NRF Show Snares Kofi Annan as Keynoter

Kofi A. Annan, formerly secretary-general of the United Nations, will keynote Retail’s BIG Show, slated for Jan.13-16, 2013 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York, the National Retail Federation (NRF) has revealed. During Annan’s address, “Building Strong Nations: The Three Pillars to a Prosperous Society,” which will take place Monday, Jan. 14 at 8:45 a.m., he will discuss how small- and midsized businesses can drive prosperity and engage societies to enhance social and economic conditions globally.

Annan served two terms as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations, from January 1997 to December 2006. In 2001, he and the United Nations jointly received the Nobel Prize for Peace, with the citation extolling his leadership for “bringing new life to the organization.”

Describing Annan as “one of the world’s most distinguished and experienced diplomats,” Matthew Shay, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based NRF, said attendees could expect to hear “his tremendous perspective on business and society, garnered from his service at the United Nations and his work to strengthen international cooperation.”

Retail’s BIG Show and Expo unite 25,500 retail executives and vendors from more than 75 countries for educational and networking opportunities. Other speakers at the event include executives from Coca-Cola, Starbucks, The Container Store and Whole Foods.