Dec 1, 2000
   WASHINGTON, DC – December 1, 2000 — Bringing together the primary vertical B2B exchanges serving the retail and consumer packaged goods industries, the first-ever Global Exchange Summit, Jan. 7-9 in Naples, Florida, will offer industry participants an unprecedented opportunity to learn about e-marketplaces, hear from industry leaders and network with peers.

Sponsored by 11 leading food, consumer product and retail industry associations, including the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), the Global Exchange Summit will explore the role of standards in an international marketplace, technology behind powering exchanges, lessons learned from other industries, and the effects of auctions, reverse auctions, data synchronization and online buying.

“The first-ever joint Global Exchange Summit will break new ground in the burgeoning B2B marketplace,” notes Michael Sansolo, FMI Senior Vice President. “With retailers and manufacturers continuing to explore the enormous potential of new industry e-commerce initiatives, this summit will provide a valuable opportunity for leaders from both sides to strategize and plan our shared vision for the year and beyond.”

“GMA members have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing opportunities in B2B e-commerce, especially in our launch of the CPG exchange Transora,” said GMA President and
CEO C. Manly Molpus. “We strongly believe in the value of vertical exchanges to help
manufacturers achieve greater efficiencies and growth while building a more seamless connection to their customers and suppliers.”

“Vertical B2B exchanges are already profoundly changing the way many industries do business, allowing companies to streamline their buying and selling processes and to push value to the bottom line,” said Teri Richman, NACS’ senior vice president for strategic alliances and initiatives, and a member of the board of directors of C-StoreMatrix.com.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the structure and services of the leading vertical B2B exchanges, including C-StoreMatrix, GlobalNetXchange, Transora and Worldwide Retail Exchange

Panel discussions will cover how B2B exchanges are revolutionizing e-commerce and why global standards are so important to the emerging B2B marketplace. Joe Laughlin, CEO, GlobalNetXchange; Judy Sprieser, CEO, Transora; Alan Stewart, CEO, C-Store Matrix and a representative of Worldwide Retail Exchange will share their business strategies and discuss key issues such as interoperability and communications protocol. Fred Geiger of UCCnet will explore the role of UCCnet in the exchange environment and Mike Haas of Global Commerce Initiative will discuss global standards issues.

In addition, a panel of leading industry executives, including Mike Heschel, Executive Vice President, The Kroger Company; Rob Johnson, Vice President, Dr. Pepper/Seven Up; Nick Riso, Vice President, Nestle USA; and Rob Rizzo, Director, SC Johnson Wax will share their experiences. Using Covisint as a case study, CommerceOne will provide an overview of the key lessons learned from the automotive industry as they developed their B2B exchange.

The Global Exchange Summit will take place Jan. 7-9 at the Registry Resort in Naples, Florida. For more information and to register, visit FMI’s website at www.fmi.org and download a conference brochure and registration form.