Over a hundred LP professionals representing forty-six retailers gathered in Minneapolis May 14 – 17 for the 8th Annual InterACT^TM User Group of Aspect Loss Prevention. The three-day conference focused on education and information-sharing for Aspect software users with a good measure of fun and entertainment mixed in.

"Once again, we are so grateful for the incredible way in which the Aspect user community works together to help each other succeed," said Cheryl Blake, vice president of corporate development for Aspect. "We truly believe that the level of sharing, respect, and knowledge exhibited during the three-day InterACT conference is unmatched in any other industry event."

Sessions were designed for all levels of users, from beginners to advanced, as well as all levels within the retail organization, from analysts and field users to LP directors. Eighteen vice president or director-level executives attended the event. Special-interest workshops were convened for those in the sporting goods, fashion, hard-line, and off-price retail segments to share common applications.

General sessions for all attendees featured presentations on topics such as:

• Integrating Aspect into awareness programs,
• Leveraging Aspect outside of loss prevention,
• Integrating Aspect with case management and video systems,
• Virtual tours and audits, and
• Emerging retail trends.

One general session of note that exemplified the combination of education and entertainment was conducted by Rob Garfat, corporate LP manager at The Container Store. Titled "Positively Aspect!," Garfat illustrated how his organization has integrated Aspect into the company culture, known for their emphasis on associates, with an original rap video created for the company's "National We Love our Employees Day."

Aspect Loss Prevention users from Big 5 Sporting Goods (from left) Joe Young, Andrew Buckley, and Scott Vandermer discuss software features with Brad Duhaime, Aspect's vice president of technology.

Part of the fun included a Mardi Gras-style casino night event that included a merchandise auction to raise funds for Katie's Helping Hand, a non-profit charity started by Melissa Mitchell, director of LP and inventory control at LifeWay Christian Stores, and her daughter Katie that provides free in-hospital meals to parents of children hospitalized for treatment of cancer.

The event concluded with an awards dinner followed by a dueling pianos evening. Following are the individuals recognized at the awards dinner:

• Have You Heard about Aspect?—Denice Escate, director of LP training and technology, OfficeMax.
• Up and Running—Andrew Frum, investigations analyst, Abercrombie & Fitch.
• Would You Believe?—Todd Bruchnak, manager of investigations, Bealls.
• Outside the Box—Daniel Rainey, regional LP manager, Anna's Linens.
• The Big Picture—Jonn Trinka, senior fraud research coordinator, REI.
• Big Heart—Andrew Buckley, LP analyst, and Randy Snyder, director of LP, Big 5 Sporting Goods.
• The Aspect Arc—Jordan Rivchun, investigations supervisor, DSW.
• Aspect Partnership Award—Ernie Beugh and Jim Tyrrel, regional LP managers, Mark's.
• Mr. Aspect—Rob Garfat, corporate LP manager, The Container Store.

Vendor partners with Aspect who sponsored the event included TransAlarm, LP Innovations, i3 International, Verisk Crime Analytics, Cash Bases, CAP Index, and the Loss Prevention Foundation.

 

To view a gallery of photos from the conference, see below.