Minneapolis, MN While it's not quite as, um, let's say different as AOBA (The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association); the NPA (National Pigeon Association); or KOOKS (Kollectors of Old Kitchen Stuff, which can point you in the direction of a water-powered eggbeater, among other things,); I'm sure that members of NAPCP, the National Association of Purchasing Card Professionals, have had to explain their affiliation more than once during get-to-know-you sessions.
Of course, KOOKS and AOBA don't have a convention that features the support of sponsors MasterCard, Visa, American Express, GE Capital and Bank of America. (Not as far as I can tell, at least.) Such support suggests that there is more than an unusual-sounding organization behind the scenes at NAPCP. The association will host its Second Annual Conference and Exhibition May 14-16, 2001, in Bloomington, Minn. Participants represent a diverse group of end users, card issuers, solution providers and networks.
With downturns in business sectors across the United States, learning about cutting-edge purchasing efficiencies is crucial for every organization, states Laura Flandrick, NAPCP managing director. Our conference focuses specifically on purchasing card[s] as an accounts payable best practice. This conference provides the roadmap to success for implementing and managing a purchasing card program by bringing together experts from every aspect of the industry to take an in-depth look at the issues, the industry, the players and the impact to the bottom line. Seventeen provider workshops, 36 breakout sessions and various networking events provide a comprehensive look at purchasing card management. Emerging issues including e-commerce, global expansion and strategic sourcing will also be a focus of this event.
Highlights of the conference include:
- Results of the Purchasing Card 2000 survey by Dr. Richard Palmer
- Updates and keynotes by American Express, MasterCard and Visa
- Weyerhaeuser and Medtronic's eCommerce initiative
- UCAR's international program expansion
- Unique networking sessions for education and government
Maybe the more synergistically minded of the attendees can concoct a way to use p-cards to strategically source alpacas or racing pigeons.
