LAS VEGAS — The moment has arrived: Twenty-seven months after the National Association of Chain Drug Stores announced the creation of the Total Store Expo, the event is here.

Unprecedented in scale and scope, the gathering kicks off this weekend, on Saturday, August 10, at Sands Expo and Convention Center here.

Consolidating NACDS’ Marketplace, Pharmacy and Technology, and Supply Chain and Logistics conferences, the NACDS Total Store Expo runs through August 13.

Billed as “the next generation of trade shows,” the Total Store Expo will promote teamwork, synergy and execution, allowing for both tactical and strategic exchanges.

The business potential at Total Store Expo has shaped up just as the industry envisioned it, NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson said this spring.

“Beyond the strategic exchange, NACDS has applied the same truly total store focus to the entire conference agenda — from the educational programming to special areas in the Exhibit Hall that will focus on innovation,” Anderson stated. “The rewards for engaging in the right ways in the NACDS Total Store Expo will include business success, new insights, bold ideas and a creative vision for defining the future.”

Expected highlights of the event range from Hillary Clinton’s speech to Jim Collins’ keynote address to a concert by Roger Daltrey.

Tony Montini, executive vice president of merchandising at Rite Aid Corp., said while Las Vegas is known for casinos and entertainment, “it will be now known as the place where three individual conferences first became one and brought more than 5,000 attendees together under one roof to prepare for the future. Attending Total Store Expo isn’t a gamble — in fact, it’s likely the smartest bet one could make in this town.”