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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — With the last Marketplace Conference behind it, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores is looking forward to next summer and the debut of the Total Store Expo (TSE) in Las Vegas.
The show will unify three NACDS conferences: Marketplace, Pharmacy and Technology, and Supply Chain and Logistics into one event covering stores from front to back.
The inaugural gathering, set for the Sands Expo and Convention Center from August 10 to August 13, 2013, will take place during the year marking the 80th anniversary of NACDS’ founding.
The organization’s board approved TSE’s creation based on ongoing dialogue with members and a formal outreach program designed to identify opportunities to revolutionize events. The expo will seek to build on NACDS’ reputation for cutting-edge conferences that maximize retailer-supplier access and industry education.
Over the winter NACDS launched a promotional Web advertisement to convey the opportunities TSE will provide chains and manufacturers. The ad, released on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, pledges that the expo “will create more synergy, provide efficient access to high-caliber meetings, and deliver a complete approach to health and wellness.”
Among those building excitement for the event was immediate past NACDS chairman Bob Loeffler, who is chief administrative officer at H-E-B. He said the organization’s retail members are looking forward to “grabbing the NACDS Total Store Expo and running with it.”
Loeffler noted that NACDS board members have committed to an additional meeting — during TSE. “These chain CEOs will engage energetically in this new meeting format,” he said. The board’s meeting will increase its number of meetings per year from two to three.
When TSE was announced last year, then NACDS chairman Larry Merlo said it would deliver “the precision and personalization that members have come to expect from current NACDS conferences.”
Merlo, president and chief executive officer of CVS Caremark Corp., promised “the power of an unparalleled conference in our industry.”
One objective of TSE is to ensure that NACDS meetings are spaced more strategically throughout the year — allowing for a more effective follow-up rather than having a conference follow so soon after the Annual Meeting; the Annual Meeting and Regional Chain Conference will continue in the spring and winter, respectively.
Another goal is to ensure the meeting lineup delivers value to all NACDS members and constituencies, given their diversity in size and specialties.
The expo is also designed to reflect the fact that the industry represented by NACDS continues to become more influential in the nation’s economy.
“The Total Store Expo is a new concept for trading partners,” says the NACDS website. “It will promote teamwork, synergy and execution. It will feature trade show excitement and allow for both tactical and strategic exchange.”
