MESA, Ariz. -- With a goal of turning attendees' attention from "recession" to "transformation," Information Resources Inc. (IRI)exec Thom Blischok will moderate a panel of notable c-store retailers and suppliers at CSP Information Group's Outlook Leadership 2008 conference next month. Beginning with a futuristic presentation, Blischok, president of consulting and innovation for IRI, Chicago, will share "blueprints" for precisely tuning a business around consumers, assortments and innovation.
Blischok's presentation includes proprietary, independent research from focus groups, field research [image-nocss] and IRI's 12,000-store database analysis. He will discuss the emergence of a new level of consumer understanding and shopper marketing.
The dialogue will encourage attendees to design and deploy product assortments based on future spending patterns. The concept of the "innovation culture" will be explored—embedding innovation in format design, multi-functional products, and experience-based merchandising and marketing practices. To prosper, this industry must make consumer tuning the No. 1 driver of strategies, investments and decision making, according to Blischok.
After framing the topic of retail tuning on the consumer's behalf, Blischok will lead the compelling panel, titled "Re-Wiring Convenience: Consumer Tuning in This Transformational Economy," exploring the concepts he presented and their practical application.
Panel members will include:
Bill Reilly, chief marketing officer for The Spinx Co., Greenville, N.C. Ieva Grimm, director of consumer research for Sheetz Inc., Altoona, Pa. Joseph Bona, president of CBX Strategic Branding, New York. John Gorman,national sales director, specialty markets for Johnson & Johnson, Skillman, N.J.The panel is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. To read biography information about each of the panelists, click the "Download Now" button below.
Other speakers at the conference include:
Forbes Inc. president and CEO Steve Forbes, who recently served as national co-chair and senior policy advisor for Rudolph Giuliani's campaign for the 2008 presidential election. E-Z Mart Stores' CEO and incoming chairman for NACS Sonja Yates Hubbard. Senior economist for the National Center for Policy Analysis Barry Asmus. United Energy's chief technical analyst Walter Zimmerman. Joni Doolin, CEO and founder of People Report. Sen. George Mitchell, former U.S. senate majority leader and partner, chairman of the global board of DLA Piper.Outlook Leadership is in its 14th year and is the premier location for leading executives to gather for insight and relationship development. For more information, visit www.outlookconference.com or contact Bryn Cotton at (480) 337-3420 or bcotton@cspnet.com.
Oak Brook, Ill.-based CSP Information Group, publisher of CSP and CSP Independent magazines, is a business-to-business communication company specializing in the convenience and retail petroleum industry. Its other business units include the CSP Daily News e-mail newsletter, CSPNetwork CyberConferences, CSPTV, CSP Meetings & Conferences, 24-7 Connect Virtual Expo and b2b Solutions LLC Consulting.
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