NACS Show Sessions Focuses on Top-of-Mind Issues

LAS VEGAS – From government regulation to employee motivation, the 2009 NACS show seminars yesterday touched all the bases on the minds of the approximately 22,000 attendees who gathered here at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the conference, being held Oct. 20-23, 2009.

The opening general session showcased a speech by outgoing NACS Chairman Sonja Hubbard, CEO of Texarkana, Texas-based E-Z Mart Stores Inc., who spoke about the industry's opportunities and challenges. Also during the opening general session, NACS President and CEO Hank Armour unveiled two initiatives to help retailers on the foodservice and governmental fronts.

In one session titled "It's Not What They Say, it's What they Do," a retailer panel including executives from Wawa and J.D. Carpenter Co. Inc. discussed how to attract valuable customer bases in tough economic times, while The NPD Group's David Portalatin highlighted consumer shopping data.

Then, Mark Wells, president of LJT Management Services Inc., discussed keeping employees happy and motivated during the "Quality Employees" segment of this year's Small Operator Certificate Program.

Meanwhile, Benita Kahn, a partner in the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP and a specialist on privacy laws and telecom and information security, educated retailers on the cost of a security breach of customers' credit card and other personal information.

And Tim Weston of Dresser Wayne outlined the choices retailers have at the PEI Seminar entitled "PCI Compliance Workshop," explaining they can upgrade existing dispensers, put in new dispensers, turn off PIN debit at the pump or assume the risk of non-compliance.

To read the latest 2009 NACS Show news, visit www.csnewsattheshow.com
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