GRAPEVINE, Texas, Feb. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A record number of attendees participated in the 2014 TopSource Summit – the largest not-for-resale event in the retail and grocery industry – held recently at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas. TopSource LLC, a division of Topco Associates LLC and a leading sourcing company for retailers and wholesalers, provided a forum for its members, customers and preferred suppliers to build collaborative business relationships and enhance their business results. Nearly 700 professionals, representing more than 45 companies and over 150 suppliers, attended the fourth biennial Summit. They represent grocery retailers and wholesalers, other retailers, restaurant cooperatives and more.
In addition to the many strategic business and industry-specific meetings, the conference featured a trade show with pre-scheduled, face-to-face meetings between suppliers and decision makers. Business areas represented included construction, equipment, financial services, hired services, store operations, HR benefits, IT/telecommunications, marketing and advertising, merchandising, logistics and distribution, packaging, office supplies and waste management. Each business area offered a specific track tailored to the attendee. The agenda also included a presentation and live demonstration of TopSource's e-auction capabilities.
Attendees gave the 2014 Summit high marks, noting the strong networking opportunities, effective roundtable discussions, quality face-to-face meetings and good trade show layout.
"After visiting the conference floor and talking to the other folks from K-VA-T, the one word for this event is WOW!!," said Jesse Lewis, Chief Operating Officer for K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc., a regional supermarket chain based in Abingdon, Virginia. "The Summit was a super event providing good contacts, good information and good plans in place for 2014. Additionally, the TopSource team did an outstanding job of planning and executing this event; and I am confident that our company will enjoy big returns from our time invested at the Summit."
A key component of the Summit is the pre-scheduled, one-on-one meetings. Andrew Casson, Chief Executive Officer for Voxpop USA and a first-year supplier attendee, said the private meetings made the show one the best he has ever attended.
"The value to us as a supplier to meet one on one with multiple industries and different stakeholders was phenomenal," Casson said. "TopSource went above and beyond to set up meetings for us and show the power of collaboration."
TopSource is currently planning a similar not-for-resale event for 2016, with location and dates to be announced in the future.
About TopSource
TopSource is a wholly owned subsidiary of Topco Associates LLC, an $11.9 billion, privately held company that provides aggregation, innovation and knowledge management solutions to leading mid-size U.S. businesses, including retailers, hospitals, foodservice providers and manufacturers. TopSource leverages the collective volume, knowledge and commitment of these companies to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace by reducing costs and offering winning business-building capabilities. To learn more about TopSource, visit www.topsourcellc.com.