"The Heat Is On" At GERS Retail. Systems' Annual User Conference August 12-15 In San Diego

Furniture World Magazine

Things will sizzle in San Diego for four days this August when GERS Retail Systems holds its 15th Annual User Conference. This year's conference, Retail World '98 --The Heat is On!, will be held from August 12-15 at the Hyatt Regency in San Diego. The annual User Conference offers retailers great opportunities to network and educates them on ways to make their operations more lucrative through the latest technology, merchandising, marketing and sales. The event hopes to attract more than 750 of the top names in retail including GERS clients, prospects, consultants, industry press and business partners. "The annual User Conference provides retailers with the tools necessary to make them more profitable and efficient," said GERS Vice President Dennis Conforto. "This year's conference is especially important because we have several speakers and sessions lined up who will focus on the Year 2000 issue---something of utmost importance to all retailers." The four-day, information and fun-filled event includes round-table discussions, mini-training sessions, user panels and educational sessions designed to appeal to corporate executives and systems professionals alike. Nearly 50 breakout sessions are scheduled throughout the Conference to address the unique needs of the Consumer Electronics, General Retail and Home Furnishings markets. Additionally there will be Networking Gardens, an area where attendees can meet and interact together in a more casual atmosphere. Included will be a Retail Resource Center -- offering the latest in technology for the new millennium and beyond. The center will feature vendor exhibit space with advanced applications, live demonstrations, and new product models. In an effort to meet the varied needs of GERS' retail vertical markets, the Retail Resource center will have separate Business Group areas and individual Retail Focus centers. Breakout sessions are taught by some of the most knowledgeable experts in their fields. Session topics include: Year 2000 compliance, data warehousing, internet retailing, the benefits of Electronic Data Interchange, merchandising and sales for wireless retailers, and optimizing inventory investments with MARS Demand Forecasting. "We get fantastic feedback from retailers who attend the Conference and come away excited about everything they learned and the new relationships they've formed," said Conforto. "GERS believes we achieve our goals for the Conference by educating our clients, prospects, partners and the press while at the same time having a lot fun." Keynote speakers include Roger Blackwell, author, college professor and president of his own consulting firm, whose topic will be "From Mind to Market" and John Cassis, a motivational speaker and founder of the Cassis Group, whose topic is "21st Century Thinking." Editors from some of the country's leading trade publications will also be addressing the group and include Marc Millstein, technology editor at several Fairchild Publications' including Executive Technology, Judith Lockwood, editor of Wireless Week, and Mark Frantz, editor of RIS NEWS. Outside speakers scheduled include Barbara Sanfilippo, of Romano & Sanfilippo, which assists organizations in building a sales and service culture; Stephanie Moore of GIGA Information Group; and Ted Shepherd, CEO of Shepherd Management Group. The conference gets underway Wednesday, August 12, with a golf tournament and welcome reception. As a way for retailers to network in a casual setting, several other leisure activities are planned, including trips to Sea World, the Wild Animal Park or deep sea fishing, and a day at the races at the world-famous Del Mar Racetrack. On Thursday evening, August 13, GERS will co-host its annual awards banquet with strategic partner, Data General. This black tie-optional gala event will kick off with cocktails followed by dinner and non-stop laughter from the comedy duo "Monkey Wrench." Continuing the evening is an awards ceremony, which will be broken down by individual GERS Business Groups and recognizes the leading retailers in each GERS vertical market. The action-packed evening also includes casino games and dancing. Throughout the conference, GERS will be demonstrating some of its newest software enhancements including the Radio Frequency Directed Picking feature which eliminates labels and paperwork and allows for better tracking history. Also being shown is the Custom Order Entry (COE) feature, which is designed to meet the growing number of furniture retailers who sell "made to order" furniture and Retail Analyst, GERS' new application for data access, reporting and analysis. The GERS Sequel System is an inclusive management tool that allows retailers the ability to oversee all aspects of retail operation including accounting, inventory, sales, warehousing and merchandising, with the flexibility to shape the system to their individual needs. Built within an Oracle relational database platform to facilitate optimal growth, the Sequel System also features clear menus with friendly pop-up windows to guide users through each procedure to save time and increase employee productivity. San Diego-based GERS Retail Systems provides fully integrated, Open Systems computer solutions software, hardware, and comprehensive training for department stores, specialty stores, Home Furnishings retailers, and Consumer Electronics/Wireless retail operations. For more information on GERS e-mail at gersinfo@gers.com