GS1 US Announces Speakers and Theme for Annual 'U Connect' Supply Chain Conference

GS1 US:

• Bruce Richardson, Chief Research Officer, AMR Research, to Deliver ‘Top 25’ Keynote
• MorningNewsBeat.com’s Kevin Coupe Will Moderate Panel of Top Retailers

GS1 US, a not-for-profit organization, today announced that its annual U Connect Conference® for supply-chain professionals will be held June 2-5, 2009, in Orlando, Fla., and will feature Bruce Richardson, renowned chief research officer of AMR Research, delivering the Conference Keynote.

The conference program will support its theme, “Transforming Your Supply Chain for Extraordinary Times,” providing attendees with information and tools for improving their ability to respond to today’s economic crisis and associated challenges.

Richardson will address the theme head on, drawing heavily on the 2009 version of the annual AMR Research Supply Chain Top 25 list, which will have been unveiled just the prior week.

The conference also will feature Kevin Coupe, the “Content Guy” of MorningNewsBeat.com, moderating a Retailer Panel comprising executives from large and influential retail chains.

More than a thousand supply-chain professionals will converge at U Connect for a user-driven program focused on business-oriented tracks: Efficient Distribution of Goods; Efficient Order to Cash; Supply Chain Visibility and Traceability; Sustainability; and Item Identification and Setup. Another track will address GS1 Standards. Conferees can take advantage of hands-on workshops, ask-the-expert sessions and other offerings, in addition to three plenary sessions and 60 breakout sessions.

“I enjoy the U Connect conference because it not only addresses the practical aspects of the supply chain, it also has a business-focused approach,” Richardson said. “As businesses work through this recession and position themselves for long-term survival, they have to maximize their existing investments in supply chains and standards, and U Connect is the perfect place to learn how to do that.”

Richardson is perhaps best-known as the name behind “First Thing Monday,” a weekly AMR Research publication that brings his supply-chain research and insights to more than 38,000 subscribers in 95 countries. Since joining AMR Research in 1988, he has been responsible for spearheading the company’s analysis of leading market trends in supply-chain management. He also heads up the team that produces the famous AMR Research Supply Chain Top 25 list.

“The annual Top 25 ranking recognizes the companies that take a leadership role in the trends and technology that drive the global supply chain,” Richardson said. “These are the leaders in operational and innovation excellence. I will be talking about what makes these companies successful and how attendees can apply these lessons to their own operations.”

The U Connect conference is hosted annually by GS1 US and the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association (VICS), working with a planning committee that includes representatives from several major retailers and suppliers.

“I believe in the value of real-world supply-chain education, and this event delivers it,” said Patricia Vessey, Director of Supplier Integration at Best Buy Co., Inc., and chairperson of the planning committee. “Anyone who can attend only one conference this year should go to this one, whether they’re looking to cut costs, get better return on their existing investments, look into the future of supply chains, or even transform their whole operation.”

The conference will be held at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort, beginning on Tues., June 2 with pre-conference seminars. The main conference begins Weds., June 3, with a general session in the morning featuring the CEO of GS1 US. Exhibits will be open Tuesday through Thursday. Early-early-bird discounts end on Feb. 28. For more information: http://uconnect.gs1us.org.

About GS1 US®

GS1 US is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the adoption and implementation of standards-based, global-supply chain solutions. Its solutions, including business processes, XML standards, EDI transaction sets, and the barcode identification standards of the GS1 System are currently used by more than 1 million companies worldwide. www.GS1US.org.