2007 Q2 PDF File

Download PDF file 2007 Q2

“It Sure was something Special”

It is always easier to start your year as Chairman on a high note and that is sure the case this year with the 12th Annual NARMS Spring Conference in Tucson. In the grand scheme of things this was probably our finest NARMS meeting ever and if those in attendance didn’t depart with one or two gold nuggets they have only themselves to blame. Matter of fact if those individuals who didn’t attend can’t find value from this meeting on our website or in this magazine they just aren’t trying. Insightful and informative speakers like Stan Slap, Michael Bergdahl, Kevin Coupe and Jim Pancero enlightened the attendees while the numerous divisional workshops made it most difficult to pick and choose whom to see. Because there was so much going on we have made most of the workshops available both via audio and through Power Point on the NARMS website. We are also making copies of Jim Pancero’s keynote presentation available on DVD to members at cost. Pancero will also be making his insights available via a quarterly column right here in your association’s new magazine NARMS TODAY.
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Accreditation: A Boom for You and the Retail Marketing Service Industry

Ever since it was announced that NARMS was going to pursue an Accreditation Program I have received numerous questions. Hopefully the following will help to clarify some of the concerns voiced both at the Spring Conference Town Hall Meetings and to me by e-mail and telephone.

Why is NARMS developing an accreditation program for companies?
In 2006, the NARMS Board of Directors began an initiative to develop accreditation standards for companies in the retail marketing services industry. The program was developed in an effort to provide companies with a set of a consensus based industry standards indicative of high quality practices in the delivery of retail marketing services. As the recognized leader in retail marketing services, NARMS believes it is the best entity to develop and administer an accreditation program.
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People… People Who Need People

I woke up in the middle of the night recently; in the midst of what seemed to be a non-stop, back-to-back run of NARMS activities that spanned GlobalShop, NARMS Spring Conference, IFBA’s Top to Top Executive Business Conference and most recently, the Retail Construction Expo. The words of a song deeply imbedded in my memory were streaming through my mind; coming out of nowhere with questionable timing logic: “People… People who need people … Are the luckiest people in the world ….”
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New Co-Chairman New Information

The opportunity to write the MSO article during this time of year always comes with a lot of extra energy and excitement! With the annual NARMS conference still fresh on your minds and the fact that the MSO committee semi-annual meeting took place, we have lots to share. While we will use this space to recap the MSO sessions at the conference and our meeting, you can find the audio and most of the presentations from this year’s conference on NARMS.com.
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Event Marketers Make Some Noise!

Event Marketing may not be the largest NARMS division but was certainly the most visible group at the recent NARMS 12th Annual Spring Conference in mid-April. Why? Attracting attention is our business! Todd Taranto, EMDC Chair 2006-07, and I thank all of you for supporting NARMS and the demo/event division and especially those members who participated in the CAMEO EVENTS that preceded each general session.
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Conference Appreciation

If you’re like me you may still be decompressing or decomposing from the NARMS Spring Conference. I suppose your choice of words here may be reliant more on your after hour activities then the actual conference. Either way, the conference was excellent!

Expectations for conferences are always high. After all, to attend means neglecting the responsibilities we confront and fulfill daily. Responsibilities of our professional and personal lives are put on hold while we sacrifice our time at a top tier resort (always an easy sell). At the end of the conference are the same haunting questions:
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Building for the Future

Thank you to the PIC Committee members for your active participation and hard work leading up to and during the recent NARMS Spring Conference. It was exciting to see everyone’s talents on display throughout the breakout sessions.

Chuck Belding of RPM (and one of the original founders of NARMS) canvassed the PIC membership ahead of the conference to identify topics for the “What Makes a PIC Tick” session. With contributions from Glen Stockinger of Frontier Fixture Installation, Roelena Manning of Summit Group, Audrey Fry of the Fry Group, and David Oberdorfer of Quest Service Group; Chuck was able to facilitate several presentations and candid discussion among all participating member companies.
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Mapping Out Our Future

I am happy to report on a very successful Top to Top Conference hosted by our IFBA broker members in early May. We saw attendance of just over 300 persons at this, our IFBA fourth annual conference, including some 160 brokers representing 52 member broker companies and another 147 manufacturers representing 72 companies.
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Independent Spirit Drives Food Broker Division Towards a Bright Future

It was October of 2004, just months after the inaugural meeting of the Independent Food Brokers Division of NARMS, when Supermarket News produced a 16-page special insert entitled, “Declaration of Independents” (cover shown above). It was a clever and appropriate name for the insert which among other things discussed how the Independent Food Brokers’ entrepreneurial approach combines local knowledge with deep customer relationships to deliver superior performance to the supermarket industry. But 2004 wasn’t the beginning, merely a re-launch of the same spirit that has been the hallmark of this dynamic group of companies for decades.
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