For Immediate Release Contact: Nicole Taylor RSPA Corporate Communications 704.940.4274 NTaylor@GoRSPA.org

RetailNOW 2008 Draws Record Crowd for Second Year in a Row

Cross-vertical show features retail, grocery, food service, C-store, and In-store marketing industries

 *     Serving as the retail IT industry's leading cross-vertical show, featuring the leading vendors and distributors in the grocery, food service, in-store marketing, convenience store, and retail markets.
*     32 education sessions and 5 Technical Training workshops.
*     RSPA provided free space to vendor-members to hold their annual dealer meetings. Over 15 member-companies took advantage of this money saving benefit by holding their meeting in conjunction with RetailNOW 2008.
 
"I attended two dealer meetings while at RetailNOW 2008 which allows me to spend more time in my office instead of traveling. Spending time at RetailNOW with other vendors and dealers and taking advantage of the education is more beneficial for me because I can use the rest of the year to focus on my business," said Lynn Skurla of Skurla's Business & Hospitality Systems.
 
"RSPA continues to implement member ideas to improve our trade show and conference. There was proof of this at RetailNOW with our education sessions, vendor/dealer events, and record number of attendees and exhibitors.  All of our events are linked by a common goal; to provide information and education to take our members and the industry to the next level," said J. Joseph Finizio, RSPA President & CEO.
 
Additional show highlights included the 2nd Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament, Forward Thinking Thursday, the announcement of RSPA's new Chairman of the Board, Dean Crotty of North Country Business Products, and the announcements of the RSPA Award of Excellence Winners and the RSPA/VSR Innovative Solution Award Winners.
 
RSPA Awards of Excellence are the only awards in the retail technology industry where dealers vote for their favorite vendors. RSPA dealer-members can vote on the best in the industry for supplies, software, and peripherals. The RSPA/VSR Innovative Solution Awards recognize outstanding achievements in technologically advanced multi-vendor solutions serving SMBs. These awards are open to any dealer/reseller of retail technology with a solution that falls under one of the following markets: Fine Dining, Quick Service, Specialty Retail, Credit/Processing, Supermarket, and In-Store Marketing.
 
During the RetailNOW 2008 Awards Banquet held on July 15th, the following companies received an award:
 
RSPA Awards of Excellence
Systems/Software
Gold:  MICROS Systems, Inc.; Silver: Posera Maitre'D; Bronze: Future POS
Supplies
Gold: Heartland Label Printers; Silver: Nashua; Bronze: Bushnell Ribbon
Peripherals
Gold: Ready Distribution; Silver: Merchant Link; Bronze: Quality Retail Systems                                                                 

Gold Medallion Award: Powervar                                                               Powervar
 
Innovative Solution Awards
Specialty Retail and Best of Best: CAP Software
Credit Processing: Delaware Business Systems
Quick-Serve Restaurant: Advanced Business Products
In-Store Marketing: Encore Associates
Supermarket: Agilysys Retail Solutions Group
Fine Dining: Managed Data Group

 

                                                                                                               

 

Held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, RetailNOW is The Retail Solutions Providers Association's Annual Summer Convention and Expo. RetailNOW 2009 will be held at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, July 11th - 16th, 2008.For a full recap of RetailNOW 2008 events including education presentations, pictures, and RetailNOW 2009 information, visit www.GoRSPA.org/RetailNOW.