What an awesome ride! I can’t believe it’s been over a week since the NRF Loss Prevention Conference & EXPO in Atlanta. The past month was such a blur of activity that it seems unreal to have a few moments to reflect on the recent event.
Atlanta welcomed us with open arms and some serious heat, but the temperature didn’t deter folks from trekking to the Convention Center Sunday evening for the Opening Night Reception. It was wall-to-wall retailers, law enforcement and solution providers and it put the wheels in motion for great networking throughout the conference.
LP '10 attendees gather for the opening reception Sunday night
Monday morning began with Thomas Cole, CAO of Macy’s, Inc. focusing on Macy’s history, their loss prevention leadership and how instrumental loss prevention is to their organization’s success. This message set the tone for the remainder of the conference and led the way for the other educational sessions to follow.
This year’s programming was all about giving the attendees a tool box and letting them pick and choose which tools they wanted. Our sessions were designed around the idea of “education, partnerships and development” – meaning our expert speakers would provide personal experience, best practices and learnings on how to succeed in today’s loss prevention environment. And, I think they achieved their goal. Barnes & Noble, Duane Reade, and GAP professionals provided insight and information how to position an LP department for an economic comeback. Panelists from Target, LAPD, and the Albuquerque Police Department laid out how to fight crime through community policing and there was a session as well as a workshop dedicated to preparing for active shooter incidents.
The Professional Development Series was new to our program. These sessions offered attendees the chance to be introspective – focus on their professional skills and career development goals. It was met with great success and we are looking to expand the series in the future.
Every time I stepped on the EXPO Hall floor there was buzz about some exhibitor’s new product or solution, the new layout of the EXPO hall, or the increase in solid conversations and professional networking. This EXPO was exciting and, at times, pushing maximum capacity – our exhibitors had a lot to say about all the traffic. And then there was the NRF Fusion Center. Law Enforcement officials from more than twelve local, state and federal agencies were taking names (in a good way, of course!) and discussing with retailers how better to work together in the future.
Attendees network on the EXPO hall floor
It is always interesting to pop in on one of our eight regional investigator’s network meetings – the energy level of the law enforcement and retail investigators in attendance was off the charts. The same can be said of the roundtables and workshops – whether attendees were discussing gift card fraud or internal theft or even exception reporting and active shooters – the dialogue was open, frank and spirited. Our attendees had some strong opinions and had no problem voicing them.
My favorite part of the programming may just be the awards luncheon. The annual awards shine the spotlight on the best of the best in the industry – giving credit to the humble, self-sacrificing law enforcement and loss prevention professionals who continually go above and beyond the call of duty. Helena Police Department Detective Chris Rollan’s acceptance speech really hit home for me, epitomizing what it means to represent this industry.
Detective Chris Rollan of the Helena Police Department accepts NRF's 2010 Law Enforcement Partnership award
For those of you, who attended, thank you. Thank you, retailers for boosting retail attendance 23% over last year. Thank you, exhibitors for bringing your “A-game” to the EXPO Hall and amazing our attendees with your unique solutions and genuine interest in working together to solve their toughest challenges. And, thank you law enforcement, for using this event to build stronger relationships with your retail counterparts. Thank you, everyone for making NRF’s conference the premier industry event for loss prevention education, networking, thought leadership, and solutions.
If you were one of the few who couldn’t attend, I’d encourage you to visit our post-show event website. We have video, photos, blog posts, and even free session handouts available – it can’t replace being at the show but it is the next best thing.
Looking forward to seeing you next year in Dallas, June 13-15 – we are already enthusiastically brainstorming on how to top this year’s event.