Full Agenda | 2008 Retail Technology Conference

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 / Arrival Day
10:00 am - 6:30 pm	Registration
3:00 - 4:15 pm	Opening Keynote Super Session 2008 RIS/Gartner Retail Tech Trends Study: Insight & Findings Analyst Segment: (3:00 - 3:35 pm) Study Presenters 1. Jeff Roster, Research Vice President / Global Industries, Gartner 2. Joe Skorupa, Group Editor-in-Chief, RIS News This keynote Super Session will begin with the debut of the retail industry's most widely regarded IT benchmark study, which has been tracking trends in retail IT for the past 18 years. This segment will feature insight and analysis about critical issues shaping the industry from one of the leading retail technology analysts in the country, Jeff Roster from Gartner. It will be moderated by RIS group editor-in-chief Joe Skorupa. Tech Trends Panel Discussion (3:35 - 4:15 pm) Discussion Host: Joe Skorupa, Group Editor-in-Chief, RIS News Discussion Participants: 1. Jeff Roster, Research Vice President / Global Industries, Gartner 2. Stephen Katsirubas, Vice President / Information Systems, The Clarks Companies, N.A. 3. Karen Lankford, Vice President / Information Systems, Southern State Cooperative Store 4. David Smith, Vice President / Store Systems, Goody's Family Clothing Following up on Jeff Roster's presentation, leading retail executives will join Jeff and Joe to provide their hands-on perspectives on the Study trends and findings. This discussion will cover challenges, obstacles and solutions faced by retailers in today's highly competitive and fast-changing retail environment.
4:20 - 5:05 pm	Concurrent Sessions Set #1 1-A: TRACK #1: "CROSS-CHANNEL RETAILING" New Marketing Strategies in the Web 2.0 World Speaker: Louis Pietragallo, Director of Web Development, American Eagle Outfitters The first step to successful cross-channel marketing is to find out what delivers strong sell-through success and high customer satisfaction levels to your target audience. American Eagle Outfitters has done just that. Today at American Eagle all minds think "cross-channel" when it comes to driving a unified marketing message to its target 16- to 24-year-old market. In this session, gain insights into how American Eagle uses its customer access points - and its customers - to create personalized content with the objective of making AE.com a destination for its target market. 1-B: TRACK #2: "SOURCE TO SHELF" Private Label Case Study: Whole Foods Market Speakers (co-presentation) 1. Bruce Silverman, Global Vice President, Private Label, Whole Foods Market, Inc. 2. Scott King, Director of Private Label Procurement, Whole Foods Market, Inc. Taking a strategic approach, Whole Foods Market (WFM) uses their private label program as a key differentiator to build consumer loyalty, not as a less expensive alternative in each category. However, this world-class retailer lacked best-practice processes to bring new products to market, resulting in missed opportunities, sub-optimal use of shared resources, and too much time spent manually managing information. Come learn how a highly-collaborative IT and business team fused technology with business strategies, transforming their private label processes and deploying new PLM software in record time - to improve both speed-to-shelf and product source and ingredient information at point-of-purchase. 1-C: TRACK #3: "STORE AND OPERATIONS INNOVATION" CIO Perspective: Maximizing Data to Maximize Store Performance Speaker: Key Jobson, Chief Information Officer, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has been driving retail performance by maximizing its retail data for about three years. In this case study presentation Chief Information Officer Key Jobson will discuss how Rocky Mountain's "Retail Impact" initiative uses data to drive store performance through P&L analysis, labor analysis, the running and analysis of promotions and more.
5:05 - 6:30 pm	Welcome Cocktail Reception / Exhibit Hall
Thursday, April 17, 2008
8:00 am - 4:00 pm	Registration Open
8:00 - 9:00 am	* Exhibits Hall Open [Exhibit hall open from 8:00am - 7:00pm today] * Networking Breakfast
9:00 - 9:50 am	Day Two Opening Keynote Green Retailing and Social Responsibility Speaker: Peter Capozucca, Strategy & Operations Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP Never before has green retailing and social responsibility taken center stage in the marketplace. Why has this happened? Is it for real? What does it mean to your organization? Deloitte Principal Peter Capozucca will demystify the �sustainability imperative� that is transforming the retail industry. By focusing on four major influencing factors � the media, consumers, government and the broader society � he explains what it means to retailers, why you should care, implications for business, and prospects for the future. The centerpiece of the presentation will be findings from a Deloitte/GMA study on sustainability in the retail and CPG industries. The final segment will show you how to approach and prioritize sustainability initiatives around strategy, operations, collaboration with stakeholders, and governance.
