Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is RILA cancelling this event?
   In response to the continued spread of the COVID-19 outbreak and the prevalence of the delta variant in Florida, RILA will cancel the co-located conferences – LINK2021: the Retail Supply Chain Conference. This decision reflects our commitment to providing the best educational and networking opportunities to our participants as well as to the safety and well-being of participants.
    
2. Will the Conference be rescheduled to take place later this year?
   While RILA will not plan an in-person event in 2021, we are working with our Conference Steering Committee and our speakers and presenters to determine what content can be presented virtually.
    
3. What is the date of the 2022 conference, and where will it be located?
   LINK2022: The Retail Supply Chain Conference will take place February 20-23, 2022 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
    
4. I am a retail attendee. Will I receive a refund for my Conference registration now that the event is cancelled?
   RILA has instituted a flexible refund policy that gives registrants the option to apply their registration fee to the 2022 event or to receive a full refund for their registration.
   
   If you select to apply your registration fee to LINK2022, RILA will provide you with a full registration for next year's conference. There will not be any additional registration fees requested — even if next year's registration fees are higher than what you paid this year.
   
   All registered attendees have been sent an email with instructions on taking advantage of either option. If you are a registered, retail attendee, but did not receive an email, please contact memberservices@rila.org. Please submit your preferred option no later than Wednesday, August 25.


5. I am a retail attendee and choose to apply my registration fee to the 2022 event. How does this work?
   At this time, you do not need to do anything other than indicate that you would like to take advantage of the credit option using the form provided in our email to attendees. When it comes time to register for the 2022 event, you will receive instructions on how to register online. No additional registration fees will be required. If you purchased the LINK21/22 registration package, you will be refunded the difference between your paid registration fees, and the lowest registration rate available to you for next year's conference — dependent on your RILA membership status.
    
6. I am a retail attendee and choose to receive a refund for my 2021 registration fee. How does this work?
   At this time, you do not need to do anything other than indicate that you would like a refund using the form provided in our email to attendees. Requests for refunds will be processed in the order they are received. We expect most refunds will be processed within 14 days of the request. Conference registrations paid by check may require an additional ten days to process.
    
7. I am a retail attendee and am not sure if I can go to next year’s conference. Can I transfer my registration to someone else at a later date?
   As with our regular conference policies, you may transfer the registration to another individual at your company at any time.
    
8. What about my hotel reservation?
   If you have a reservation at the Gaylord Palms, you must cancel your reservation on your own. RILA does NOT have the authority to cancel any hotel reservations. Look for an email from the Gaylord Palms, or contact them at (407) 586-0000 to cancel. Hotel reservations not cancelled by August 13 may forfeit their one-night hotel deposit.
    
9. Will attendees and/or exhibitors be refunded for airline tickets or other expenses already incurred?
   Unfortunately, RILA cannot reimburse travel expenses. Please contact the airline, train service, etc. directly to inquire about reimbursement.
    
10. Will you still be selecting the Startup Innovation Award Winners? What will the selection and notification process look like?
    We plan to move ahead with the 2021 Startup Innovation Awards. Look for more information on how to participate coming soon.
     
11. Will any sessions be made available virtually?
    RILA, along with our conference steering committees, will determine what content that we will make available virtually throughout the remainder of the year. Please check the RILA events calendar for updates and other education and networking opportunities.
     
12. Who do I contact for more information?
    Retailer and consumer product manufacturer attendees with questions should contact RILA at memberservices@rila.org.
    
    Exhibitors and/or sponsors with additional questions or concerns not addressed here, please contact either Tripp Taylor at tripp.taylor@rila.org or Somer Flanagan at somer.flanagan@rila.org.