GERS Retail World '97 Expected To Break All Barriers

Furniture World Magazine

August 6 at the Harbor Island Sheraton hotel in San Diego as GERS Retail Systems sponsors its 14th annual international user conference. The conference, Retail World '97-Breaking All Barriers, will offer retailers information on the latest technology available today. Retail World event organizers predict over 750 attendees from all over the world. Included in this list are GERS Retail Systems clients, prospects, consultants, industry press and strategic business partners. "Retail World '97 will be invaluable to those who attend. The focus is helping our clients gain a vision of what business can be like when they properly utilize the tools available to them," said GERS vice president Dennis Conforto. The four-day, fun and information packed event includes round-table discussions, mini-training sessions, user panels and educational sessions designed to appeal to corporate executives and systems professions alike. Over 60 breakout sessions are scheduled throughout the Conference to address the unique needs of the Consumer Electronics, General Retail and Home Furnishings markets. New this year is a special Executive Track which is tailored specifically to CEO's, presidents and owners of retail organizations. One class, 'The CEO Industry Challenge," is being sponsored by BDO Seidman, LLP. Roundtable sessions will focus on pinpointing issues that are pertinent to the retail industry. Attendees will participate in discussion groups to target the important issues and address what GERS and the industry can do to resolve those issues. Speakers at the event are some of the best in their field. Morning keynote addresses will be given by retail expert Sam Geist and renowned motivational speaker Mary-Ellen Drummond. Special afternoon session speakers include Mark Rosenberger and Britt Beemer. Keynote addresses will concentrate on helping attendees to better prepare their companies for success. Conference coordinators have worked hard to design meaningful events for attendees throughout the duration of the conference. The conference begins Wednesday, August 6 with a golf tournament and welcome reception. Breakout sessions begin Thursday morning after the State of the Institute Address delivered by Conforto and Rich Hammatiuk, vice president of product development and support. The Networking Gardens and Retail Resource Center will be open Thursday and Friday. Classes will finish Friday but events will continue to nun through Saturday afternoon. Breakout sessions are taught by the most knowledgeable experts in their field. Classes in the Consumer Electronics Track include topics such as future technology trends, credit card authorization, customizing databases, and serial number tracking. The General Retail business group sessions include sessions such as creating custom reports, improving financial performance reports, invoice matching and the new developments in point of sale technology. The General Retail Division will also give their clients a preview of future versions of the Sequel System. The Home Furnishings Track includes sessions discussing purchase order replenishment, radio frequency warehousing, improving inventory turns, electronic private label funding and automating custom retail orders. GERS Retail Systems provides fully-integrated, Open Systems computer solutions software, hardware, and comprehensive training for the General/ Specialty, Big Ticket Home Furnishings, Consumer Electronics/Wireless and Major Appliance retail industries. For more information about GERS Retail Systems, visit their website at http://www.gers.com.