ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Travel industry executive Roger Dow has been announced as an October 21 General Session speaker for the NACS Show. The NACS Show will take place October 20 to 23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Dow will share what the beleaguered travel industry is doing to differentiate and compete, and he will address many of the issues that convenience and petroleum retailers face including how organizations can build customer-focused teams. With customers increasingly defining value as better, faster, cheaper, Dow will share how to make customer loyalty the critical differentiator.

Dow has spent his entire career in the hospitality industry. Since 2005, he has served as president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, the national umbrella organization representing all segments of the $770 billion U.S. travel and tourism industry. In 2008, he was named Association Executive of the Year by Association Trends magazine. Prior to that, he spent 34 years at Marriott International, rising through the ranks to senior vice president, global and field sales, where he led the company’s 10,000-person worldwide sales unit. While at Marriott, Dow developed Marriott Rewards, the world’s leading frequent traveler program.

“Roger Dow is a perfect fit for what NACS Show attendees tell us they want as an Opening General Session speaker: a business leader who both inspires attendees and delivers practical and actionable business advice,” said Dave Carpenter, NACS Vice Chairman of Convention & Events and president and CEO of J.D. Carpenter Companies Inc. “Roger’s focus on delivering in trying times, and focusing on what really matters to customers is especially important at a time where customers expect more for their money,” added Carpenter.

Dow is author of two books: Turned On: Eight Vital Insights to Energize Your People, Customers, and Profits and The Trust Imperative: The Competitive Advantage of Trust–Based Business Relationships.

More than 21,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibiting companies are expected to attend the NACS Show. Registration is now open at www.nacsshow.com.

Note to reporters: A photograph of Roger Dow is available upon request.