Education and networking abound at SPECS 2010

New York City Chain Store Age’s 46th annual SPECS (store planning, equipment, construction and facilities services) conference, held March 7- 10, in Kissimmee Fla., brought together top retailers and suppliers from around the country for three and a half days of networking and educational opportunities.

With many of the sessions standing-room only, the program included six individual targeted tracks, ranging from planning & design to facilities to foodservice. The educational program concluded with a general session, a leadership panel on sustainability, moderated by Justin Doak, founder, ecoxera. Participants included Yalmaz Siddiqui, director of environmental strategy, Office Depot; Vaughan Lazar, co-founder and president, Pizza Fusion; and Mark Peternell, VP sustainability, Regency Centers.

Mark your calendars now for SPECS 2011, March 13-16, at the Gaylord Texas, Grapevine, Texas.