LISLE, Ill. -- Royal Buying Group Inc. announced that its annual Independent Convenience Store Expo (I-C-Expo) will be held on Thursday, March 18, 2010, at the Burr Ridge Marriott Hotel located at 1200 Burr Ridge Parkway, Burr Ridge, Ill. Educational seminars will begin at 1 p.m. with the doors to the trade show opening at 4 p.m. The trade show is scheduled to end at 8 p.m.
This year's expo will feature trade-show floor and meeting space, networking and educational seminars on various topics intended to help all convenience store operators. Speakers will include nationally [image-nocss] recognized industry experts, supplier representatives and a very special celebrity that will be announced in the near future.
An advisory board has been assembled consisting of current independent c-store industry veterans to help guide topics and content. This expo will assist suppliers in receiving in-depth, first-hand learning and insight into a key segment of the c-store industry.
"The independent store operator comprises nearly two-thirds of the c-store universe, but has been the hardest group for suppliers to reach economically," said Royal Buying Group president Michael Zielinski.
Supplier and Member awards will be presented at the trade show, and RBG will also announce the winners of the eighth annual Royal Buying Group Scholarship Program. RBG will present two scholarships to members and/or members' children attending or enrolling to attend an accredited secondary educational institution.
"The reception has proven to be an excellent format for introducing the new year's programs to our members and [to] convey the benefits to prospective members," said Angela Angelilli, RBG's director of sales. "Members and vendors alike have enjoyed the informal atmosphere, exchanging of business ideas, and camaraderie between all involved in past years."
More information about the expo is available at www.i-c-expo.com.
RBG also announced its selection of the advisory board for the I-C-Expo. This group of independent c-store industry veterans helps guide topics and content for the expo:
* Julie Boente, JF Boente Sons Inc., Carlinville, Ill.
* Ken Reichert, GROWMARK Inc., Bloomington, Ill.
* Carol Davis, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago
* Denise Zervos, Zervos Shell, Mount Prospect, Ill.
* Weldon Theobald, Danville Petroleum LLC, Danville, Calif.
Royal Buying Group Inc., Lisle, Ill., is a national organization dedicated to maximizing sales and profitability of convenience stores, petroleum locations, college book stores, truckstops/travel plazas, auto repair facilities, drug stores, tobacco outlets and liquor stores.
Royal Buying Group Inc. now represents almost 6,000 locations nationwide. Its core service capabilities include negotiating with regional and national suppliers for impactful and competitive sales and marketing programs and providing category management expertise, state-of-the-art marketing support and customer service support for its membership.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.