GS1 US is now accepting applications from industry thought leaders and Startup Lab applicants for GS1 Connect 2020, the annual conference and exhibition that brings together supply chain, technology and e-commerce professionals being held June 16-18, 2020 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.

GS1 US invites industry members to share their success stories that will help their peers better understand how to solve a particular business process challenge using GS1 Standards, including data quality, product data management, unified commerce, traceability and digital transformation. Six tracks are offered as part of the GS1 Connect 2020 main agenda: Grocery, Retail, Healthcare, Foodservice, Innovation and Tech, which showcase solution providers’ products and services. GS1 US also seeks presenters for the popular How to Do Business With… sessions, where retailers, foodservice operators and other companies share the keys to a successful supply chain partnership. All applications will be evaluated based on relevance and usefulness of the topic to GS1 Standards users and conference attendees. Applicants must submit their presentation proposals via the GS1 Connect online portal by December 6, 2019.

Also, following the success of last year’s inaugural Startup Lab, GS1 US invites innovators from the technology community to submit a product or solution that could have a significant impact on commerce. The Startup Lab is a featured area for one-on-one product demonstrations as well as a pitch competition. Eight startup organizations that are pursuing disruptive technology innovations will be selected to showcase their solutions and compete before a panel of judges. Emerging technologies can include, but are not limited to, computer vision, conversational commerce, voice recognition, artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality/augmented reality, robotic process automation, digital identity and the internet of things. 

Products must have launched between June 2018 and May 2020 to qualify. Applicants must not have raised more than $10 million in funding. Judges will evaluate the presentations on both their delivery and content. Contestants can win cash prizes up to $10,000. Applicants must submit their product pitches via the Startup Lab online portal by January 31, 2020.

“From seasoned industry veterans to up-and-coming technology entrepreneurs, GS1 Connect® is a unique gathering of professionals who are adding value to their organizations by discovering innovative uses for GS1 Standards,” said Siobhan O’Bara, senior vice president of community engagement, GS1 US. “We welcome members to contribute thought-provoking proposals, and look forward to another spirited Startup Lab competition that highlights the impact of technology on business.”  

GS1 Connect is attended by more than 1,200 industry professionals and technology developers seeking to exchange ideas and learn from real-world GS1 Standards implementation examples. The conference and exhibition are geared toward executives, directors and managers in customer service/relations, digital transformation, electronic data interchange (EDI), finance, information technology (IT), e-commerce, product management and data management, materials handling, operations, packaging, pharmacy, quality/safety/compliance, supply chain management, transportation/logistics and related innovation functions.

For more information about GS1 Connect, visit www.gs1connect.org.

Source: GS1