Advocacy Articles

NACAS 2000...
It was a big hit for Connect2One!

The National Association of College Auxiliary Services held their annual meeting October 14-18 at the MGM Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas. Representing Connect2One were Executive Director Dick Welsh and Senior Director Campus Relations Mark Palmore. The meeting was an unqualified success for Connect2One and our members. We were able to network with hundreds of college administrators promoting the value of the institutional/self-op bookstore model. We feel our message is being heard and that college and university administrators are learning that they now have a resource to come to before they consider contract management and that is Connect2One!

During the exhibit hours, we conducted a survey in conjunction with Nebraska Book Company and theCampusHub on institutional store value, reasons administrators consider contract management, and the importance of college bookstores having a strong e-commerce solution to enhance the value of their store. The results of that survey will be discussed in the next edition of The Connection. All of the administrators who took the time to fill out a survey were entered in a drawing to win a Palm Pilot (donated by GTS Transportation, the Connect2One Freight Program partner) and the winner was Patty Eldred, Director AFS Auxiliary Services at the University of Vermont. Congratulations to Patty!

In addition to the exhibit hours, Palmore presented a session with Ken Bowers, Store Director at UCSB Bookstore, and Cynthia D'Angelo of NACS on the importance of marketing the bookstore and the bookstore web site to students, faculty, staff and the community. The session was very well attended and according to the evaluations a benefit for the administrators in attendance.

Lastly, Manny Cunard, Executive Director of NACAS and his staff did a great job with this meeting and we look forward to the 2001 NACAS meeting next November in New Orleans.