RSPA INSPIRE® 2016 Challenges Attendees to Create, or Fail

RSPA welcomed attendees to San Diego for annual thought leadership summit.

San Diego, CA“The Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), the only association dedicated to the retail technology industry, announces the conclusion of its first stateside thought leadership summit in more than 10 years. More than 150 top executives from companies throughout the point of sale ecosystem were welcomed to the Park Hyatt Aviara resort from January 31 until February 3.

“I am thrilled with the response from this year’s attendees”they found the event to be highly valuable, inspiring and great fun, said Kelly Funk, RSPA President and CEO. “There were also several new ideas shared through the workshop setting that RSPA is excited to explore further.

Highlights from INSPIRE 2016:

Professor-in-Residence Turns INSPIRE into 3-day Executive Course

Introducing a new keynote concept with a Professor-in-Residence, RSPA welcomed Dr. Robert J. Bies, professor of Management and Founder and First Academic Director of the Executive Master’s in Leadership Program at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University as its first professor. Dr. Bies, recipient of numerous teaching awards at Georgetown and an experienced corporate consultant and trainer, brought a curriculum entitled Create or Fail: Seeking the Competitive Advantage to INSPIRE 2016 education attendees.

Bies challenged attendees’ to re-think their current approach to injecting new ideas into their businesses, through his three days of workshops. Walking the attendees through exercises and thought-provoking instruction on fostering creativity, followed by a day spent on creating a culture of innovation and a final day spent on learning how to leverage storytelling as a leadership strategy (featuring special guest speaker Jonathan Perelman), Bies’ sessions were among the highest rated in INSPIRE history.
Lively Receptions and Unconventional Networking Opportunities

Kicking off the event in an energetic fashion, the Welcome Reception, sponsored by Star, featured greetings from RSPA Chairman Mike Seymour and RSPA CEO Kelly Funk. Monday’s afternoon activity, sponsored by World Pay, was a teambuilding function: a Salsa making competition. Tuesday featured the annual Member Dinner, with guests being shuttled to the Miramar Officer’s Club for a unique event: a tour of the Flight Line and a night of dinner and drinks. To close out INSPIRE, a Closing Brunch in the hotel’s beautiful Palm Courtyard, featuring guest speaker, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

RSPA Announces Expansion of Services for Members

RSPA CEO Kelly Funk opened the first full day of activities by providing the INSPIRE crowd with updates on the additional services provided by RSPA for its members. Funk informed attendees about RSPA’s new website, its EMV Central portal, as well as its Professional Development Program as examples of the RSPA’s continued effort to provide easily accessible and useful tools for its membership. Additionally, Funk announced that the RSPA new headquarters would be opened in February 2016. Additionally, Funk noted the Association’s desire to increase awareness of RSPA events to members well in advance, as she announced the 2017 locations for the association’s signature events, INSPIRE and RetailNOW”St. Kitts and Las Vegas, respectively.
INSPIRE 2017 will be held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino from January 29-February 1, 2017.

For media inquiries, contact Publications@GoRSPA.org.

If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities at RSPA, contact Bob Fiorentino at BFiorentino@GoRSPA.org.

For information about INSPIRE 2016, visit www.GoRSPA.org/INSPIRE.

About RSPA
RSPA accelerates the success of our members in the point of sale and retail technology ecosystem by providing knowledge and connections. We annually host two signature events, RetailNOW® and Inspire® to provide live, face to face education and networking. Other member benefits include professional development & certification programing, a legal hotline, webinars, discounted shipping and event access, industry advocacy, as well as several publications. Learn more by going to www.gorspa.org.

About INSPIRE
(www.GoRSPA.org/INSPIRE) INSPIRE is the RSPA’s premier event for thought leaders in retail technology. Taking place over three days, attendees receive high-level executive education, access to the industry’s top minds, hands-on leadership training, and the opportunity to make profitable connections with other RSPA members. An exclusive event, it is tailored to those at the highest level of leadership within their organization.