AACS and C&I Media announce strategic alliance

PRESS RELEASE
3rd March 2015
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 organisatrions, 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 will be held at Sydney Showgrounds, Olympic Park, this week on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 March.

For more information contact:
Jeff Rogut, CEO AACS, on 0467 873 789 or
 Safa de Valois, Commercial Director C&I Media on 0405 517 115
About AACS
The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) represents the interests of all businesses within the Australian convenience store channel.
The Association was founded in 1990 to provide a platform for suppliers, retailers and associated businesses within the Australian convenience channel to network, develop their individual businesses and the channel as a whole, whilst providing training and education for all levels of staff to maximise their potential.
The aim is also to enhance and improve the channel by collective representation to the government and general public on matters of importance to the industry.

About C&I Media
C&I Media is a division of The Intermedia Group, Australia’s largest B2B publisher. The company was formed in July 2014 to acquire the assets of the C&I business. C&I Media operates the Convenience & Impulse Convention & Expo in conjunction with Interpoint Events, which is also a division of The Intermedia Group. It publishes C&I magazine, Australia’s largest retail trade magazine and the popular C&I WEEK newsletter. Both C&I Media and The Intermedia Group have interests in the Stock Box business, which is a new trade sampling program for retailers.