The record 26,124 attendees is 8.5% higher than last year.
The 2024 NACS Show, which took place October 7-10 in Las Vegas, demonstrated why the NACS Show is considered the industry’s most comprehensive event and one of the most dynamic retail and food-focused tradeshows.
A record 26,124 attendees experienced four days of education, networking, and a look at what’s hot and new in the global convenience and fuel retailing industry.
The total attendance was 8.5% higher than attendance from last year and 3.8% higher than the previous record attendance in 2018.
In addition, there were 8,811 attendees classified as buyers, an impressive 1,447 increase from last year.
The NACS Show is a global event, with attendees from 68 countries.
Expo Delivers New Products, Category Excitement
Organized around five broad categories—in-store merchandise, technology, facility operations, fuel equipment and services, and foodservice—the 437,500-net-square-foot Expo featured 1,190 exhibitors.
This included 157 exhibitors in the New Exhibitor Area, which provided retailers with a unique look at products and services that are relatively new to the convenience channel.
Making the NACS Show more convenient was the Cool New Products Preview Room, where attendees could scan QR codes through the NACS Show mobile app for any of the 300 products on display.
Overall, there were 12,315 product scans, an 11% increase from last year.
The top 10 most-scanned products were:
- Little Joe novelty automotive air fresheners – Ride Happy! (Little Joe – Drive Int. USA)
- New products from CigarBros USA Inc. (CigarBros USA Inc.)
- New products from Reichel Foods (Reichel Foods)
- Café Tango Espresso (Frazil)
- CapriSun 12 oz resealable bottle (Kraft Heinz)
- good2grow Chocolate Snackers (good2grow)
- Wonder Sweet Snacks (Flowers Bakeries LLC)
- Customized drinkware (ET Products Inc.)
- Flexeserve Zone Lite – Countertop (Flexeserve)
- (tie) Chamoy and tajin candy (Big Ideas Marketing)
- (tie) Sargento Shareables (Sargento Foods Inc.)
Also, the NACS Future of Convenience pavilion showcased industry-specific, digital-first solutions developed for retailers to engage customers, protect their business, and boost revenue.
Hundreds of retailers scanned for more information on TruAge®, THRIVR and the EV Charging Analytics Program and previewed the future of digital couponing with PROSPR.
Education Sessions Focus on Hot Topics
The NACS Show’s 52 Education Sessions, designed by retailers for retailers, had strong attendance counts, averaging more than 230 attendees per session.
Three Education Sessions topped 400 attendees: “Digital and Physical Marketing Strategies for Smaller Retailers” (516), “Crafting Irresistible Promotions for Maximum Impact” (444), and “Global Retail Innovations from Around the World” (414).
There also was a co-located event held prior to the opening of the NACS Show.
The third annual NACS Food Safety Forum drew more than 70 industry leaders to address food safety, foodservice, quality assurance, and risk management at the only industry-specific event of its kind for the global convenience retail community.
The next Food Safety Forum will take place on April 8 concurrent with the 2025 NACS State of the Industry Summit in Dallas.
More than 40 Education Sessions are available for purchase in a streaming audio-video format.
General Sessions Highlight Inspiration
Attendees filled the Westgate’s 3,600-seat Paradise Ballroom for four days of NACS Show General Sessions focusing on customer experience.
Juan Bendaña, a renowned confidence coach, kicked off the NACS Show by talking about how to lead with confidence.
The next three days of General Sessions dove further into themes related to customer experience.
Doug Lipp, former head of training at Disney University, shared how attendees can strengthen their corporate culture, boost performance, amplify employee morale and—unapologetically—have fun while doing so.
Then, focusing on the future and how AI and technology will revolutionize retail, Victor Paterno, president and CEO of Philippine Seven Corp. and 2023-24 NACS Chairman, and Brian Gray, global mobility retail lead at Accenture, discussed their vision of the future in presentations and in a panel moderated by NACS President & CEO Henry Armour.
The General Sessions culminated with celebrity chefs David Chang and Andrew Zimmern, who shared their love for convenience stores in a panel discussion moderated by Casey’s Corporate Chef Andrew Kintigh, followed by a cooking demonstration using food items that are available in most convenience stores.
Chang’s creation was Potato Chip Gnocchi with Instant Ramen and Grated Jerky, while Zimmern prepared a Deep-Fried “Accordion Dog” with a Potato Chip & Cheese Bun Blanket.
The chefs visited the Expo the day prior to shop for ingredients, plus to enjoy considerable sampling of foodservice items.
Later on social media, Chang said the Expo was “a place that made him intensely happy” and Zimmern and Chang together added, “Best convention in Vegas…ever.”
The 2024 NACS Ideas 2 Go program made its debut during the October 8 General Session, featuring seven retailers showcasing exceptional retailing.
These videos will be available online in the coming weeks.
Other Business at the NACS Show
The NACS Show is also a business meeting, with a variety of boards and committees convening to advance the industry.
Brian Hannasch, special advisor to Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., was named 2024-25 NACS Chairman, and Vito Maurici, senior vice president of sales at McLane Co. Inc., was named the 2024-25 chairman of the NACS Supplier Board.
Group Forte and YPF were the 2024 winners of the Convenience Retailer of the Year Award Latin America. Executives from both companies were recognized among their convenience retail peers during the Global Colleagues Reception on October 8.
The award recognizes overall excellence that is on display at a specific store within the company’s portfolio.
Meanwhile, Yesway and Weigel’s were honored with the Fuels Innovator of the Year Awards, presented by Fuels Market News Magazine.
In addition, more than 250 retailers wrote to their elected representatives using the NACS Grassroots link urging passage of the Credit Card Competition Act.
At the conclusion of the NACS Show, exhibitors donated thousands of pounds of food to Three Square, a Las Vegas-based food bank.
The 2025 NACS Show will take place October 14-17 in Chicago; sign up to be notified when registration opens.
NACS also has more than a dozen other meetings planned over the next 12 months.
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