GS1 US, a leading supply-chain standards organization serving multiple industry sectors, announced that registration is now open for its annual conference, GS1 Connect 2013.
The event will be held from June 10–13, at the JW Marriot San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas.
The keynote speaker at this year's event will be Gary Kovacs, CEO of Mozilla Corp. Kovacs has held senior leadership roles at Sybase, Adobe, and IBM, and created Zi Corp.
Kovacs will address the conference on Wednesday, June 12, discussing the rapidly changing digital landscape and how these changes will impact the global supply chain.
GS1 Connect 2013 will feature an expanded Pre-Conference Education program that includes the popular Barcode Professional Certification course, as well as the Introduction to the GS1 System of Standards course.
Along with the 101-level introductory courses, GS1 US has added a 201-course track for attendees with advanced knowledge of GS1 Standards, and created three 101/201 tracks focused on job-specific applications. The program also now includes an EDI Essentials track.
“With trading partners, industry experts, solution providers, and GS1 Standards experts all converging under one roof, the opportunities for collaboration, networking, and sharing best practices are incredible,” says Bob Carpenter, president and CEO of GS1 US.
“GS1 Standards make it possible for companies around the globe to speak the same language,” he says. “Our goal with this year’s event is to provide the education, tools, and resources they need to revolutionize the way they do business.”
This year's event will also include expanded exhibit hours. For the first time ever, GS1 Connect will offer two full days of Exhibit Hall hours on Tuesday, June 11, and Wednesday, June 12, providing 15 hours of exhibit time.
Attendees interested in more personal, interactive forums can meet their trading partners and speak with GS1 Standards experts in the Exhibit Hall. There, the hugely popular Trading Partner Roundtables will provide suppliers and their customers with informal opportunities to discuss best practices in order to develop a more efficient trade relationship.
Experts on industry initiatives and GS1 Standards will be available for one-on-one consultations.
"GS1 Connect enables communities to come together in order to solve supply-chain problems, improve business operations, and create better customer experiences,” says Rodney McMullen, resident and chief operating officer, The Kroger Co., and chairman of the GS1 US Board of Governors. "Attendees walk away with stronger trading partner relationships and a wealth of information that can dramatically improve the way they do business."
GS1 Connect attendees can get the latest information about best practices, strategies, and initiatives in four industry tracks: Grocery, Retail, Foodservice, and Healthcare.
The GS1 Standards and Solutions track offers insight about how to fully leverage GS1 Standards to improve supply-chain visibility, efficiency, and collaboration.
The conference agenda was developed by the GS1 Connect Community Advisory Board (CAB), a planning committee comprised of GS1 Standards users representing the real-world concerns and interests of industry stakeholders.
