Fairfax, VA: The 2015 AWMA Marketplace & Solutions Expo, Feb. 24-26, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino will be packed with innovation, information and insight, all designed to help convenience industry attendees build sales and profits in today’s competitive environment.
The Expo keynote speaker set to wow attendees will be adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person in history to summit Mount Everest. Weihenmayer, who has reached the summit of the tallest mountain peaks on each continent, will speak at the General Session on Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Paris, site of the association’s annual convention.
Also on Thursday morning, Charlotte Beers, former Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs and national advertising agency CEO of Ogilvy & Mather and Tatham-Laird & Kudner, will address attendees at the annual AWMA Women’s Leadership Initiative Breakfast. Beers, once named the “most powerful woman in advertising” and known as the “queen of Madison Avenue,” is author of the book, I’d Rather be in Charge.
The opening General Session on Wednesday, Feb. 25, will feature a presentation on overall industry and consumer trends by Kelly Tackett, United States Research Director for Planet Retail. Tackett will examine how consumer trends are driving a shift toward convenience formats, which along with discount stores, are expected to generate the fastest pace of growth among physical retail channels in the next five years. Don’t miss this insightful presentation and find out how c-stores can innovate around the needs of their shifting shopper base.
During four one-hour Category Spotlight Sessions held right on the trade show floor, industry experts will discuss trends, reveal current data and offer projections for the future. Receive an unprecedented view into how candy, cigarettes & other tobacco products (OTP), e-cigarettes & vaping, and salty & alternative snacks have been performing by category, subcategory, manufacturer brand and SKU. Presenters for these sessions will be:
- Candy – Presented by Kit Dietz, principal, Dietz Consulting LLC
- Cigarettes & OTP – Presented by Nik Modi, managing director, RBC Capital Markets, LLC
- E-Cigarettes & Vaping – Presented by David Bishop, managing director, Balvor, LLC and Ray Johnson, operations manager, Speedee Mart, Inc.
- Salty Snacks & Alternative Snacks -Presented by Kit Dietz, principal, Dietz Consulting LLC
New this year will be the Next Generation Conference designed for emerging leaders in the convenience distribution industry and the Executive Leaders Forum, for owners, CEOs, presidents and vice presidents from convenience distribution businesses. In addition, for users of AWMA’s exclusive InfoMetrics data program, an InfoMetrics Distributor Users Training Seminar will be offered.
For more information about the 2015 AWMA Marketplace & Solutions Expo, visit www.awmamarketplace.com.