9:55 - 10:40 am	Concurrent Sessions Set #2 2-A: TRACK #1: "CROSS-CHANNEL RETAILING" Cross-Channel Order Management & Fulfillment Speaker: Dennis Tomsick, Manager of Application Development, Cabela's Consumers today are seeking seamless performance in their cross-channel retail experience. In this session, learn how Cabela's has streamlined visibility across all demand channels to improve order management and fulfillment and improve the customer experience. This session will focus on key performance-enabling strategies for delivering business and bottom-line improvement. 2-B: TRACK #2: "SOURCE TO SHELF" Inventory Visibility Case Study: Lacks Valley Stores Speaker: Charles Justis, Chief Financial Officer, Lacks Valley Stores Furniture is a very competitive business; Lacks competitive advantage has always been both the high level of customer service and the large number of brands they provide. Unfortunately their aging inventory system was unable to provide the real-time, accurate information needed to enable sales people to confidently reserve and ensure on-time delivery of merchandise in perfect condition. Come learn how this mid-tier retailer used business process management to improve inventory visibility and processes from source to customer � resulting in improved customer satisfaction and reduced labor costs and shrinkage. 2-C: TRACK #3: "STORE AND OPERATIONS INNOVATION" CIO Perspective: Using New Technology to Drive Your Brand and New Formats Speaker: Jim Clendenen, Sr. Vice President & CIO, Bashas' Inc. In this high-performance retail case study, Southwest grocer Bashas' Inc. CIO Jim Clendenen explains how the company used new technology in-store and at the enterprise level to drive its recent re-branding efforts, as well as the launch of its new Ike's Farmer store format.
10:40 - 11:20 am	Networking Coffee Break in Exhibit Hall
11:20 am - 12 Noon	Concurrent Sessions Set #3 3-A: TRACK #1: "CROSS-CHANNEL RETAILING" Sephora's Innovative "Beauty Insider" Program Enhances Cross-Channel Visibility, Customer Retention and Total Customer Spend Speakers: * Albina Yashinsky, Director of Direct Client Systems, Sephora US * Dave Bruno, Director of Product Marketing, Escalate Retail Sephora's ground-breaking Beauty Insider program offers program participants exclusive insider-only events, makeovers, and trunk shows to encourage their customers to cross channels, spend more and come back to their brand. Learn how this new strategy grew membership by more than 2,000,000 customers in the first six months of the program, and continues to positively impact repeat visits and lifetime value. 3-C: TRACK #3: "STORE AND OPERATIONS INNOVATION" Innovation 2008: Pervasive Retail Technology Moderator: Rob Garf, Vice President, Retail Strategies Practice, AMR Research As hardware and software technologies evolve, new solutions and systems are emerging to overcome challenges and seize opportunities in front-end and back-end operations. Rob Garf, AMR Research vice president of retail strategies leads a discussion with two industry experts about new technologies being used by best-in-class retailers to improve sales and productivity throughout the distributed store network.
12:00 - 1:30/2:00 pm	Networking Luncheon with Topic Tables
Immediately after Lunch - 4:00 pm	Gaming Optimization: Learn How to Beat the House and Win at Poker, Craps and Blackjack (RIS not responsible for actual results)

6:00 - 7:00 pm	Cocktail reception in Exhibit Hall (Cocktails and carving stations compliments of Connect3)
After 7:00 pm	Sponsor Dinners
Friday, April 18, 2007 / Closing Day
7:45 am - 12:15 pm	Registration Open
7:45 - 8:45 am	Networking Breakfast with Topic Tables * Exhibit Hall Open [Exhibit Hall open from 7:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. today]
8:45 - 9:35 am	Day Three Opening Keynote Securing Weak Links in Your Wireless Network Speakers 1. Jasyn Voshell, CWNA, CWSP, CISSP, CISA, CISM, Enterprise Security Manager, Textron 2. Benjamin Halpert, CISSP This discussion about wireless and network security best practices is a co-presentation from two thought-leading IT security executives, each of whom works in highly regulated industries. Our speakers are responsible for their companies' networks, mobile devices and highly classified corporate data. Included in this presentation will be tips for training employees and getting them onboard with your company's security policies.
9:35 - 10:25 am	Networking Coffee Break in Exhibit Hall
10:25 - 11:15 am	General Session CIO Perspective: The Store as Customer Touch-Point Speaker: Robert Fort, Vice President of Information Technology & CIO, Virgin Entertainment Group Study after study points out that 70-80 percent of customer purchases are influenced by factors in the store. Focusing on this influence has a direct impact on sales and revenue. In this special "CIO Perspective" presentation, Virgin Entertainment Group CIO Robert Fort explains how Virgin keeps its store environment dynamically alive for its customers by creating a full range of "customer touch-points" from the latest in music listening station technology to digital signage and much more - all designed to provide high-tech services with an outstanding customer experience.
11:20 am - 12:10 pm	General Session CIO Perspective: Fusing Technology with Business Strategies Speaker: Ted Jackson, Vice President of IT & CIO, Sport Chalet Inc. Mid-Market "All-Star" Sport Chalet personifies the successful fusing of technology with business strategies. In our conference-closing keynote Sport Chalet CIO Ted Jackson shares insights into the company's ability to implement significant IT initiatives on tightly controlled budgets. This is a must-see closing keynote for all technologist attendees working to achieve corporate objectives in these tight economic times.
12:10 - 12:15 pm	Conference Closing Comments