ALEXANDRIA, Va. – With less than a month to go until the annual NACS State of the Industry Summit, speakers are lined up and hotel rooms are booked. Have you registered yet? The SOI Summit, taking place April 14 – 16 at the Lowes Chicago O’Hare, is a priceless opportunity to access the industry’s deepest data and insights to help you make the most informed decisions to guide your company in the years ahead.
This year’s SOI Summit offers more than a dozen business experts, economists and top performing retailers delivering the best financial and operational insights as they present a first-look at this year’s industry data.
Among the sessions planned for the SOI Summit are:
New Drivers of Fuel Demand
John Eichberger, Vice President, Government Relations, NACS; Executive Director, Fuels Institute
Which fuels and how much of them will the next generation of drivers purchase? The confluence of these developments will change the fuel market and convenience retailers need to prepare for what tomorrow’s fuel customers will demand.
The Evolving Hispanic Consumer
Juan Carlos Davila, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Hispanic Market, Nielsen
Due to unprecedented population growth, buying power and culture sustainability, the multicultural marketplace has gone from niche opportunity to mainstream imperative. By investing in multicultural consumers and understanding how they also influence non-multiculturals, convenience retailers can ensure that they will remain competitive and relevant in this new multicultural society.
How the Best Retailers Constantly Improve
Ian Thompson, Senior Vice President, Kalibrate
The difference between a successful fuel retailer and the also-rans is often marginal. Hear how top-quartile retailers measure their business, how they focus on their constraints and how they deal with the inevitable paradigm shifts that the retail fuels industry experiences.
Fewer Bigger Bolder: From Mindless Expansion to Focused Growth
Sanjay Khosla, author, Senior Fellow, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group
In today’s digital and global world, many companies spread themselves thin by going for more — more products, more categories, and more markets. Sanjay will share firsthand examples on how to achieve sustainable and profitable growth by doing a few things bigger and bolder. He will also discuss how to unleash the potential of people by giving them blank checks; how to execute and make things happen; and how to celebrate successes, along with failures.
Important hotel information: Please note that the NACS State of the Industry Summit host hotel – the Loews Chicago O'Hare (formerly the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare) – has officially sold out of hotel rooms during the event. The Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel and Conference Center, located near the Loews (approx 0.2 miles away, about a 4-minute walk), currently has rooms available at a discounted rate of $169 plus tax per room, per night. Hotel rooms are on a space available basis and are filling fast. Visit Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare or call (877) 337-5793 to secure your reservation at the discounted rate (provide the group name NACS 2015).
Registration for the NACS State of the Industry Summit is complimentary for up to three individuals per retail member company, if your company submits data for the NACS State of the Industry Survey. More information about the survey, and an online submission form, is available online at nacsonline.com/soisurvey. The deadline to submit your company data has been extended until Thursday, April 2.
For more information on the NACS State of the Industry Summit, including a complete schedule of speakers and events as well as registration and travel information, visit SOISummit.com.