Guide To Success
Developed by members of the NACDS Retail Advisory Board for first-time attendees and long-time participants, who are interested in maximizing their opportunities at the NACDS Annual Meeting. The Retail Advisory Board consists of executives from retail and associate (supplier) NACDS members.
Meeting Format
The meeting is a combination of Business Programs, strategic exchange appointments and social networking opportunities. During the strategic exchange appointments, it is common to see senior executives of major retail and pharmacy organizations meet with their counterparts from leading CPG or pharmaceutical companies. The meetings are vibrant, the exchanges are sometimes animated, and the results can be profound.
Who Attends?
Attendance at the Annual Meeting is comprised of the senior management team responsible for operating the business including marketing, merchandising, supply chain, operations, pharmacy, digital and related functions in both CPG and pharmacy, and their associate member/supplier counterparts.
Appointments
The primary reason executives attend the NACDS Annual Meeting are the opportunities to meaningfully change the trajectory of their companies. This is accomplished by having appointments with trading partners and other industry-allied companies such as technology providers, manufacturer agents, other suppliers, etc. Appointments between retailers and suppliers, with preset agendas, are recommended and are normally made well in advance of the meeting. We encourage associate members to contact the specific companies and individuals you would like to meet with during the Annual Meeting. Use your sales team, brokers, others to help you make an appointment.
Appointment Planning
- Start your planning early – now! Become familiar with the Schedule and Participants pages of the Annual Meeting website and start to build your agenda. The Participants page has a video that demonstrates how to use the myriad of ways to see who attends the meeting.
- Determine who you want to meet with and what you want to accomplish with them. Check the Participants page frequently for new attendees and their contact information. Familiarize yourself with the attendee and their company and make sure you are meeting with the right person.
- If the company you want to meet with has not yet registered, check the previous year’s attendee list on the Participants page. It could be that the company/individual has not yet registered and an invitation from you might remind them to register. Additionally, if they know you want to meet with them, it may encourage them to attend.
- When you invite someone to meet with you, have a concise proposition and tell them up front what the potential opportunity could mean to their business.
- If you are unknown to the attendee, call for the appointment yourself; it’s much more productive than having an assistant do it. Be prepared to answer the hard question, “How will we benefit from meeting with you?”
- If you have a broker, or an independent sales and marketing firm relationship, ask them to help you set appointments.
- If you are a smaller or new company consider engaging with a broker. We can assist you with a list of current Sales & Marketing Companies and Manufacturer Representatives. Visit the Participants page for a list of manufacturer representatives attending the Annual Meeting.
- Extend dinner invitations and make reservations well in advance of the meeting. You can always reduce the number for the reservation or cancel.
Tips and Tricks
- Develop a convincing proposition for each meeting as to why they will benefit from a meeting with you. This is not an item/price meeting. Retailers are looking for big ideas and enhancing strategic relationships. Focus should be on 12-24 months, not the next couple of quarters.
- Make sure you have done your homework on the retailer. Check out their website, download their app, examine their social media and retail media network and learn as much as you can about the company.
- Obtain bios of key executives you do not know and be prepared to send bios of your executives to the individual(s) with whom you have an appointment.
- Develop a “one-pager” summarizing the important points about your company, key products, point of difference, and any performance matrices that set you apart from your competition.
- Take notes and define follow-up after the meeting – this may be your most critical success factor.
- Ask for a mobile phone number from the individuals you have appointments with, should there be schedule changes or location changes due to inclement weather.
A Look at Your Day
Friday
We encourage you to arrive on Friday, as Saturday is a full day of private business meetings in the designated strategic exchange spaces. Registration opens at 10:00 a.m. Upon checking in at registration, you will receive your conference badge as well as all related materials. There will also be registration counters available for “The NACDS Luncheon” for spouses/companions, and the “Tuesday Board of Directors Dinner and Entertainment”. Seating reservations for Tuesday evening’s events will be available on Sunday morning. Friday ends with a special reception for sponsors with members of the NACDS Board of Directors and retailer attendees at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
If you were unable to register on Friday afternoon, do so first thing Saturday morning. Registration opens at 7:00 a.m. followed by Strategic Exchange Appointments from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This venue provides numerous opportunities to meet and discuss strategic issues with your key trading partners.
There is also the Meet the Industry program from 8:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. for Associate Members. The program consists of 30-minute sessions with a senior executive or team of executives from leading retailers to include an overview of their company, how they use the Annual Meeting to conduct business, and the kinds of topics they expect to discuss with suppliers during their meetings.
If this is your first time attending the Annual Meeting, make sure you attend the Inaugural Attendees’ Orientation from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. You may meet a retailer or two, and you will certainly meet other attendees who are trying to accomplish the same thing you are.
Watch a recap of Saturday’s events from the 2024 NACDS Annual Meeting.
Sunday
The day begins with Business Program I at 8:00 a.m. Periodically check the website for a listing of the speakers. At the conclusion of the Business Program, it’s back to the Strategic Exchange Appointments from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
If you are attending the Tuesday night Board of Directors Dinner, don’t forget to turn your event tickets in at the Tuesday Night Reservations counter in registration today starting at 7:00 a.m. You must have a seat assignment to attend the Board of Directors Dinner and Entertainment.
Sunday evening is open, so make your dinner appointments and reservations prior to your arrival in Palm Beach.
Watch a recap of Sunday’s events from the 2024 NACDS Annual Meeting.
Monday
Strategic Exchange Appointments start at 8:00 a.m. and continue through 4:30 p.m. Monday also starts with the Chain Members Breakfast & NACDS-PAC Event at 8:00 a.m. You must be an NACDS Chain Member or NACDS-PAC ticket holder in order to attend. This is a great opportunity to meet the NACDS Board of Directors and other retail attendees. Visit the NACDS-PAC booth at registration for more information on how to register.
If you have a spouse/companion attending the meeting with you, make sure they attend The NACDS Luncheon at 12:00 noon on Monday. This unique event, for spouses/companions only, is a wonderful and entertaining event. They will need to sign up during the registration process on Friday, Saturday or Sunday as seats for the luncheon are assigned.
Monday evening is open. We encourage you to make your dinner appointments and reservations prior to your arrival in Palm Beach.
Watch a recap of Monday’s events from the 2024 NACDS Annual Meeting.
Tuesday
Tuesday is the “4th Quarter.” This is your last formal opportunity to accomplish your objectives. Business Program II is scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Then it’s back to the Strategic Exchange Appointments from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The meeting closes with the Board of Directors Reception, Dinner and Entertainment. The Board of Directors Reception starts at 6:30 p.m. and is immediately followed by dinner. There are assigned seats for dinner and entertainment. Each attendee will need a ticket to attend. Visit the Tuesday Night Reservations counter in the registration area beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 27th, until 12:00 noon on Monday, April 28th to obtain your ticket.