Conference Agenda
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August 12, 2009 August 13, 2009
August 12, 2009
Back to Top| 9:00 AM | Registration Opens |
| 10:00 AM | RFID Journal University Click here for Schedule. |
| 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30 PM | Leadership Forum (by invitation only) |
| 4:15 PM | General Session: Welcome and Opening Remarks Speakers:Mary Howell, VP, Industry Relations, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) |
| 4:30 PM | Opening Keynote: How American Apparel Boosts Sales With RFID After evaluating the positive results of an item-level RFID tagging project at its stores, American Apparel is expanding the program and has begun to use the technology to track merchandise in selected stores. The firm's extensive apparel line is known for its wide range of colors, styles and sizes, and RFID is being utilized to keep the sales floors well-stocked, thereby providing the retailer with a competitive edge. Hear how the company evaluated the technology and prepared for the program, as well as the results and the future of RFID in retail. Speaker:Zander Livingston, CEO and Co-founder, Truecount Corporation Takeaways:• How radio frequency identification can help to achieve 99 percent inventory accuracy at RFID-enabled stores |
| 5:15 PM | General Session: RFID Enables Shoppers to Talk to the Touchwall in Stores Schematic, an interactive marketing services agency headquartered in New York, recently debuted its multi-user, RFID-enabled, touch-screen media tool, the Touchwall—a large, touch-sensitive screen measuring 12 feet wide by 5 feet tall. Multiple users can interact with the Touchwall by selecting and dragging text and objects—using their fingers instead of a mouse—as well as send content and information to themselves, and to other users, via the device. In this session, hear about the Touchwall's potential to be a new, powerful marketing tool for communicating with consumers, armed with RFID-based loyalty cards and RFID-tagged products, within a store environment. Speakers:John Barton, Senior Solutions Architect, Schematic Takeaways:• How the RFID-enabled interactive screen can promote increased sales through better customer engagement within retail locations |
| 6:00 PM | Cocktail Reception |
| 7:30 PM | Reception Ends |
August 13, 2009
Back to Top| 7:00 AM | Registration Opens; Continental Breakfast |
| 8:30 AM | General Session: Welcome and Opening Remarks Speakers:Mary Howell, VP, Industry Relations, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) |
| 8:45 AM | General Session: How Retailers Benefit from Using RFID to Improve Inventory Accuracy For the past several years, the University of Arkansas' RFID Research Center has been studying the impact various retailers have achieved by employing radio frequency identification to improve inventory accuracy and replenishment. The center has now aggregated this information, and plans to provide baseline data revealing the benefits the typical apparel retailer can expect to achieve with RFID. Attendees will also learn how the technology can be applied to improving inventory accuracy and reducing the out-of-stock problem that has long plagued retailers. Speaker:Dr. Bill Hardgrave, Dean and Wells Fargo Professor, College of Business, Auburn University Takeaways:• Baseline data and new insights regarding the ROI that apparel retailers can expect to achieve using RFID |
| 9:30 AM | General Session: Issues Facing Retailers Adopting RFID Retail companies interested in utilizing radio frequency identification to improve their store operations face a variety of issues, including how to obtain management buy-in, turn RFID data into useful information, train store associates and ensure that all tags are read consistently, as well as how the industry will handle tag serialization when the technology moves beyond the pilot stage. In this session, three thought leaders will discuss these and other critical issues. Moderator:Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal Panelists:Rose Depoe, Global Director RFID Strategic Solutions and Alliances , Avery-Dennison |
| 10:15 AM | Refreshment Break / Visit Exhibits |
| 10:45 AM | General Session: RFID Applications in Retail Stores and the Supply Chain Radio frequency identification is sometimes promoted as a technology that will transform retailing in the future—but some retailers are already using it today. This panel will explore the myths and realities of RFID's ability to improve retail store and supply chain operations. What are the real read rates, and how much do they matter? Does RFID reduce out-of-stocks? Can it decrease shrinkage—and, if so, how? Who should pay for the technology—the retailer or the vendor—and why? Our panel of experts will explore these and other issues. Moderator:Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal Panelists:Dr. Bill Hardgrave, Dean and Wells Fargo Professor, College of Business, Auburn University |
| 11:30 AM | General Session: The Business Case for RFID in Retail Apparel RFID Journal has conducted extensive research to understand the business case for RFID in apparel retail, and to create metrics that companies in that sector can use to determine the likely return on investment they could achieve by employing the technology to manage store inventory. In this session, we will explain the data used, and walk attendees through the financial model. Everyone in attendance will receive a copy of the report on which the presentation will be based, as well as an interactive spreadsheet they can utilize to explore the benefits they can expect to receive, based on their own store size, number of units, margin, labor costs and other inputs. Speaker:Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal |
| 12:15 PM | Lunch |
| 2:15 PM | General Session: Live Demo: RFID Put to the Test Is RFID ready for in-store applications? How accurate is the technology? Can it read tags on every item, every time? And how much will it speed up inventory tasks? In this live demonstration, we will use a handheld RFID interrogator to read tags on clothing hanging on a z-bar, on shelves and in piles on a table. We'll also read tagged items on a z-bar and on a cart moving through a portal, to determine how accurate RFID systems are, and how much faster RFID is than bar codes. Moderator:Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal |
| 2:45 PM | General Session: NP Brings RFID to Its Shoppers At its store in Finland, women's clothing designer Naisten Pukutehdas (NP) has extended its existing RFID system to the sales floor. The company—which sells women's fashion at 500 retail locations in Scandinavia and Russia, as well as at 10 of its own stores—has created what it believes to be a smart store, employing RFID sensors in its dressing rooms and on its shelves to provide customers with improved and more personalized service. Previously, NP installed RFID readers at its distribution center, reducing errors and time previously spent manually checking garments to ensure the correct products were sent to the proper locations. In this session, learn how NP expanded its RFID system to fitting rooms, store shelves and sales counters, thereby improving customers' shopping experience and speeding the payment process. Speaker:Markus Rosendahl, Founder and President, SENSO Takeaways:• How RFID stimulates sales when customers select items they would like to try on with a garment they have already carried into a dressing room |
| 3:30 PM | General Session: BRIDGE Project Reveals Benefits of RFID in Retail The BRIDGE program is a European Union-funded integrated research project exploring ways to resolve barriers to adoption of RFID and EPC technologies in Europe. End users and solution providers have launched projects in several areas, and in this session, you'll hear about efforts that have taken place in the retail sector. In addition, GS1 Germany will present results from Gardeur, Galeria Kaufhof, Northland and other leading retailers. Speakers:Anja Olbertz, Program Manager, GS1 Germany |
| 4:15 PM | Closing RemarksSpeaker:Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal |
RFID Journal — RFID in Fashion is produced by RFID Journal, in partnership with the American Apparel & Footwear Association.
