Business Meets Technology at NACStech

LAS VEGAS -- NACStech, the convenience store industry's premier showplace for technology products and solutions, got underway here yesterday with an expanded NACS/CSNews CIO Roundtable program, the first of 16 educational sessions, the opening general session and reception.

NACS President and CEO Hank Armour opened the general session by describing NACStech as the place "where business and technology meet." He added, "Technology solves problems and creates new opportunities for your business."

Armour also noted the one-year anniversary of the merger of PCATS, the industry's technology and standards group, with NACS. He also listed three reasons that fuel the continued need for standards, technology and advocacy in the industry:

1) Mobile technology is changing the face of retail. Today, the industry serves 160 million customers a day. Mobile technology is critical to growing that customer count.

2) Technology and advocacy continue to intersect. The need to be subject matter experts came forcefully to the forefront during the industry's successful push for swipe fee reform last year.

3) Technology usage will become a more predictive measure of business success. Technology will determine your success at how you target your customer, understand what they want, and how you deliver it to them beyond their expectations.

This year's NACStech also featured the newly expanded NACS/CSNews CIO Roundtable Program. Monday morning, two concurrent roundtables were held. Top retail execs were treated to a two-part program. The first program focused on Technology Vision & Leadership. It featured guest speaker, Jared Weiner, a futurist, who provided attendees with a quick overview of the major technology trends that will affect their workplace in the coming years.

The part of the roundtable was moderated by Gray Taylor, executive director of PCATS and NACS' independent consultant on card payment, data security and technology issues.

Part 2 of the roundtable featured CSNews Executive Editor Tammy Mastroberte, who presented an advance look at the Convenience Store News 2011 Technology Study. The annual research report shows how much the c-store industry is investing in technology, and where retailers are focusing their investment, as well as areas they plan to explore in the future.

CSNews is the exclusive media partner of NACStech.

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