Q&A: Vision 2026 with NACDS' Jim Whitman

The energy is just getting started for the upcoming NACDS Total Store Expo. Hailed as the industry’s largest gathering of its most influential leaders, the NACDS Total Store Expo blends the tradeshow and senior-level conference formats into a powerful, 
appointment-based show, enabling strategic and tactical collaboration across functions within retailer and supplier partners.



This year’s confab, to be held Aug. 22 to 25 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, once again offers a robust agenda comprised of Meet the Market, Meet the Retailer, Vision 2026, the Product Showcase, Insight Sessions and more.



To learn more about this year’s Total Store Expo, Drug Store News recently spoke with Jim Whitman, NACDS SVP member programs and services.



Drug Store News: Can you elaborate on the importance of Total Store Expo?



Jim Whitman: Total Store Expo is a tradeshow and exhibit show, but it’s really much more than that. Obviously, there’s education involved, there’s networking involved, there’s issues and trending analysis and discussions involved, there’s the future involved in it, it is meeting with your peers. It is, again, bringing the entire industry together to take a look at business from all avenues and all sides. When people do that, our industry remains vibrant and strong. That’s the role that Total Store Expo is playing.



DSN: Following the launch in 2014, NACDS has announced the return of Vision 2026. What’s new with this year’s program?



Whitman: We are constantly looking at new companies that have some things that are maybe not quite yet commercialized who are somewhat thought leaders. We are looking at analytics, because that’s obviously a huge area right now. … We are incorporating the product showcase [and] NACDS TV, and health and wellness will be a big focus.



DSN: What role does the web site and other electronic communication play in Total Store Expo?



Whitman: It is really becoming a tool that we’re using to educate, inform and communicate with people throughout the year. There’s an electronic means, whether it be through social media, the website, through emails. … There are various avenues of communication that we can use to accomplish that. In addition, what we want to do is have relevancy available for people. … You have to remain relevant, and that’s the value of our communications. So, you’ll see [on the site] retailer and exhibit resources, which are really critical to people’s success.



DSN: With Total Store Expo about four months away, what can retailers and suppliers do now to help prepare?



Whitman: I think that retailers need to start talking with their supplier counterparts to start identifying the kinds of issues and agenda items they want discussed. No. 2, there’s a big focus now where it’s appropriate for both the retailer and supplier to have some global meetings. What I mean by that is bringing in the front end, the supply, the pharmacy, the health-and-wellness activities and the operations people to have a meeting that is encompassing all avenues of a company or the business with their [supplier] counterparts.