Bringing Buyer Power to CAMEX
Torchlight | Summer 2009
Considering the sensitive state of the economy, NACS Foundation took proactive measures this year and increased the number of Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grants. Instead of offering 50 grants traditionally available through the program, 75 recipients were awarded full registration to CAMEX and additional money for travel/housing expenses. Additional college store buyers were awarded partial grants, which provided budget registration to CAMEX and money to cover some traveling and housing expenses.
College stores are being challenged more and more with budget cuts and travel restrictions. The Bring A Buyer to CAMEX program was tremendous help to the grant recipients. "Thanks to the NACS Foundation CAMEX grant, we saw over 70 vendors and wrote 50 orders, said Mandy Frantz, director, Palm Beach Atlantic University Campus Bookstore, a 2009 CAMEX grant recipient. "A large percentage of these orders would never have been written if I did not receive the grant. As a small school, personal visits from vendors are very rare and I need CAMEX to learn about our industry and make informed buying and operating decisions," explains Frantz.
Our partner companies make the program happen. Thank you to the 25 Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant partners who supported the program. The NACS Foundation makes the opportunity available for companies and individuals to support buyers at CAMEX through the Bring A Buyer grant program.For each $550 contribution, a partner company is helping support a college store buyer to attend CAMEX. Each grant provides up to $1,010, which covers a CAMEX budget registration fee ($310 value) and travel/housing expenses ($700 value).
The NACS Foundation has provided grants to more than 1,000 store buyers to attend CAMEX. To find out how you can partner with the Bring A Buyer to CAMEX grant program in 2010, click here. For more information on how your store can qualify for a CAMEX grant, contact Kristi Runser at (800) 622-7498, ext. 2206, e-mail krunser@nacs.org , or visit us online .