Hosted Program Guidelines FOR HOSTED RETAILER & CPM

LINK 2025’s Hosted Retailers & CPMs Program is facilitating 1,500+ double opt-in meetings between Hosted Retailers & CPMs (Consumer Product Manufacturers) and Solution Providers and we’re excited that you’ll be part of it!

You’ll get:

• A complimentary ticket to attend LINK 2025
• To meet with up to 8 participating Solution Providers who have products, solutions and services that can help your business achieve its goals. Each Hosted Meeting is 15 minutes and double opt-in (you both swiped right).
• Up to $750 travel and hotel reimbursement. Travel and hotel costs–they’re on us!

Here’s what you need to do, and when you need to do it. Don’t worry, we’ll help you each step of the way with reminders. If you don’t get an email, check spam (from donotreply.link2025@eventpt.com), then let us know at registration@rila.org.
 

You Must	Takes You	Well email you on	Your deadline is
Complete Your Profile Hosted Retailers & CPMs Registration Deadline	10-15 mins	Wed, Jan 8 9am ET	Wed, Jan 22 5pm ET
Opt In to Hosted Meeting Requests and Request Meetings	30-90 mins	Wed, Jan 29 9am ET	Tue, Feb 4 5pm ET
Accept Your Hosted Meetings	<5 mins	Mon, Feb 10 9am ET	Wed, Feb 12 5pm ET
Accept Calendar Invites for Hosted Meetings	<10 mins	Thu, Feb 13 9am ET	Thu, Feb 13 5pm ET
Attend LINK 2025 and Join Your Hosted Meetings	--	Sun, Feb 16	Wed, Feb 19
Provide Feedback and Claim Reimbursement	<15mins	Fri, Feb 21 9am ET	Fri, Apr 11 5pm ET

Timing of Hosted Meetings

All the action takes place on Monday, February 17 and Tuesday, February 18 and you’ll be in the room where it happens! As a Hosted Retailer & CPM, you must be available for all 16 slots, however we’ll schedule you for only up to 8 Hosted Meetings. You won’t miss any agenda sessions for meetings. We’ll send you calendar holds for your time slots when you complete your Profile.
 

Start (ET)	End (ET)	Mins	Monday, February 17	Tue, February 18
1:15 PM	1:30 PM	0:15	Meeting Slot #1	Meeting Slot #9
1:33 PM	1:48 PM	0:15	Meeting Slot #2	Meeting Slot #10
1:51 PM	2:06 PM	0:15	Meeting Slot #3	Meeting Slot #11
2:09 PM	2:24 PM	0:15	Meeting Slot #4	Meeting Slot #12
4:00 PM	4:15 PM	0:15	Meeting Slot #5	Meeting Slot #13
4:18 PM	4:33 PM	0:15	Meeting Slot #6	Meeting Slot #14
4:36 PM	4:51 PM	0:15	Meeting Slot #7	Meeting Slot #15
4:54 PM	5:09 PM	0:15	Meeting Slot #8	Meeting Slot #16

Immediate Next Steps

Book Your Travel & Hotel

1. Once you’re registered as a Hosted Retailer & CPM, get your travel and hotel booked ASAP! Prices only ever go up and our room block will sell out, so book now to lock in the best prices. 

• Flights:
  • If you are participating in the Golf Tournament, plan to arrive Saturday, February 15. Shuttles depart at 7 AM on Sunday, February 16.
  • If you are participating in a Sunday Committee Meeting (Transportation and Logistics 1:30 - 3:30 PM or Supply Chain Leaders Council 3:30 - 5 PM) please plan your travel accordingly.
  • LINK 2025 kicks off at 5 PM on Sunday, February 16. We recommend you arrive to the hotel by 4 PM on Sunday, February 16
  • Departures are recommended after 1 PM on Wednesday, February 19.
• Hotel: We’ve secured preferential rates at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. Please click [here] to secure your room in our block.

Jan 8 – Jan 22
Complete Your Profile (takes 10-15 minutes)

You can do this on: Desktop ✅  LINK 2025 Mobile App ✅

1. Start Your Profile on Wed, Jan 8, and complete it by Wed, Jan 22 at 5 pm ET.

• Tell us about yourself--select from 100+ data points! This information will help participating Solution Providers determine if they want to meet with you.
• Confirm your availability and we’ll send you invites to block your calendar. As a Hosted Retailer & CPM, you must be available for all 16 slots, however we’ll schedule you for only up to 8 Hosted Meetings.
• Share the love! Click Post on Social to tell your X followers and LinkedIn contacts that you’re participating in LINK 2025! While you’re there, add your profile photo!
• If you’re an Organization Admin you can edit and complete profiles on behalf of Hosted Retailers & CPMs from your organization (they can thank you later!).
  • Check out the Org Admin Pro Tips at the end of these guidelines for more info.

