Education
SIGMA is dedicated to making sure we provide our members with cutting-edge, innovative, and stimulating educational programs to ensure future success. Plus, we invite top-notch industry experts to speak at the sessions. No one can teach you more about the industry than marketers themselves! Here’s a glimpse into what SIGMA is working on for the Spring Convention in Tucson. UPDATED MARCH 1, 2010
THURSDAY, APRIL 28
Track 1
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
RFS2 Overview and Fuel and Bio Fuel Opportunities and Resources
A one stop, jammed packed session with lots of market information. This session will start with an overview on RFS 2 followed by collage of new fuel and bio-fuel business opportunities and resources. After you get an update on RFS 2 from GEVO, VP Racing Fuels, the Renewable Fuels Association will give you a quick business snapshot on what they can offer your business. Catch it all in one place!
2:10 – 3:00
Mitigate Fleet Risks: Effective Fleet Safety Strategies for 2010 and Beyond
Rod Labbe, Federated Insurance
Fact: Statistics show a high percentage of vehicle accidents involve driver error.
Do your drivers understand the root causes of most severe transpiration accidents? We’ll discuss case studies on speed management, objects in motion, liquid surge, technical rolling, outward tracking, driver training, hazard perception, visual searches, space and load management, night operation, extreme driving conditions, mechanical fatigue and vehicle maintenance, emergency maneuvers, skid control and recovery and accident/incident response. Attend this session and learn effective awareness programs to implement before lives are changed forever.
3:10 – 4:00
Building Your Supply Channel and Manage the Risk
John Gretzinger, FC Stone
4:10 – 5:00
Captive Insurance: A Look Behind the Numbers
Gerald Johnson and Tom Stewart, Holmes & Murphy
Not having liability insurance is not an option. How you have coverage is. Attend this session and get a perspective on the captive insurance — specifically, the definition of a “Group Captive” and the history. What are the various captive structures and when you have a claim, how are they handled? All this “real world” information will be explained in a case study format.
Track 2
1:00 -2:00
Better Purchase Agreement for Better, Smoother Closings
Betsi Bixby, Meridian Associates
What Harvard and Wharton don’t teach you about petro M&A that you need to know: How to be powerfully effective at purchase agreement strategy and negotiation; The top 7 reasons acquisitions don’t close as agreed and how to avoid them; Argumentative clauses only attorneys love that unnecessarily create big legal fees; and most important — how to earn and deserve buyer trust in you and your agreement
2:10 – 3:00
Forecasting Foodservice: What Lies Ahead in 2010?
Kevin Higar, Technomic, Inc.
Higher food costs, a slumping economy, increased awareness of health and nutrition: These issues came together, spurring an explosion in organic lines while at the same time squeezing sales at QSRs and fast-casual spots. What’s in store for the rest of 2010, and how will c-store foodservice programs be affected? What are our threats and where are our opportunities? How do branded foodservice programs fare against proprietary food programs? Recognizing the new consumer patterns as they emerge will better prepare you to adapt your foodservice marketing strategy.
3:10 – 4:00
PCI: The Other Side of Compliance
Shekar Swamy, ATC Technologies
PCI compliance is a given. There is no end line—this is a forever process. Attend this session and understand: Where do things stand today? Key dates and more. Staying compliant takes effort and understand that improved processes equals improved compliance—understand the link and how to! Get a clearer perspective from a best practice case study approach to validate your process and ongoing compliance
4:10 – 5:00
Retailing an Alternative Fuel: Results from DOE’s Market Focus Group with Marketers and Single Store Operators
Presented by the California Fuel Cell Partnership on behalf of U.S. DOE
The alternative fuel retail efforts keep advancing. When do you get involved and why? The effort will have opportunities, challenges and but also rewards. How are your peers looking at this opportunity? Attend this session and learn first hand what DOE market studies via focus groups have uncovered.
Track 3
1:00 – 2:00
Dealer Networks: Risks, Reward, Marketing and Support
David Zakrzewski, Coulson Oil; Rod Smith, RH Smith Distributing; Kerry Oliver, Carter Energy
Seventy plus percent of retail convenience stores are dealer operated. As your customer, their viability has a direct impact on your bottom line. Supporting your customer through innovative programs takes work but has great rewards. Hear how marketers have: implemented dealer merchandise buying co-op’s, developed dealer maintenance programs, handled dealer diversity and recognized the evolving role of the dealer rep.
