen, UCCNet and viaLink. For more information about Ideabeat call 203-323-9362 or visit www.ideabeat.com.

More About Interactive Edge

Award-winning Interactive Edge develops customer-tailored interactive software applications for the CPG and related industries. Delivered in a dynamic and highly graphical format that leverages and reinforces brand equities, IE's Category Management and Brand Planning Products are designed to help companies sell to all classes of trade including: food, drug and mass merchandising. Headquartered in New York City, Interactive Edge has over 30 clients including industry leaders such as Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Nabisco, Quaker, Procter & Gamble and Tropicana. Recognized by Deloitte & Touch é as a Shooting Star in 1999, the Company has been named to the prestigious Deloitte & Touche Technology "Fast 50" Program for the competitive New York region in 2000. For more information about Interactive Edge call 212-462-4900 or visit www.interactiveedge.com.

Contact Jeanne Achille, The Devon Group, 732-542-2000 x11, jeanne@devonpr.com