General Session
THE CFO PERSPECTIVE: WHERE CAPITAL PRESERVATION MEETS STRATEGIC GROWTH

Speaker: Bruce Besanko, EVP, CFO, Chief Administrative Officer, OfficeMax Incorporated

One big lesson learned during the current period of market gyrations is a healthy financial balance sheet is critical to success, and can be the difference between surviving and thriving. Actually, "re-learned" is more accurate, because this is business 101, a lesson many forgot during the boom years. Now the challenge is to set the lesson in stone by making gains produced through cost-containment a permanent part of the organization's DNA, while still fostering strategic growth for the organization.

Day One Closing Session

CROSS INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE: THE CUSTOMER MANIFESTO

Speakers: Tom Beauchamp, CTO/CIO, Penn National Gaming

Laura Christine, Vice President, Direct Marketing & E-commerce, Skechers USA Inc

Debra Jensen-Dykes, Vice President & CIO, Jack in the Box Inc.

Steven Schillinger, Vice President, Club Operations, 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide Inc.

Moderator: Dave Weinand, Publisher, RIS News

When partners collaborate on common goals they multiply the benefits. Hear how a panel of executives from retail, CPG and the gaming industry work with key partners in such areas as technology, business strategy, marketing, data sharing and promotions/sales to focus on the customer and achieve measurable benefits.

Day Two Opening Session

Seizing the Opportunity for Growth & Innovation

Moderator: Jeffrey Roster, Research Vice President, Industry Market Strategies, Gartner

Speakers: Giri Durbhakula, Vice President & CIO, Charlotte Russe inc.

Ted Jackson, Vice President of IT & CIO, Sport Chalet Inc.

Herman Nell, VP & Chief Information Officer, PETCO Animal Supplies Inc.

CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS - Set #2

Leadership Workshop 2-A (Retailer Attendees Only)

EMBRACING CULTURAL & PROCESS CHANGE TO ENSURE IT SUCCESS

Speaker: Frank Zarrello, Retail Strategist, RPE

Discover the importance of taking the necessary steps to evaluate, understand, change and embrace the cultural makeup of your organization to adjust to today's challenging retail business environment. Join Frank Zarrello as he draws upon his 20 years as Vice President of Planning and Allocation for leading retailers, and better understand how people, processes and systems are leading the charge in winning customers and driving sales.

Leadership Workshop 2-B (Retailer Attendees Only)

DEVELOPING M-RETAIL & M-COMMERCE STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Speaker: Gaurav Pant, Industry Director, Retail & Consumer Goods, Tata (TCS)

Retailers are trying to leverage this channel to engage with customers, increase their revenues and reduce promotion costs. Learn in this workshop how retailers are approaching this exciting channel and how to approach and build an overarching strategy to create a new customer engagement and revenue channel. Talk with peers to learn how they are approaching this channel and how they have leveraged the customer's mobile capabilities to achieve key strategic objectives.

Closing Session
PROFITING FROM LESSONS LEARNED IN THE GREAT RECESSION

PANELISTS:
Richard D. Hastings, CCE, Consumer Strategist, Global Hunter Securities LLC

MODERATOR:
Joe Skorupa, Group Editor-in-Chief, RIS News

Brian Kilcourse, Managing Partner, RSR Research LLC

William Lash, Retail Portfolio Executive Corporate Information Technology, The Safeway Companies

Kirk Stephens, Director of Retail Operations, Recreational Equipment Inc.

The emergence of a "new normal" became more than hype in 2009. It became a reality that retailers were forced to adjust to as quickly as possible. But what are the parameters and underpinnings of the new retail reality? How have customers, marketplace dynamics and business fundamentals changed? What are the learnings and takeaways? And how have successful retailers gotten stronger while others fell by the wayside? In this session those questions and more will be answered from a range of executive perspectives.