The Specialty Food Association will host a product development “boot camp” to help industry members develop skills for getting new products to market.

The event, dubbed “Plan.Make.Launch.,” is set for April 8-10 in Dallas. After a cocktail reception April 8, the camp will feature a program on April 9, “Let’s Innovate,” led by Barb Stuckey, chief innovation officer of Mattson, a Silicon Valley product innovation firm; and trend forecaster Suzy Badaracco.

The theme of the third day of the camp is “Let’s Launch,” where attendees will choose from one of three tracks: Managing Regulatory Compliance, Quality, and Safety in New Product Development; Selling Your New Product: Retail, Ecommerce, and Distribution Strategies; and Marketing Your New Product: Get the Word Out and Build a Campaign.

“A well-planned and executed new product launch can greatly magnify business success,” says Phil Kafarakis, president of the New York-based Specialty Food Association. “Our product development boot camp will bring world-class resources like Mattson, The Hartman Group and Stage-Gate International to our membership.”