NACDS to consolidate major conferences in 2013

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Early Sunday morning at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Annual Meeting, NACDS announced that in 2013 it will unify its current NACDS Marketplace Conference, NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference and NACDS Supply Chain & Logistics Conference into one new event, called the “NACDS Total Store Expo.” NACDS said the transformation of its conference program was based on input from member companies and a long-term vision for bringing business partners together in an innovative conference environment.

The NACDS Total Store Expo will deliver the member- and industry-focused approach that participants have come to expect from NACDS conferences, according to NACDS. The lineup of business meetings will continue to include the NACDS Regional Chain Conference and NACDS Annual Meeting in their current forms, and the changes will not affect already scheduled meetings and conferences in 2011 and 2012.

The first NACDS Total Store Expo is scheduled for Aug. 10 to 13, 2013 — the year of the 80th Anniversary of NACDS — in Las Vegas. 

The NACDS board of directors approved this innovation in the NACDS conference schedule based on input from NACDS members generated through ongoing dialogue and a formal outreach program over the past year that was designed to identify any opportunities to change NACDS events.

According to NACDS, the objectives of the new lineup of meetings include the following:

• Keep the focus on maintaining — and even increasing — the time and access that make it possible for retailers and suppliers to do business;
• 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 NACDS Annual Meeting;
• Create opportunities to address strategies across the store and across the industry, such as those related to health and wellness;
• Ensure the lineup of meetings presents value to all NACDS members and constituencies — with their diversity in size and specialties;
• Incorporate greater opportunities for discussion of such topics as supply chain and logistics, as these areas increasingly are being recognized as pivotal areas for managing costs and leveraging technology;
• Include innovative business forums that keep NACDS at the forefront of retail dynamics, and at the forefront of association and conference trends; and
• Reflect the fact that the industry represented by NACDS continues to become more influential in the nation’s economy.