NACDS' 2010 Marketplace Conference to kick off this weekend
ALEXANDRIA, Va. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores' annual marketplace conference will kick off this weekend in San Diego, once again uniting manufacturers and retailers for business meetings, networking opportunities and educational programming.
With exhibit space sold out, NACDS anticipates the conference will be the ultimate event for retailers and suppliers. Nearly 500 healthcare, personal care, baby care, cosmetics and fragrances manufacturers will have the opportunity to meet with over 150,000 wholesaler, mass merchant, supermarket, and chain drug retail outlets.
This year, the conference boasts more than 100 first-time exhibitors who will have the opportunity to meet with retailers during the “Meet the Market” program. Approximately 8,000 pre-selected and pre-planned meetings will enable exhibitors, suppliers and manufacturers the opportunity to meet with more then 300 retail buyers – representing over 100,000 retail outlets – in a one-on-one meeting to discuss their products and services.
Additionally, the conference also will showcase “Meet the Retailer/How to Do Business With…” sessions to better facilitate the supplier-retailer relationship and connection. This year’s participating companies are Costco, Shopko, Walgreens, Wegmans, Chain Drug Consortium, CVS Caremark and Kmart. Other such events include “What a shopper does?” and “The Path to Purchase” programs.
Following the conclusion of the conference, NACDS will partner with the San Diego Food Bank to donate products from exhibitors. The donation is scheduled for June 8, following the closing of the conference at 12:00 noon. Collection bins will be placed in the aisles throughout the exhibit floor.
“The 2010 NACDS Marketplace Conference will deliver tremendous value to retailers and suppliers, and we are hearing a great deal of enthusiasm for the business opportunities that this event will present to participants,” said NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson. “NACDS meetings and conferences are designed with our members’ priorities in mind, and they are focused on creating effective venues for collaboration, innovation and doing business.”