2. Hosted Retailer & CPM Registration Deadline! To qualify for the Hosted Meetings Program, Retailers & CPMs must register before Wed, Jan 22 at 5 pm ET. Make sure any of your colleagues who want to get a free Hosted Retailer & CPM ticket for LINK 2025 register before the deadline.

Jan 29 – Feb 4
Opt In to Hosted Meeting Requests and Request Meetings! (takes 30-90 minutes)

You can do this on: Desktop ✅  LINK 2025 Mobile App ✅

1. Start opting in to Hosted Meeting requests and requesting meetings on Wed, Jan 29 and complete by Tue, Feb 4 at 5 pm ET.

• You must opt in to Hosted Meeting requests from (or request meetings with) at least 24 organizations.
  • We'll schedule only 8 Hosted Meetings max.
• Opt In to Hosted Meeting Requests:
  • Hosted Meeting requests you’ve received from participating Solution Providers will be displayed at the top of the screen when you log in.
  • Just click ‘Very Interested’ or ‘Interested’ to opt in. Opt-ins are saved automatically as you go.
    • ‘Very Interested' opt-ins (and meeting requests) get scheduled first, before 'Interested' ones.
• Request Meetings with Solution Provider Organizations:
  • You should request to meet every organization you’re interested in meeting with. You won’t have >1 Hosted Meeting with the same organization.
  • Just click ‘Very Interested’ or ‘Interested’ to request a meeting. Meeting requests are saved automatically as you go.
    • You can provide a specific reason why you want to meet an organization.
  • Don’t wait until the last minute to request meetings! Tools like Bookmarks allow you to start requesting meetings and come back if needed to finish them.

2. Org Admins: You can opt in to Hosted Meeting requests and request meetings on behalf of Hosted Retailers & CPMs from your organization.

Feb 10 – Feb 12
Accept Your Hosted Meetings (takes less than 10 minutes)

You can do this on: Desktop ✅  LINK 2025 Mobile App ✅

1. On Mon, Feb 10 at 9am ET, you’ll receive an email to review and accept each of your Hosted Meetings. Please do this by Wed, Feb 12 at 5 pm ET. It won’t take more than 10 minutes (if that!).

• As a Hosted Retailer & CPM, you must accept all (no more than 8) your Hosted Meetings by Wed, Feb 12 at 5 pm ET (takes <10 minutes).
• Failure to do this by the deadline will mean you cannot participate in the Hosted Program and you won’t be eligible to attend LINK 2025 as a Hosted Retailer & CPM.

Feb 13
Accept Calendar Invites for Hosted Meetings

1.  Accept Your Hosted Meetings Calendar Invites: On Thu, Feb 13, you’ll receive a calendar invite for each Hosted Meeting, including details of precisely who you’ll meet from each Solution Provider. YOU MUST ACCEPT all calendar invites THE SAME DAY by 5 pm ET. This is a quick turnaround, but it won’t take more than 5 minutes.

• We can’t change any meeting times (fun fact: the Hosted Program is enabling 1,500+ meetings!) and cannot reschedule Hosted Meetings.
• If a person you’re scheduled to meet is no longer available, we’ll let you know--people have emergencies, so this does happen once in a while!
• If you’re no longer planning on attending LINK 2025, let us know at registration@rila.org

Feb 16 – Feb 19
LINK 2025 TIME! Join Your Meetings!

1. Join Your Hosted Meetings: As a Hosted Retailer & CPM, you must join all your scheduled meetings (no more than 8). Here’s what you need to know:

• Where are the meetings? All meetings are held in a dedicated Hosted Program area and each meeting is assigned a table number.
• How do I know where to go? Check the LINK 2025 mobile app or your calendar invites for the assigned table number for each meeting, and at the start of each scheduled meeting proceed directly to the assigned table.
• When should I arrive? You should arrive at the Hosted Program area a few minutes before your first scheduled meeting. There is no check-in required. If you have any questions, there will be a Q&A desk.
• What happens if the person I’m meeting doesn’t show up? Give them 5 minutes and if they’ve still not joined, click the “Mark as No Show” button in the LINK 2025 mobile app.
• What else should I do?
  • Do join each meeting on time and don’t exceed the allotted 15 minutes for each scheduled meeting.
  • Do check the table number for each scheduled meeting--each of your meetings will be at a different table. There is a 3-minute transition time between each meeting.
  • Do download the LINK 2025 mobile app ahead of your meetings (if you haven’t already). You can take notes and request follow-ups in the app. 

