We’ve reviewed the submissions and our committee has narrowed down the choices to these outstanding finalists for Association or Industry Initiative of the Year! Bringing the loss prevention community together to make a difference, Industry Associations and Industry Initiatives are intended for specific objectives, operations, causes, or events in a way that inspires action and drives performance for the betterment of its members, the industry, and the community in general. These initiatives unite us towards a common goal, they enhance the way we communicate, and provide a positive reflection of the industry as a whole.
The Industry Association / Industry Initiative of the Year category is intended to recognize outstanding performance worthy of recognition during a specific year. To be eligible for nomination, the examples of the success of the Industry Association / Industry Initiative must represent the calendar year of nomination. An Industry Association / Industry Initiative may be nominated by a third party, or individuals may nominate their own Association / Initiative.
AND THE FINALISTS ARE…
NOMINEE: Global Retail Crime Summit – AUROR
As we all know, 2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges for the retail industry. It was particularly acute in the US, with the convergence of COVID-19 alongside long-periods of civil unrest impacting retail stores across the country. Despite the sheer scale and ferocity of these challenges the loss prevention industry stood up, and this nomination for Industry Initiative of the Year is a prime example of this.
As the impacts of COVID-19 started to grip the country, it became evident that in-person events would likely be canceled or rescheduled. Like many other industry associations, the decision was made to cancel the annual CLEAR conference. These events are the cornerstone of how we as an industry come together to share and learn, so to cancel alongside other events was a real blow.
It was at this point that CLEAR was approached by the Auror team to partner on the virtual Global Retail Crime Summit to bring AP/LP professionals and law enforcement partners from around the world together to discover, network, and learn at a time when our industry needed it more than ever. The initiative was then supported by several industry and media partners who all came together for the betterment of the LP industry.
In less than 12 weeks, the Global Retail Crime Summit launched wiith 25 unique sessions from leading AP/LP professionals and law enforcement, including Mike Lamb, Scott Glenn, and Rick Peck, and headlined by retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal it promised to be one of the largest virtual events in our industry’s history. This promise was fulfilled with over 1,000 AP/LP professionals and law enforcement partners, representing over 220 organizations from around the world, tuned in to learn and network for free, watching over 5,000 hours of sessions.
NOMINEE: The Loss Prevention Foundation
Founded in 2006, LPF has become an international leader in educating and certifying loss prevention and asset protection professionals. The organization is led by experienced senior-level LP/AP professionals that are committed to driving the profession forward through its training and mentoring of students and young professionals from colleges, universities, military, and law enforcement via its academic retail program.
The Loss Prevention Foundation has helped to evolve the LP industry and ensure that its retail members and solution partners remain collaborative in developing convenient, informative and applicable educational resources for future LP/AP leaders. Through its live virtual events and educational resources, it continues to serve as a channel for professional engagement and thought leadership for our industry. LPF’s Hire-a-Vet program recognizes the contribution and sacrifices our military veterans make and offers them extended educational support and opportunities to find employment in the LP/AP industry. As a result of their continued hard work and efforts the LP Foundation is recognized throughout the retail industry. It is for these reasons and more that we would like to nominate the Loss Prevention Foundation team for Industry Association of the Year!
NOMINEE: ASIS Retail Asset Protection Community in association with the Loss Prevention Foundation.
The team mentioned above from the ASIS Retail Asset Protection Community, formerly a council of ASIS, worked for a year with Terry Sullivan and his team at LPF to create the “Essentials of Retail Asset Protection” certificate course that is available to retail practitioners, security management students, service members in transition as an entry level study course with test and certificate. The course study material was selected by the subject matter experts from the community, primarily featuring LPQualified material as a way to introduce students into the world of loss prevention. The year-long project was finalized by ASIS Educational Programs around September 30, 2020. This is an excellent example of two organizations in the retail environment collaborating to educate, support, and lift up the retail asset protection and loss prevention career paths.
NOMINEE: ORCAS in ACTION
In recognition of the various ORCAs across the US, the national impact that these collaborations are having on the fight against organized retail crime, and in appreciation and support of these efforts, the ORCAs in Action initiative was established to provide a conduit for our nation’s organized retail crime associations, working together for mutual benefit and support. While respecting the value and independence of the individual associations and understanding the unique qualities that each brings to the communities they serve, we also see the strength in working together to meet common objectives.
The primary objective of the ORCAs in Action initiative is to:
- help drive membership
- promote the ORCA organizations, mission, and successes
- bring awareness to ORCA efforts and challenges to help develop and deliver solutions
- facilitate ORCA thought leadership and networking
Working together, we can address bigger issues. We can help organize and develop existing teams. We can expand the reach of ongoing investigations. We can offer advice and mentorship when facing unique challenges or common concerns. We can share ideas on improving everything from infrastructure to membership drives. We can consolidate to strengthen networking and educational opportunities. We can unite to drive collective agendas and initiatives, improving productivity and building on shared success.
Program itinerary for leadership meetings is determined solely by the wants and needs of the ORCAs. Meeting regularly with the leadership of every ORCA, every leadership team is given an equal voice in both the discussions and the decisions that result. We can then use that information to support everyone and every mission associated with the ORCA teams.
Thus far, ORCAs in Action has:
- Created a national resource guide to help ORCA leaders better communicate with each other for networking and information sharing. Exclusive to ORCA leaders, this has already paid substantial dividends in terms of networking, investigative successes, and team-building.
- Hosted a highly productive Technology Summit, bringing together solution providers and ORCA leadership to support their data sharing needs. The enthusiastic support and tremendous product offerings provided by these solution providers has helped solve several pressing needs while improving network security, communication needs, and financial concerns.
- Hosted multiple educational events supported by industry leaders and subject matter experts.
- Encouraged ORCA members to author articles regarding relevant topics, resolved investigations, and other appropriately approved content to support the mission and vision of the ORCA goals and objectives. This will be done in partnership with retailers and public agencies to protect the best interests of investigations and all those involved.
Additional projects are in the works, and planning and support meetings are currently being scheduled to further support the mission of the ORCAs, focused on ways that the ORCAs can further support one another through organizational strategies, educational opportunities, raising awareness, mentorship, membership, and networking.
NOMINEE: RILA APLC / COVID Response Initiative
“When we bring together the top thought leaders in asset protection from the most progressive retailers in the world and establish a mindset of achieving shared goals, good things are going to happen,” said Lisa LaBruno, senior vice president of retail operations for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). “That’s why we launched the Asset Protection Leaders Council (APLC). Our asset protection leaders are making a difference. By working together, we’re solving the most pressing challenges facing the industry.”
This was never more apparent than it was in 2020, when LaBruno and the APLC led the way in providing information, education, and awareness throughout the many challenges faced by the retail industry at the heart of the global COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts provided much more than a port in the storm. The APLC team offered an ongoing beacon of guidance and support for retailers and retail asset protection teams by keeping the industry up-to-date on the latest trends, offering best practices on safety and pandemic response, and providing a portal for information sharing and mutual support as we all navigated through these difficult and trying times.
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Visit The Hall homepage to learn more about each of our categories and finalists