ICBA President’s Update: August 2013
From David Kent,
President
ICBA Board of Directors
Director, VOLSHOP, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Phone: 865.974.1042 | email me
Just in the nick of time, before you get swallowed up with back-to-school rush, I’m happy to share with you a summary of recent ICBA updates, highlights and happenings. On behalf of the ICBA Board of Directors I encourage you to contact us anytime with your thoughts and ideas.
ICBA 2014 Retail Conference
February 3-6, 2014 | Marriott New Orleans | New Orleans, Louisiana
Store registration opened on Wednesday, July 31, and as of today, Tuesday August 13th, there are 158 members registered. It seems everyone, everywhere, is buzzing about the ICBA 2014 Retail Conference, not only because it’s in festive New Orleans, but also because the conference program, as always, promises to provide outstanding solution-oriented education while strengthening core relationships among store professionals, as well as with vendors. Additionally, there’s a lot of excitement about the annual Large Stores Group (LSG) Meeting co-locating with us. As ICBA strives to strengthen the brand and voice of the institutional store model, we’re extremely excited about this collaboration as another way to further cultivate strategic actions and strengthen independent stores as an industry. We are also excited about Verba Software’s decision to co-locate their inaugural Boot Camp with the ICBA Conference, thus growing the value for ICBA course material managers and buyers. Register for ICBA 2014 here.
Operating Surveys Are Now Open
By now your store has probably either completed the first part of the two-part Operating Survey or you’re in the thick of it. The Operating Survey is one of the best ICBA benefits available to you, so please keep these fast-approaching deadlines in your list of priorities:
Director, VOLSHOP, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Phone: 865.974.1042 | email me
Just in the nick of time, before you get swallowed up with back-to-school rush, I’m happy to share with you a summary of recent ICBA updates, highlights and happenings. On behalf of the ICBA Board of Directors I encourage you to contact us anytime with your thoughts and ideas.
ICBA 2014 Retail Conference
February 3-6, 2014 | Marriott New Orleans | New Orleans, Louisiana
Store registration opened on Wednesday, July 31, and as of today, Tuesday August 13th, there are 158 members registered. It seems everyone, everywhere, is buzzing about the ICBA 2014 Retail Conference, not only because it’s in festive New Orleans, but also because the conference program, as always, promises to provide outstanding solution-oriented education while strengthening core relationships among store professionals, as well as with vendors. Additionally, there’s a lot of excitement about the annual Large Stores Group (LSG) Meeting co-locating with us. As ICBA strives to strengthen the brand and voice of the institutional store model, we’re extremely excited about this collaboration as another way to further cultivate strategic actions and strengthen independent stores as an industry. We are also excited about Verba Software’s decision to co-locate their inaugural Boot Camp with the ICBA Conference, thus growing the value for ICBA course material managers and buyers. Register for ICBA 2014 here.
Operating Surveys Are Now Open
By now your store has probably either completed the first part of the two-part Operating Survey or you’re in the thick of it. The Operating Survey is one of the best ICBA benefits available to you, so please keep these fast-approaching deadlines in your list of priorities:
- Survey 1 – Practice and
Preferences closes on August 15, 2013.
- Survey 2 – Store Profile and
Supplemental Financial Information closes September 30, 2013.
In mid-July, ICBA distributed unique store-specific-links to each
member. The store-specific-links make it possible for you to enter partial
data, leave the survey, and then return later to complete. If you believe you
haven’t received your unique link, please contact ICBA. Learn more.
LSG Partners with ICBA for Operating Survey Platform
The dynamic relationship between ICBA and the Large Stores Group (LSG) continues to grow with LSG’s decision to join us in utilizing our new KPMG Operating Survey platform. Currently over ninety percent of U.S. LSG stores belong to ICBA.
Board of Directors Mid-year Meeting
The twelve Directors making up the ICBA 2013 Board of Directors spent three days, from July 17-19, discussing the industry and making plans. In addition to standard updates and reports from Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Staff, we focused on strengthening ICBA, improving benefits and on future solutions—firstly for members and ultimately for independent stores everywhere. To narrow in on how to best serve members, we examined the board structure, ways to empower staff and improve competence, membership types and their needs, touched on technology needs, and discussed programs and services.
During the ICBA Board Meeting not a minute was wasted. During breakfast, lunch and dinner we continued our conversations and our focus on solutions for the future. During lunches, committees and work groups took time to meet and shared these few highlights:
LSG Partners with ICBA for Operating Survey Platform
The dynamic relationship between ICBA and the Large Stores Group (LSG) continues to grow with LSG’s decision to join us in utilizing our new KPMG Operating Survey platform. Currently over ninety percent of U.S. LSG stores belong to ICBA.
Board of Directors Mid-year Meeting
The twelve Directors making up the ICBA 2013 Board of Directors spent three days, from July 17-19, discussing the industry and making plans. In addition to standard updates and reports from Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Staff, we focused on strengthening ICBA, improving benefits and on future solutions—firstly for members and ultimately for independent stores everywhere. To narrow in on how to best serve members, we examined the board structure, ways to empower staff and improve competence, membership types and their needs, touched on technology needs, and discussed programs and services.
