ARLINGTON, Va. — As the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Regional Chain Conference draws nearer, association executives say the event offers the industry’s small and mid-size players a vital forum to exchange ideas and find solutions to their common problems.

“This is an opportune time for people to get in-depth information on topics critical to their business,” NACDS senior vice president of member programs and services Jim Whitman says. “From health care reform to what is going on at the state level, it is more important than ever to get together at this time.”

Scheduled for February 2 to February 4 at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla., the event that caters to chains with fewer than 250 stores will feature a mixture of presentations, one-on-one meetings and social events, including NACDS’ annual Super Bowl party on the conference’s opening night.

Whitman says that while much of the conference program is geared specifically toward the issues facing regional chains, many of the topics being discussed are universal throughout the industry.

“No matter what size a company is there are common issues out there,” he says. “The solutions may differ depending on a particular chain’s circumstances, but most of the chains are facing the same issues and challenges.”

Whitman notes that one factor that will bring additional significance to this year’s conference is the fact that NACDS chairman Bob Narveson (president and chief executive officer of Thrifty White Pharmacy) and conference chairman Jim Spencer (president of Kinney Drugs) are regional chain veterans who are facing the same hurdles as other attendees.