ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The NACS State of the Industry (SOI) Summit in partnership with CSP will take place April 4 to 6, 2006, at the Westin O’Hare in Chicago, IL.

As the centerpiece of the Summit, the NACS State of the Industry (SOI) report and analysis will be presented, allowing leading retailers and suppliers of the convenience and petroleum marketing industry to review, for the first time anywhere, the previous year’s performance and discuss opportunities for growth.

For 2006, there will be several enhancements. NACS will increase the store sample size to facilitate regional views of the data, while simultaneously integrating the store sample data with firm-level data. NACS is also working to ensure that same-firm data will provide retailers with more data exhibits and improved year-to-year comparisons.

One of the more popular aspects of the SOI research is the category and subcategory breakout sessions. With the increasing implementation of the NACS Category Definitions and Numbering Guide (PDF), the goal is to incorporate the base of retailers who are compliant with this guide. Where appropriate, NACS will extend and broaden the search for reliable data providers on specific categories, and provide the most comprehensive benchmarks on category and subcategory trends. In addition, the SOI data will provide an in-depth analysis of motor fuels trends, was addressing the effect of extreme price volatility during and 2005. 

Based on attendee recommendations from last year’s Summit, this year's breakout sessions will offer in-depth presentations on critical areas such as foodservice, consumers, tobacco, inside sales, new profit centers and finance and operations. Additionally, retailers and experts in each of these areas will facilitate the sessions.

Another new feature for 2006 is the closing session on April 6, which will focus on the future of macro-trends affecting convenience retailing. Edie Weiner, a preeminent futurist, will kick off the morning session, followed by a panel of Wall Street analysts who will present their views on the future of convenience retailing and several key categories.

Complimentary registration for the SOI Summit is available to all NACS retail members. Information about the program is available at NACS Online. Retailers with questions regarding registration or housing should contact Amy Ashley-Burke with NACS at (703) 518-4239 or aburke@nacsonline.com.

Supplier companies interested in participating should contact Jim Bursch with CSP at (630) 574-5075, ext. 224, or jbursch@cspnet.com, for supplier registration fees and opportunities to advertise in the joint CSP/NACS SOI Summit publication. This special issue will feature additional consumer information and category data, as well as extended coverage of the SOI. 

For those who would like to maximize their travel dollars and business opportunities, NACS is hosting the advanced category management seminar, "Turning Data Into Dollars," prior to the SOI Summit on April 3 to 4 at the same hotel. Additionally, the NACS Business Exchange Sessions will take place immediately following the closing session of the SOI Summit on April 6.