LAS VEGAS –The NACS Show is so important to the industry that it’s almost unimaginable to not attend it, noted NACS President and CEO Henry Armour, welcoming attendees to the 2015 NACS Show at the opening general session.

“Whether you are attending your first NACS Show, or whether it’s your 30th NACS Show, like me, your success starts right here,” Armour said.

But what if there wasn’t a NACS Show? That’s the challenge NACS overcame in 2005 soon after Armour became CEO of NACS. When Hurricane Katrina hit land weeks before the NACS Show was to take place in the Big Easy, it became clear the 2005 NACS Show would not occur in New Orleans that year, and the process of moving the event began. Looking back, Armour shared the enormous challenges that were considered, such as finding a new host city, relocating a 400,000-square-foot expo, and creating an entirely new floor plan—all in 10 weeks’ time.

“Well, we did it, and in November 2005 our event drew more than 20,000 attendees to our second largest expo ever, held right here in Las Vegas,” said Armour. “People are still astonished—I am still astonished—that we accomplished such a feat and relocated the 2005 NACS Show, let alone produced a world-class event. We were able to make the impossible a reality because of our enormously talented NACS staff and our highly engaged leadership team. And we did it because of you,” said Armour.

What drove NACS to relocate the 2005 NACS Show is the value it brings to the industry. “We know what the NACS Show delivers to our members. It provides access to the latest new products and services on the expo, new ideas in dozens of educational sessions and networking opportunities in a variety of formats,” he said.

Over the past decade, the amazing value of the NACS Show continues to grow and Armour shared a few metrics about this year’s event:

• A record 410,000 net square feet of exhibit space and a new exhibitor area dedicated to first-time NACS Show exhibitors; 
• More than 55 educational sessions that will average more than 200 attendees per session;
• Four days of networking opportunities; and
• An additional day of general sessions, growing from three to four days.

“Make sure you wake up early and go to bed late to experience everything that the NACS Show has to help you grow your business,” said Armour.

Taking the stage after Armour, Chris McChesney, global practice leader of execution for Franklin Covey, outlined the 4 Disciplines of Execution, which he first shared in the September issue of NACS Magazine:

• Discipline 1: The discipline of focus. Extraordinary results can only be achieved when you are clear about what matters most. As simple as this principle may sound, few leaders ever master it. “Discipline 1 is about translating strategy into the fewest number of executable targets,” he said.
• Discipline 2: The discipline of leverage. With unlimited time and resources, you could accomplish anything. Unfortunately, your challenge is usually the opposite: Accomplish more with less. 
• Discipline 3: The discipline of engagement. You have the authority to make things happen, but you want more than that—you want the performance that only passion and engagement can produce.

As he described this discipline at the NACS Show, keep a compelling scoreboard. “People play differently when they are keeping score…It’s like creating a game and pulls in their best energy and creativity.”

• Discipline 4: The discipline of accountability. No matter how brilliant your plan or how important your goal, nothing will happen until you follow through with consistent action.

For employers, this discipline is counterintuitive because it’s up to the employees/team to take ownership and win. They want to make a contribution that matters. “The endpoint is to create a winnable game,” he advised.

Look for complete coverage of McChesney’s presentation in the upcoming November issue of NACS Magazine.

The NACS Show is ranked as one of the top 40 largest trade shows in the United States. More than 20,000 attendees from 60-plus countries are at the 2015 NACS Show this week in Las Vegas. For the most up-to-date news and information on the event, go nacsshow.com.