2:10 – 3:00
Advancing Logistic and Supply Management Trends
Cathy Duncan, Telvent DTN and a Marketer Panel
3:10 – 4:00
How the Banking World is Changing
Brad Yates and Davidson Hall, Stephens, Inc.
Brad Yates and Davidson Hall will discuss the state of the leveraged loan market from an issuer and lender perspective. Topics of discussion will include return of the secondary leverage loan market, popularity of the “amend and extend” strategy, slight reemergence of the cash flow market, ABL market strength. Across the high yield spectrum, we plan to discuss such topics as the overall resurgence of the high yield product, strategies for employing high yield bonds versus leveraged loans, discuss yields across various risk classes and where yields are projected to go over the next 6-24 months.
4:10 – 5:00
Card Check/Union Issues
Steve Wheeless, Steptoe & Johnson
2010: Union Organizing Update
When 2009 rolled over to 2010, union organizing efforts did not go away. Steve Wheeless of Steptoe and Johnson will give you the current status of labor organizing and cover: Labor Law Reform Update: What did the unions get?; What’s on the horizon?; Union organizing activity by region; Union organizing tactics/themes/issues; and employer response strategies. Be proactive and keep current—a must attend session.
FRIDAY, April 29
1:30 – 2:30
Mitigating Environmental Litigation
Urs Broderick Furrer, Esq., Harriton & Furrer LLP; Jeffrey A. Johnson, Acton Mickelson Environmental, Inc. (AME)
As leaders in the distribution of petroleum products, marketers maintain a portfolio of retail fuel outlets that may have contributed contaminants to the environment; hence, environmental liability is a major cost of doing business. How major is the question? To keep costs in control attend this session and learn ways to mitigate costs and why doing so is important. Your will learn: Why planning ahead can lower liability risk, what common mistakes today can prove costly in litigation tomorrow and tales from the trenches – defending environmental lawsuits
2:40 – 3:40
Maintaining Sales Before and After an Acquisition
Scott McLoughlin, Achievement Strategy
Marketers continue to acquire other marketers each year. For some, what they buy is not what the next value is to their company. Make sure you keep what you have and retain what you are buying. Attend this session and learn: How to stay focused on current business—retention and growth. What are transition opportunities and challenges? Plus, you will learn how to develop and retain and grow what you are buying and anticipate the business name transitions and logistical issues.
3:50 – 4:40
New Products in the Pipeline: CBOB and its Growing Influence in the Discretionary Blend Markets
Ben Brockwell, OPIS
Changes in the market can provide a marketer opportunity. Ben Brockwell will take you through the growing influence of CBOB in the market. Specifically: Learn Why “Gulf Coast” CBOB is Becoming the Primary Reference for swaps Transactions. Why Using CBOB to make E-10 vs 87 Octane Makes Sense. Learn the Adjustments Pipelines are Making for CBOB to Allow Easier Trading
SATURDAY, April 30
8:30 – 11:30
General Session
What Every Businessman Needs to Know About the Coming Financial Reform
Robert Clark, Senior Partner at the law firm of Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
Robert Clark’s career provides a unique perspective on financial reforms. He will address what is it we are trying to fix? How far along are we in the process to make changes and the bottom line issue: What does this mean for lending?
Energy Alternatives: What’s Real, What’s Not? Implications for Producers, Marketers, and Consumers
John Hofmeister, retired President of Shell Oil Company and the Founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy
Change is scary to may people so the big question is—Why Change? Is this a flash in the pan? What will drive “Real behavior changes? We all wish for a crystal ball—where would I as a marketer invest—targeted or a shot gun approach? Lastly—you as marketers can get involved and be “leaders” of and in the solutions.
How Big is Big!
Bart Chilton, Chairman of the CFTC’s Energy and Environmental Markets Advisory Committee
Through effective oversight, the CFTC enables the futures markets to serve the important function of providing a means for price discovery and offsetting price risk. Given the past market events are adjustments needed. Bart Chilton will address from a CFTC perspective the topics of financial regulator reform, position limits on energy and commodities and should exemptions be revisited.