Feb 21
Provide Feedback and Claim Reimbursement

You can do this on: Desktop ✅ LINK 2025 Mobile App ✅

1. Help us help you! On Fri, Feb 21, you will receive an email to provide feedback on your meetings, the program and the event to help us improve LINK--please share your thoughts!
   • Once you provide feedback, you can download a summary of your meetings, including your notes and contact details of who you met.
2. Show me the money! From Thu, Mar 6 - Fri, Apr 11, submit your expenses via the LINK 2025 platform to claim up to $750 of travel and hotel reimbursement. We provide reimbursements on a rolling basis and no later than Fri, Apr 11.
   • You must have provided feedback to claim your reimbursement.

_{SOME FINE PRINT: Our participant list is confidential, and shouldn’t be (1) shared with anyone else, (2) downloaded, or (3) used other than as described by us. Based on information you receive as part of the Hosted Retailers & CPMs Program, you can’t solicit participants (including individuals you’re scheduled to meet prior to your meetings) outside of the event other than as we permit. If you breach this provision, you may be eliminated from further participation and barred from future programs. Do not assume that requests (or opt-ins) to meet with you as part of the Hosted Retailers & CPMs Program indicate any interest in meeting with you outside of the program.}
 

Organization Admins: Pro Tips

If you’re an Org Admin, here’s some some more helpful info:

• Completing Org Admin tasks: To help complete Hosted Program action items for Hosted Retailers & CPMs from your organization, you’ll need to use your desktop (the mobile app does not support Org Admin activities). If you’re a Hosted Retailer & CPM just completing action items for yourself, you can use desktop or the mobile app.

 

Stage	From	To	Org Admin can
Complete Your Profile	Wed, Jan 8	Wed, Jan 22	Complete Tasks
Opt In to Hosted Meeting Requests and Request Meetings	Wed, Jan 29	Tue, Feb 4	Complete Tasks
Accept Your Hosted Meetings	Mon, Feb 10	Wed, Feb 12	View Only
Accept Calendar Invites for Hosted Meetings	Thu, Feb 13	Thu, Feb 13	Not Applicable
Attend LINK 2025 and Join Your Hosted Meetings	Sun, Feb 16	Wed, Feb 19	View Only
Provide Feedback and Claim Reimbursement	Fri, Feb 21	Fri, Apr 11	View Only

• ‘Manage Participants & Roles’ screen: From this screen you can:
  • Select who you want to manage: Go to ‘Manage Participants & Roles’ and select the Hosted Retailers & CPMs from your organization that you want to ‘Manage As Org Admin’. Voilà–you can help complete action items for them.
  • Add or Assign Org Admins: Need some Org Admin backup? Click ‘Add New Org Admin’ to add unregistered individuals as Org Admins, or click ‘Assign’ to assign registered attendees as Org Admins.
• Opt In to Hosted Meeting Requests and Request Meetings stage:
  • 'Manage Organization’s Participants’ Requests & Opt-ins’ screen: If you want to help opt in to Hosted Meeting requests or request meetings for some or all of the Hosted  Retailers & CPMs you’re managing, check the boxes next to their names.
  • Collaboration & Efficiency tools: Just like regular program participants, Org Admins can use the full range of collaboration and time-saving features:
    • Bookmarks: If you’re not sure you want to request to meet someone (for the Hosted Retailers & CPMs you’re requesting meetings for, or yourself if you’re a Hosted Retailer & CPM), simply Bookmark them and decide later (they’ll be under ‘Bookmarks’).
    • Saved Lists: Click 'Save List' to name and save a specific search/filter result so you can come back to it later (it’ll be under 'My Lists').
  • Meeting Requests Progress: Click the tooltip at the top of the screen to track the progress of Hosted Retailers & CPMs you’re helping manage against their recommended minimum number of opt-ins to Hosted Meeting requests and their own meeting requests.
• Accept Meetings onwards: From the Accept Your Meetings stage onwards, you may view the ongoing progress and status of the Hosted Retailers & CPMs you want to manage, including:
  • View if they have accepted their meetings
  • View their scheduled meetings
  • View if they have provided feedback