AACS and C&I Media announce strategic alliance

Jeff Rogut

The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) and C&I Media – the publisher of Convenience and Impulse Retailing magazine and the owners of the C&I Convention & Expo have announced a strategic alliance that will see close cooperation between both organizations, as C&I Media becomes the Official Trade Media Partner of AACS, effective immediately.
“AACS will use C&I Magazine extensively to communicate with the industry,” said Jeff Rogut, AACS CEO. “This magazine has a broad reach across the channel and provides a great opportunity for AACS to ventilate national issues that affect the convenience industry. AACS will work with C&I in developing new research and data that will be of great interest to our industry.”
From 2016, AACS and C&I will co-locate and cross promote the C&I Convention & Expo and the AACS Gala Awards Dinner.
“We have agreed to move the Convenience & Impulse Convention & Expo to coincide with the AACS Gala Awards Dinner and the judging of the PJ Awards,” said C&I Media Commercial Director, Safa de Valois. “This means that there will be a C&I 2016 event which will be held in Melbourne on the 17th and 18th August next year. If it all goes well, the C&I Convention & Expo will become an annual event after that, alongside the AACS Gala Awards Dinner.”
For the first time, the convenience industry will have a national focal point over two action-packed days. Visitors who preregister for the C&I Expo will be able to book tickets for the AACS Gala Awards Dinner.
As well, anyone who visits the Expo will be able to see the presentations for the PJ Awards, which are always of a very high standard. AACS will also promote the event to its members and C&I Magazine will publicise all AACS functions throughout the year, including its well regarded Leadership Summit and training programs.
This year’s C&I Convention & Expo was held at Sydney Showgrounds, Olympic Park. It was an excellent event with over 1000 visitor registrations on the first day.
The workshop sessions were of a high standard and attendees gained insights from highly innovative convenience retailers such as 7-Eleven and Jack and Co, and also broader insights into emerging trends and technologies – well worth attending.
We look forward to working with C&I and will soon start planning the 2016 convention and Expo to ensure that this is a flagship event for our industry.