BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — With the industry’s smaller chains facing what many have described as an uphill battle, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Regional Chain Conference next month will touch on a variety of topics relevant to the future of those companies.

“The conference will provide not only critical information for the people who attend but information that they can take home and share with their entire company,” NACDS senior vice president of member programs and services Jim Whitman says.

“This is a very proactive conference. While many of the issues faced by regional chains are similar, there are also some very big differences. Bringing chain executives together from all around the country gives them the opportunity to learn from one another.”

The NACDS Regional Chain Conference at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa here runs from February 7 through February 9.

Speakers include NACDS chairman and Katz Group chief executive officer Andy Giancamilli, NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson, and industry insiders, who will provide their insights on a number of topics pertinent to regional chains.

On February 8 IMS Health vice president of industry relations Doug Long will provide his annual update on pharmaceutical trends; Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of digital strategic services at Nielsen Online, will talk about marketing to empowered customers and the significance of social media; Deborah Kelly, a partner in the law firm Dickstein Shapiro LLP, will discuss 10 ways companies get into trouble without knowing it; and Pivotal Perspectives Inc.’s Ellen Santoro will look at key front-end trends.

February 9 will see NACDS staff members talking about where health care reform stands and where it is headed, IdeaVillage Products Corp. executive vice president Ron Boger discussing the growing significance of As Seen on TV products, and a presentation on third-party audits from Ed Heckman, president of Pharmacy Audit Assistance Service National Inc.