Denver to host the 2015 NACDS Total Store Expo in August

This year the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo will take place August 22-25 at Denver’s Colorado Convention Center, and the exhibit floor is almost sold out.

Approximately 5,800 attended the inaugural four-day trade show in Las Vegas two years ago. Last year, the NACDS TSE attendance was about the same, and this August, Jim Whitman, vice president of NACDS, expects 5,800 to 5,900 attendees.

Both retailers and suppliers are planning to attend again this year because of the value and high-caliber opportunities they are finding from this show, Whitman noted.

See also: NACDS expands point-of-care testing program

Meet the Retailer

Two key opportunities are offered again this year: Meet the Retailer and Meet the Market. The Meet the Retailer program provides time for retailers to engage with a large group of manufacturers, so retailers can introduce their teams and talk about their businesses, including new programs they are implementing on both the front-end of the pharmacy and the supply-chain side. This program will be held Saturday, August 22, at the Colorado Convention Center, Rooms 401 and 402, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is open to exhibitors only.

“In Meet the Retailer, retailers get exclusive time with a large group of manufacturers to talk about their businesses, executive changes, and new programs. The suppliers get to meet the decision-makers in the chain,” Whitman said.

Meet the Market

The Meet the Market program enables participating exhibitors to introduce their businesses, new products, technology, and services to retailers during 10-minute appointments arranged by NACDS. This program is also held on Saturday, August 22, Colorado Convention Center, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. (For information about setting up these meetings, e-mail aklapmust@nacds.org.)

“Both these programs are a very effective use of people’s time,” said Whitman. “During Meet the Market, we emphasize the match [of the exhibitor to the retailer]. It is becoming a critical component of the conference … getting the right person in a large setting.”

Planning ahead is the best way to maximize one’s time for NACDS TSE, said Chrissy Kopple, vice president of media relations, NACDS. “To be really effective [at this meeting], you need to plan ahead and pick up the phone and make those calls - to both the retailer and the manufacturer. This is an appointment-based meeting.”

To register and view the program, visit tse.nacds.org.