NRF PROTECT 2016 is officially under way at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Featuring 2 ½ days of compelling educational sessions, networking opportunities and an innovative EXPO Hall, the conference is designed especially for those who protect retail brands, assets, people and profits.
The annual conference brings together the special breed of professionals responsible for securing retail’s success across various functional areas. More than 2,500 retail, chain restaurant and law enforcement professionals attend. This year will once again feature compelling, newsworthy and influential speakers who offer solutions to the critical issues facing LP professionals: store-level shrink, internal theft, organized retail crime, cyber and data security, asset protection, workplace safety, supply chain protection, store security, fraud detection and more.
Following the LP Council meeting, Tuesday kicked off this year’s activities with the “Emerging Leaders Boot Camp,” an event that dives into the essentials of loss prevention and retail’s dynamic landscape of threats and opportunities. Experts from leading retail organizations led presentations designed to provide a strong foundation in the most critical and coveted loss prevention/asset protection skills.
This was followed by the annual welcome reception held at the Hard Rock Philadelphia, where attendees were able to network with old colleagues and new partners in a casual setting as we prepare for the days ahead.
This year’s conference features another strong program full of speakers from within the loss prevention/asset protection community, as well as several special guests that will bring their own special insights on leadership and other valuable learning experiences. Based on the response that rocked the Hard Rock, we can expect the attendees to keep the sessions lively and engaged as well.
LP Magazine will be there to share the experiences from Philadelphia, as well as offering a taste from inside the EXPO hall. Once again featuring more than 200 exhibitors, the EXPO showcases proven technologies and inventive solutions to guard retail business, employees, customers and brands for LP professionals searching for the most effective protection solutions.
This year’s conference will also underscore the Loss Prevention Benevolent Fund, administered by the Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF). LPF established this memorial fund as a way to honor LP professionals and to offer assistance to their families who suffer a loss of their loved one while conducting the duties of our profession. In addition to distributing funds to the families of the fallen, the LPBF also provides financial grants to eligible participants who experience a verifiable economic hardship as a result of qualifying circumstances.
We ask that the LP/AP community at large to offer their assistance in helping these families by making a generous donation. However, there is another way that attendees of this year’s conference can offer their support. The NRF has agreed to make a $1 donation for each submission if attendees simply agree to complete the evaluations provided at the end of each session during the conference. Two of the most prominent gifts that LP professionals enjoy sharing are their opinions and their generosity—so let’s put them to work!