If you want to catch up with what's going on in the convenience store industry , CRS 2007 is the place for you. The exhibition, at Birmingham NEC, gives you the chance to meet up with more than 200 suppliers under one roof.

Manufacturers already booked include Bernard Matthews - set to exhibit despite its recent problems, Cadbury Trebor Bassett, Country Choice, Cuisine de France, George Adams, Kepak, P&G, Sony, Sweet Cred and Unilever. First-time exhibitors include Bel UK and Kraft Foods.

Last year CRS attracted a whopping 4,570 retailer visitors, 65% of whom were independents.

This year, independents will be even more spoilt for choice. So far five retail groups - Costcutter, Landmark, Musgrave Budgens Londis, Nisa-Today's and Select & Save - have all confirmed they will be exhibiting.

"The show really does offer independents a fantastic opportunity to meet up with several different retail groups all under one roof," says CRS manager Matthew Butler.

Costcutter's director of sales, Jamie Davison, adds: "It provides the perfect platform for us to attract new members to the group."

Nisa-Today's has long been a supporter of the show, with the group's symbol group development director, John Heagney, describing it as one of the leading events in the sector's calendar.

The Nisa-Today's Smart car will once again be up for grabs in a prize draw. "The car is always popular with visitors - it attracts them to our stand, encouraging them to find out more about us," says Heagney, who hopes the event will raise awareness of Nisa-Today's symbol group.

This year also marks the reteurn of Landmark Wholesale after an absence of several years. Retail controller Raj Krishnan says 2007 is the right time to exhibit as the group has a strong offer for independent retailers: "CRS is a fantastic opportunity for us to meet directly with retailers from across the country and show them what Landmark can offer in terms of its Hot House retail programme. It is a good chance to get new leads for Hot House and explain, in a face-to-face forum, what the programme has already done for hundreds of independents."

According to research conducted at last year's show, most visitors were interested in the core convenience lines of confectionery, snacks, soft drinks and food to go. They are equally well catered for in 2007 with the launch of the Sandwich & Snack Solutions area in association with Bake & Take magazine, where workshops will demonstrate how best to maximise profits.

Allied Bakeries, for example, is hosting a 'Let's do brunch with Kingsmill' slot to show off the versatility of its snack range, while Geary's Bakery will be talking about combining traditional bread-making techniques with new recipes.

Cuisine de France's presentation is entitled 'Bake a difference with food to go' and focuses on how to maximise profits from a full bake-off food-to-go and sandwich offer. Also in attendance will be Patak's, explaining how to make 'real Indian, real fast'; The Kenco Coffee Company talking about delivering a quality coffee-to-go offer; and Infuzions with 'Making the most from the explosion in healthy soft drinks'.

Anyone looking for somewhere away from the crowds should head for the Gallaher Networking Lounge, in association with The Grocer's sister title, MB&R. Here you can catch up on phone calls and meet up with colleagues, plus grab a bit of lunch and a chat with MB&R editor James Parker. In addition, Gallaher staff will be on hand to discuss any tobacco-related issues.

Another chill-out area is the Nescafé and KitKat Café, where you can pick up a free cup of coffee and a choccie bar plus expert advice from the Nestlé team.

If coffee and chocolate are not your thing then there's the Unilever Drinks for Life bar where the company will be offering samples of its blackcurrant & raspberry flavour Adez.

Another new feature for CRS this year is Business Solutions, where retailers can attend seminars and get expert advice on subjects such as marketing as well as take away a free Business Solutions guide, worth £7.95 (see box for full details). n