Finding Your Innovation Spark in Atlanta

Like many of you, I have been busy the past few days juggling my usual day-to-day responsibilities while planning for the 2023 NACS Show in Atlanta. It's hard to believe that the annual gathering will kick off in less than two weeks. Weren't we just saying goodbye in Las Vegas yesterday?

As the lead technology editor for Convenience Store News, I will be spending my afternoons on the show floor visiting different supplier companies in search of some fresh insights into where the industry's technology capabilities are now and, more importantly, where they are going. 

My mornings will be spent with the same goal in mind; only instead of the show floor, I will be in various meeting rooms and ballrooms at the Georgia World Congress Center getting the retailers' point of view on c-store technology. As I was going through the lineup of educational sessions NACS has planned for this year, it hit me how truly intertwined technology is with the convenience channel's success today.

Here are just a few sessions on the agenda that caught my eye: Foundations of a Retail Media Network, Unleashing the Potential of Visual AI in Convenience Retail, Enhancing Your Loyalty Program to Increase Engagement, 5 Steps to Bridging Business and Technology, and Building a Successful Mobile App Strategy Through a Retailer's Eyes.

Those are just the ones that specifically mention technology. There are others that could have tech implications, like the session on labor and another on convenience-on-the-go. And that's just on day one! 

I'm already exhausted and I haven't even packed yet, but I am just as excited. The industry is electrifying when it comes together and I'm anxious to see what this year's show sparks.