During the ICBA Board Meeting not a minute was wasted. During breakfast, lunch and dinner we continued our conversations and our focus on solutions for the future. During lunches, committees and work groups took time to meet and shared these few highlights:
- Membership Committee finalized
questions for ICBA Member Satisfaction Survey. Be on the lookout and let
us know what you think—anytime, not just via surveys and evaluations.
- Annual Meeting & Education
Committee shared that among a vast array of education for all store
professionals, the Conference will also narrow in on POS developments such
as mobile and social, integrating systems, system-to-system data flow, Customer Relationship Management, loyalty programs and analytics from big data to big insights. As
part of this effort, ICBA has confirmed Joe Skorupa, Editor-in-Chief of
RIS News, and Richard Mader, Executive Director, NRF Association for
Retail Technology Standards, as presenters at the ICBA 2014 Retail
Conference.
- Technology Solutions Committee
reported that they continue to explore out-of-industry POS system
providers as a way to help identify improvements for our industry, and how
they might improve store performance.
- The Executive Committee is
striving to collaborate with indiCo, NACS, LSG and other organizations on
ways to further support independent college store needs. The Operating
Survey and co-location are examples already in place. Potential proposals
might incorporate such ideas as establishing technology standards,
centralizing data and analytics, growing industry business intelligence
and digital content platforms.
To discuss the pulse of the industry, broaden our perspectives
and deepen our search for solutions, three guests were invited to join us for a
day. We were honored and thankful that these industry leaders took the time to
meet with us: Chris Tabor, Campus eBookstore President, Canadian Campus Retail
Associates President, and Director at Queens University; George Masforroll,
Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services at Broward College, and NACS
President; and Jeff Nelson, Director of Bookstores & Card Services at
Bowling Green State University, and ICBA Technology Solutions Committee Chair.
The insights and outcomes were invaluable and will inevitably be interlaced
into strategic actions going forward.
Overall, the meeting was significantly successful. As news and actions surface from the Board Meeting, I’ll continue to keep you updated.
Nominations for Board of Directors
In July, during the Board Meeting, directors defined how many positions and what roles would be needed for the 2014 ICBA Board of Directors. A call for nominees from the membership will be communicated from the Nominating Committee in September.
Jeff Zeilenga Departs from the Board
Jeff Zeilenga (University of Missouri) has stepped off of the ICBA Board of Directors just six months shy of completing his term, due to other commitments and obligations. Jeff will continue to serve on the ICBA Technology Solutions Committee. Thank you to Jeff for his generous service to ICBA members!
Campus eBookstore Update
ICBA partnered with Canadian Campus Retail Associates to create Campus eBookstore (CEI). The goal of Campus eBookstore is to demonstrate the capability and credibility of independent college stores as viable participants in the distribution of digital course materials.
Where have we succeeded, and where have we not? CEI has succeeded in the first two phases of CEI development; free materials (Digital Study Versions), and commercial eTextbooks, with our partner Vital Source. Where we have not succeeded is in achieving a position in the distribution of publisher access codes in the United States, although CEI is currently distributing selected publisher access codes in Canada. We are continuing to work toward achieving that goal.
Going forward, CEI will be debuting additional software services for affiliated stores including buyback pricing data, buyback price look-up and email marketing tools, competitive pricing feeds, peer-to-peer classifieds, and product reviews.
Welcome New ICBA Members
If you haven’t already done so, please welcome the following new members that joined ICBA between January 1 and August 1, 2013.
Overall, the meeting was significantly successful. As news and actions surface from the Board Meeting, I’ll continue to keep you updated.
Nominations for Board of Directors
In July, during the Board Meeting, directors defined how many positions and what roles would be needed for the 2014 ICBA Board of Directors. A call for nominees from the membership will be communicated from the Nominating Committee in September.
Jeff Zeilenga Departs from the Board
Jeff Zeilenga (University of Missouri) has stepped off of the ICBA Board of Directors just six months shy of completing his term, due to other commitments and obligations. Jeff will continue to serve on the ICBA Technology Solutions Committee. Thank you to Jeff for his generous service to ICBA members!
Campus eBookstore Update
ICBA partnered with Canadian Campus Retail Associates to create Campus eBookstore (CEI). The goal of Campus eBookstore is to demonstrate the capability and credibility of independent college stores as viable participants in the distribution of digital course materials.
Where have we succeeded, and where have we not? CEI has succeeded in the first two phases of CEI development; free materials (Digital Study Versions), and commercial eTextbooks, with our partner Vital Source. Where we have not succeeded is in achieving a position in the distribution of publisher access codes in the United States, although CEI is currently distributing selected publisher access codes in Canada. We are continuing to work toward achieving that goal.
Going forward, CEI will be debuting additional software services for affiliated stores including buyback pricing data, buyback price look-up and email marketing tools, competitive pricing feeds, peer-to-peer classifieds, and product reviews.
Welcome New ICBA Members
If you haven’t already done so, please welcome the following new members that joined ICBA between January 1 and August 1, 2013.
- Auraria Higher Education Center
- Bellevue College
- Big Bend Community College
- California State University,
Chico
- California State University,
Fresno
- Cornell University
- Flagler College
- McGill University
- Missouri State University
- McMaster UniversityPeninsula
College
- University of British Columbia
- University of California, Davis
- University of California,
Irvine
- University of Nevada at Reno
- University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill
- University of Victoria
Sincerely,
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