Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Convenience and Petroleum Retailing Industry to Collaborate in New Orleans ALEXANDRIA, VA – November 23, 2006 – The Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS) will host its 4^th Annual Winter Meetings at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 29 - February 1, 2007. Convenience store operators, petroleum marketers, association personnel, state lottery agents, solution providers and suppliers will be discussing industry challenges and solutions to move the convenience/petroleum marketing industry forward. “There are over 175 retailer and supplier member companies involved in PCATS,” said PCATS CEO and Executive Director John C. Hervey.  “Once a year, representatives from these organizations meet as one body and in individual committees and working groups to address a variety of issues impacting their bottom-line.” Hervey added, “These sessions provide a way for attendees to fundamentally enhance their businesses with focused discussions on industry challenges, technology standards development, and implementation efforts.”  The 2007 Winter Meetings begin with two-days of technical committee meetings - Device Integration; Electronic Business-to-Business (EB2B) including retail merchandise, motor fuels, and lottery; Point-of-Sale (POS)  Back Office Integration; and Retail Financial Transactions. These are followed by two-days of business committee meetings - Certification, Implementation, Membership and Marketing and Retailer Business Requirements. In addition to productive discussions, the annual event offers lunch presentations by highly regarded experts and rewarding networking opportunities with fellow professionals including a group banquet at the famous Muriel's Jackson Square Creole restaurant in the historic French Quarter on January 31, 2007.  The PCATS Winter Meetings is open to all parties interested in helping to shape the future of the convenience and petroleum retailing industry. Registration is $75 for a one-day pass and $150.00 for multiple days. For more information about the 4^th Annual PCATS Winter Meetings, visit www.PCATS.org, e-mail info@pcats.org, or contact 703-836-0919. ###  About the Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS): The Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS) was founded in September 2003 to continue the development and maintenance for standards work initiated under the National Association of Convenience Stores’ (NACS) Technology Standards project.  With 160 retailer and supplier members, the group’s membership represents more than 22,000 convenience stores.  Membership is open to any petroleum marketer, convenience store owner/operator, other retail channels, or any of their suppliers or vendors.  For additional information regarding PCATS, please visit www.pcats.org