Welcome to the Big Easy Bulletin, your guide to all the networking and education opportunities that we're bringing to the 2025 NCPA Annual Convention in New Orleans, Oct. 18-21 — and how to spend your off-hours in the city. 

#NCPA2025 starts in just one month. Looking forward to seeing you then! 

Breaking news! We’re happy to announce that ESPN reporter and host Marty Smith will be a keynote speaker at this year’s general session on Sunday, Oct. 19. 

Smith, who hosts “Marty Smith’s America” on ESPN2, covers college football, basketball, both the NFL and NBA, NASCAR, and other sports. He’s authored two books, “Never Settle” and “Sideline CEO.” In “Sideline CEO,” he shares leadership lessons from championship coaches, offering insights that extend beyond sports into everyday life. Smith will talk through these observations and much more in his remarks at the general session.

Take advantage of better hotel rates by registering for the convention and booking your housing by Tuesday, Sept. 23. 

Pharmacists who book housing by the deadline will also be entered into a drawing for free registration to NCPA's three biggest meetings in 2026! That includes our Multiple Locations Conference in Clearwater, Fla.; Congressional Pharmacy Fly-In in Alexandria, Va.; and our Annual Convention in Kansas City, Mo. That's a $2,700 value on top of a better hotel rate! 

It's a no-brainer. Guarantee yourself a seamless convention experience and a chance to save thousands of dollars by booking your housing today.

A well-coordinated, well-informed team makes all the difference in independent pharmacy. These three education sessions focus on ways to manage pharmacy technicians and other staff to ensure smooth operations and enhanced productivity:

Our Schedule at a Glance is where we list every scheduled activity planned for #NCPA2025. Give the schedule a read now so you can walk into the convention with a game plan. Read it here.

Our Pre-Convention Growth and Profitability Program Offerings are crash courses taught by industry experts on some of the most important aspects of running a community pharmacy today. Each workshop tackles essential business practices that can improve your pharmacy's operational efficiency and profitability and provides actionable tools to help you get started right away. 

Our Pharmacy Ownership Workshop, Oct. 16-17, sponsored by McKesson, will cover some of the stickier parts of pharmacy ownership, including how the loan approval process works, licensure agreements, business plans, and more. 

And our Business of Long-Term Care Workshop, also held Oct. 16-17, will show attendees what they need to know to successfully grow their LTC services offerings. 

We've also got a brand-new workshop, The New Route to Reimbursement: A Roadmap From Application to Activation, Oct. 17, which guides pharmacists and pharmacy technicians through the process of medical billing, including credentialing, contracting, and designing your workflow. 

To attend these courses, you must register through the regular convention registration, even if you're not attending the full convention. Register here.

If your organization runs a community pharmacy-focused program, our Residency and Fellowship Showcase is a critical opportunity to network with passionate up-and-coming pharmacy students and highlight your program. Plus, your booth is free with your Annual Convention registration! Sign up here by next Tuesday, Sept. 23; applicants will hear back by Oct. 3.   

For students, this is a great way to find the residency or fellowship that suits your professional goals. The showcase will be held Oct. 19, 1:15-3 p.m. CT.  

For more information, contact Jacqueline Estes at [email protected].

Who's on the expo floor? Click here to see the up-to-date lineup!

Our convention venue will be just minutes from the famous French Market District. Running between the Mississippi River coastline and the French Quarter, this open-air shopping complex has been in operation for over two centuries. The six-block commercial center hosts a variety of boutique shops and artisans selling locally produced jewelry, hats, and even socks. It also houses a number of restaurants and bars serving NOLA classics like gumbo, po’ boys, and Abita beer. If you show up at the right time, you may even catch a free music performance. Learn more at the market’s official website here.