NRF 101 S T ANNUAL CONVENTION & EXPO

YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST THAT NRF (AND NYC) HAVE TO OFFER

New York City is known for having a little something for everyone, and nowhere is this truer than in the city’s range of retail offerings. In addition to the big, famous flagship stores (Macy’s Herald Square, Bloomingdale’s, Tiffany’s) there are dozens of truly one-of-a-kind shops. A local radio station has a weekly feature profiling “Niche Markets,” retailers that, for example, still sell typewriters in this digital age or that specialize in pizza-making tools, African drums and tiny dollhouses.

Like the city that hosts it, the NRF Annual Convention & Expo, a.k.a. Retail’s Big Show 2012, has a multitude of offerings for anyone interested in retail and technology. With so many choices, including an expo hall crowded with the latest that the industry’s vendors have to offer, we wanted to identify the truly Big Ideas that will be seen, heard and discussed at the Big Show and in the year ahead. For the full gamut of information about the Big Show, visit www.nrf.com.

The big news at the Big Show is the keynote speaker, former President Bill Clinton. On Monday, January 16 at 11 a.m., Clinton will focus on the challenges of globalization, our growing interdependence and moving forward based on shared goals and values when he speaks on “Embracing Our Common Humanity.”

The big news at the Big Show is the keynote speaker, former President Bill Clinton speaking on “Embracing Our Common Humanity.”

There will also be big ideas aplenty at the third annual RetailROI Super Saturday, (January 14, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.), which provides thought-provoking content from some of the industry’s leading speakers while also raising money for the Retail Orphan Initiative.

Fresh data about today’s shoppers, along with ways those insights can be translated into the intelligent store of tomorrow, will be revealed at a special session featuring RIS News Group

Editor-in-Chief Joe Skorupa and Cognizant Business Consulting vice president Steven Skinner. They will share key findings from the second annual RIS/Cognizant Shopper Experience study on Sunday, January 15 from 8:30-10 a.m.

On Monday, January 16 from 1:45-2:45 p.m., see how the ARTS (Association for Retail Technology Standards) roadmap for 2012 aligns with fresh research from the 9th annual RIS News/IHL Group Store Systems Study. Learn whether cloud computing is living up to its promise and how mobile, social networks and new payment alternatives could transform the shopping experience.

When you’ve had enough of Big Ideas and just want to have Big Fun, there’s RIS Rock & Roll Retail (Monday, January 16, 8:30 p.m.-midnight at B.B. Kings blues club on West 42nd Street). Retail industry executives step out from “behind the counter” to reveal their hitherto hidden musical talents. Those that have attended previous incarnations of this event know that the combination of hot music on a cold night makes for a rocking, raucous good time.