Financial Management Symposium

Independent Grocers Financial Survey
The economy has showed some signs of improvement in recent months yet consumers and independent grocers are still experiencing inconsistent and contradictory results. While the independent segment has adapted to the changing marketplace, some retailers are distancing themselves from the median with significantly higher net profit results. In video case studies, learn what successful retailers are doing to maintain and grow their edge. Take away key financial data points to benchmark your company.

Bob Graybill, President, FMS Solutions

Post 2011 Tax Update:    A New Year…Did Anything Really Change
As usual, partisanship ruled Congress in 2011. Have any of the tax laws changed since the end of 2011? Significant tax planning opportunities exist for 2011 and 2012 due to the passage of various favorable tax legislations, including income and estate tax provisions to name a few. Know which tax breaks you should take advantage of now as many are set to expire at the end of 2012. Discover what new tax regulations may be on the horizon, including changes in tax rates, accelerated depreciation and cost segregation.  Planning now for tomorrow’s tax changes could have a significant impact on your tax bill.

Brad Bell, Partner, BGBC Partners, LLP

Investment Bankers Perspective
How will the competition in your community change in the next few years? From the leader in industry merger and acquisition trends, learn how the landscape is changing, which companies are likely to grow and which retailers are acquisition targets. Understand how to position your company for growth and benefit from consolidation in your market. 

 David Schoeder, Principal, The Food Partners

Effective Incentive Programs
Is it possible to stimulate store-level employees with an incentive pay program? Take away best practices, strategies, and tactics for financial incentive plans for store employees. Through real world cases studies learn the key elements of a good plan, including identifying objectives and measuring results. Research and retail case studies will be presented.

Confirmed Speakers: 
Dow Scott, Professor, Professor of Human Resources and Employment Relations, Loyola University Chicago
Rudy Dory, President, Rudy’s Markets, Inc.
Paulo Goezler, President and CEO, IGA-Coca Cola Institute

Technology Roundtable
Front-end, back office, mobile commerce, digital marketing…. Just a few of the new trends that will drive technology decisions in the near future. From a panel of leading wholesalers, gain an understanding of which trends will stick and how best to invest your technology funds for maximum ROI.

Jon Payne, CIO, Associated Wholesale Grocers
Mark Kallas, Director, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc.
Dennis Lindsay, Chief Financial Officer, Nugget Markets, Inc.

Health Care Update 
While the health care debate continues to rage in Washington, retailers are still expected to meet a number of regulatory requirements. Understand how health care legislation affects the industry and your operations and what steps you should take to prepare. Take home a timeline of regulatory requirements so you can start planning immediately to minimize financial impact. 

Adam Solander, Attorney, Epstein, Becker and Green

PCI Compliance/Trends in Payments
Electronic transactions are rapidly changing the nature of payments for the grocery industry.  Tomorrow’s consumers will want to make mobile payments and vendors will require ACH payments.  Retailers must not only be PCI compliant but they must protect data from vendors and suppliers as well as customers.  Understand the compliance requirements and steps you should take to prepare.

Speaker: 
Arland Head, Director of Information Technology, Leblanc’s Food Stores

N.G.A. Washington Town Hall 
Discover what the failure of the Super Committee to develop a budget means to the grocery industry. Which programs are facing cuts and how will these cuts impact your operations? Federal regulators are hard at work drafting regulations that will directly impact your bottom line including implementing the new healthcare law, potential new labeling requirements for grocery stores, and dramatic changes to existing labor regulations that will further tilt the playing field in favor of organized labor. Join a panel of experts for our new Washington Town Hall Briefing and learn the latest on legislative and regulatory issues that directly impact your bottom line, discover how you can get involved and make a difference, and take the opportunity to ask questions of the experts in the room.

Tom Wenning, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, National Grocers Association

Greg Ferrara, Vice President, Government Affairs, National Grocers Association