2011 NACS Show Sees Record International Presence

CHICAGO -- The 2011 NACS Show saw a total of 22,312 attendees, up 1.5 percent from the 2010 show, according to final attendance numbers released today by NACS. The show, which took place Oct. 1 to 4 at Chicago's McCormick Place, also had a strong international presence, with 1,913 international delegates hailing from 58 different countries.

"These numbers are truly something to celebrate," said NACS Vice Chairman of Convention Steve Loehr, vice president of operations support for Kwik Trip Inc. "They show that the value of NACS, the NACS Show and the convenience and fuel retailing industry has never been higher." Show activities included three days of general sessions, 53 educational workshops attended by 6,750 audience members, four training sessions and a Category Management Seminar. Select workshops were translated into Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese.

Additionally, the show featured a 387,000-plus net-square-foot exposition floor at which 1,333 companies exhibited. Of those companies, 324 were new to the show, and the Cool New Products Preview Room highlighted a record number of products, according to NACS.

"The success of the NACS Show shows the respect that the convenience and fuel retailing channel has in the supplier community," said NACS Supplier Board Chair Scott Hill, vice president of convenience sales for Jack Link's Beef Jerky. "We have very positive stories to tell about the quantity and quality of attendees."

Following the show, NACS donated 72 tons of product left over from exhibitors to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Operation Interdependence, which provides goods to military troops and their dependents.

The NACS Show, one of the 50 largest U.S. trade shows, has been held as an annual meeting since 1961 and as a full-scale expo since 1976. Next year's show will take place Oct. 7-10 in Las Vegas.

For complete coverage of the 2011 NACS Show, visit www. csnewsbeyondtheshow.com.