The Evolution Continues: RILA Supply Chain Becomes LINK
- By [ Jeff Ashcroft ]
- 02/11/2019
Our evolutionary story today, about the Logistics and Supply Chain conference, begins in 1984 when NMRI held their first Physical Distribution & Transportation Conference.
Then two years after that, in 1986 the NMRI merged with the Association of General Merchandise Chains (AGMC), and then a couple of years after that merger, in 1988 the name of the association was changed to the International Mass Retail Association (IMRA).
This is where I entered the story in 1989, when I attended the first retail logistics conference of my career which was the IMRA Physical Distribution & Transportation Conference in Orlando.
As an up and coming Logistics executive at The Hudson’s Bay Company, it was exciting to join a gathering of somewhere around 100 of the most powerful Logistics executives in North America for what were truly intimate, informative and candid conversations.
At that time almost all of the delegates were men and very pleased to report, as noted in the MRI/NMRI/IMRA/RILA logistics conference timeline graphic below, that in 2008 the Women in Logistics feature was added to the RILA Logistics conference and last year 20% of attendees at the event were women, a number which can only grow going forward.
The next evolutionary step for this event is when RILA Logistics became RILA Supply Chain in 2014. The focus of the event shifted to cover the entire end to end retail supply chain as highlighted in this RILA Supply Chain video.
As 2019 approaches, RILA Supply Chain is again evolving and next year RILA is introducing LINK which is RILA’s Retail Supply Chain Conference Reimagined. This conference is the essential link in taking your supply chain organization into the future. It’s about far more than the movement of goods, it’s about the informal connections you have with peers at other retailers that you simply can’t get anywhere else. It’s about the amazing relationships you develop with the partners you need to build your supply chain future. It’s about getting the information you need to drive business results, and the lasting connections you form that make your organization and ultimately your career successful. LINK2019 will link peers. LINK2019 will link partners. LINK2019 will link retailers and providers alike to a prosperous future.
Retail has evolved and so have we. RILA’s Retail Supply Chain Conference is now LINK; reimagined to solve today’s toughest retail supply chain challenges.
LINK2019 is where retail supply chain leaders come together to share actionable insights and leading practices. With over 40 specialized sessions, you’ll leave with innovative solutions that can be shared with your team. Get energized by new ideas and solutions to increase performance, enhance customer experience, develop stronger teams, embrace sustainability, and maximize profitability.
This is not business as usual. LINK2019 is RILA’s Retail Supply Chain Conference, reimagined.
Today, success means top retailers must master the demands increased customer expectations of variety and speed. For supply chain executives, this means optimizing network flexibility, increasing supply chain visibility, and becoming more responsive through emerging technologies and strategic relationships with service providers.
As always, I’m excited to attend this great event again in 2019, as all of the most important deals in my career were done with someone I met at the IMRA, RILA Logistics, RILA Supply Chain and who knows maybe even again at the RILA LINK2019 Conference!
In the end the logistics and supply chain business is all about people and the strong links we forge with them. Each of us who attend the RILA LINK2019 event represent a link to our relevant past, the present with the many people in our wider personal and social networks, and most importantly the future that waits to be born out of our shared visions and interactions.
Look forward to seeing you all again in February at RILA LINK2019!
Tags
-
Retail Supply Chain Conference
