2008 NCOF Keeps Operations and Fulfillment Professionals on Track in a Multichannel Retailing Environment

February 20, 2008 — Every business decision is an investment of money or time — or both. It’s not everyday that investing time will save money, but the 2008 National Conference on Operations & Fulfillment (NCOF) promises to do just that. Four days with NCOF’s experts will provide a year of profit-building, cost-saving ideas from the only event focused exclusively on the operations and fulfillment opportunities and challenges facing today’s catalog, online, and multichannel retailers.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Penton Media’s Multichannel Merchant^® magazine, the co-producers of the event, are welcoming attendees to NCOF from April 7–10, 2008, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the official sponsor of this 18th annual conference.

“NCOF’s impressive agenda delivers winning ways for an attendee to get the most from his or her workforce, boost efficiency, raise productivity, control costs, offer value-added service, and give the business the vital edge it needs in today’s intensely competitive marketplace,” said Robin Altman, Penton group show director. “Our sessions provide ‘use-it-now’ information from industry professionals who have ‘been there and done that.’ Whether an attendee wants to improve shipping efficiency, elevate the customer experience, or optimize the distribution center, NCOF’s experts will be there to deliver options and solutions.”

Four specialized educational tracks, a full day of Pre-Conference workshops, an expansive Exhibit Hall, 30 roundtable discussions, and one-on-one consulting will keep attendees on target — demystifying pressing operations and fulfillment issues and providing winning solutions.

Conference Session Tracks

NCOF’s session tracks provide relevant expertise about material handling, people management, distribution management, and the customer experience. Special session icons identify educational opportunities for Smaller Operations and Executive Level attendees.

· Customer Experience — “Harness the Power of Your Contact Center Data” and “Customer Contact Preferences — Technology’s Role” are just two tantalizing peeks into this track’s 14 sessions. Experts will explain how to find the best personnel, staff appropriately for seasonality, and provide and exceed the level of service customers expect.

· Distribution Management — With 27 sessions to choose from, attendees will have a cornucopia of expertise at their fingertips in this track. From practical advice about how to improve distribution center operations to more specialized sessions, such as “Study Results: Striving for Reverse Logistics Best Practices,” this track really does offer something for everyone.

· Material Handling — From interactive sessions to cutting-edge research, attendees will get a concentrated view of the latest material handling information. Sessions such as “Breakthrough Technologies in Material Handling Equipment & Systems” and “The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Key Logistical Functions” are among this track’s 19 sessions.

· People Management — No matter what the business, people push the buttons. This track’s 19 sessions provide ideas for recruiting, retaining, managing, and motivating work forces of excellence.

Pre-Conference: For those who want a “roll-up-your-sleeves,” in-depth experience in a focused area, NCOF offers Pre-Conference Workshops on Monday, April 7. In addition to full-day intensive workshop options, attendees can mix and match half-day sessions in the morning and afternoon.

Conferees can choose from full-day options on The Essentials of Operations and Fulfillment Management or Cost-Effective Shipping Strategies. Those who choose to mix and match their workshop options can select from among three morning half-day workshops and three afternoon workshops on Mastering Contact Center Management, Strategic Systems Management and Selection, Meeting the Challenges of Smaller Operations, Delivering Exceptional Customer Experiences, Conquering the Inventory Challenge, and Managing for Win/Win Results.

Exhibit Hall: One-of-a-kind products and services can be found in the only exhibit hall of its kind. Catalog, online, and multichannel operations and fulfillment solutions are the focus in the NCOF Exhibit Hall.

Roundtable Discussions: Brainstorming and lively discussion can generate ideas, and NCOF offers 30 roundtable discussions on topics ranging from Shipping and Handling Strategies to Virtual Contact Center/Home-Based Agents. Icons identify special roundtables for Smaller Operations and Executive Level attendees. Discussions are moderated and provide colleague-to-colleague information sharing.

One-On-One Consulting: Whether the urge strikes attendees while they’re perusing the products and services in the NCOF Exhibit Hall or whether they’re leaving an educational session and want to learn more about the topic, one-on-one consulting provides conferees with personalized solutions. Topical experts are on call for free, one-on-one, 15-minute meetings in the Exhibit Hall. Delegates are encouraged to bring their challenges and concerns to these consultations on distribution center layout, seasonality issues, shipping, packaging, negotiating, and more.

About NCOF

The 18th Annual National Conference on Operations & Fulfillment (NCOF), the operations and fulfillment conference for catalog, online and multichannel retailers, will take place April 7–10, 2008, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It is the only event focused exclusively on meeting the operations and fulfillment challenges of today’s direct commerce marketplace. Professionals in various areas of operations and fulfillment come to NCOF to get the latest ideas and solutions the industry has to offer on increasing efficiency and streamlining operations. The 2007 NCOF, which was co-produced by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Multichannel Merchant magazine, attracted more than 150 exhibiting companies and approximately 1,500 attendees. For more information, or to register for NCOF 2008, visit www.ncof.com.

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