Connecting on a New Level

NACS Show 2013 offers a networking event for every night of the show

As expected, the 2013 NACS Show in Atlanta will be open for expo business, which will include 1,000-plus exhibitors and dozens of educational workshops, making it the largest ever. This year’s NACS Show, however, will not shut down for business once the expo closes. Rather, NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, is adding a third element to the show this year, taking it to a new level of “connections,” according to NACS spokesperson Jeff Lenard.

“This year, for the first time, we are really emphasizing meeting people at the show who can improve your business,” he said. And so, a series of networking events — one for each night of the full three show days — has been created.

“They are designed to provide a transition between the end of the show and attendees’ evening plans,” Lenard told Convenience Store News. “These events will allow people to get together, share ideas, catch up with friends, meet new friends and link everything together. We expect it will link the entire show to a level it hasn’t been before. It will give people many more options [for] where and how they can find solutions to change their business.”

With one event located off-site and the other two taking place at the Georgia World Congress Center, these “connection” events will all begin at 5:30 p.m. and are designed to deliver enhanced value to attendees who want to continue to network after the expo closes and before any scheduled dinners. All three themed affairs will include complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages:

• NACS Show Kick-Off Party — This event on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Atlanta’s “Restaurant Row” will replace the traditional NACS Show opening reception and feature entertainment and a “Golden Ticket” contest. Prizes will include a limousine party, spending money and access to exclusive parties. Tickets for this event are included with full NACS Show registration.
• NACS Show Tailgate Party — This event on Sunday, Oct. 13 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the Hall C lobby of the Georgia World Congress Center is themed around the day’s National Football League games. Free for all show attendees, it will feature a viewing party and NFL highlights on flatscreen televisions, with on-site games and activities.
• NACS Show 2014 Launch Party — On Monday, Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., also in the Hall C lobby of the Georgia World Congress Center, attendees can learn about other industry events that can help them grow their businesses in 2014 and beyond. This event is also free for all NACS Show attendees.

According to Lenard, these new events are another show venue where attendees can learn one idea that can “jumpstart” a business plan for 2014. He cited how one c-store retailer learned about the growth of growlers at the NACS Show, tried them and 48 taps and one year later, the concept has revolutionized his business.

“When you’re looking at the potential loss of customers because of increased fuel efficiency, a decrease in smoking, threats from online lottery and competition from other channels, you need to find new ideas and you need to find them all the time,” Lenard maintained. “The NACS Show is the most convenient place to find those ideas all in one place.”

LARGEST EXPO EVER

This year’s NACS Show will provide the largest expo ever, exceeding last year’s show by almost 11,000 square feet and with a record early sellout of the show floor.

“We could have sold more booths, but we wanted to make sure we had the booth traffic to justify the increase in exhibitors,” Lenard explained. “Basically, we wanted to make sure that both ends of the equation are working — we attract the suppliers there and we also get sufficient retailers there to justify the expense of the suppliers. We pay close attention to both sides.”

This year, the show will feature a 392,000-net-square-foot exhibition space and 1,050 exhibiting companies, of which 150-plus will be first-time NACS Show exhibitors.

In addition to the expo floor, dozens of workshops (53 in total) and general sessions will once again be a feature of the show. Business leader and author Chip Conley will serve as the opening general session speaker on Oct. 12, while Former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will serve as the closing general session speaker on Oct. 15.

The general sessions will be translated into Portuguese, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, while select educational sessions will be translated into Portuguese and Spanish.

INTIMATE & CONVENIENT

For this year’s event, NACS is making new tools, mobile applications and show planners available to attendees so they can plan out their time well. “Otherwise, it’s a big show that can be daunting,” Lenard admitted. “Our idea here is to make a very big show somewhat intimate.”

Taking place in Atlanta, the 2013 NACS Show will also offer a convenient locale.

“We’re very excited about Atlanta. Eighty percent of the population in the United States is within a two-hour flight of Atlanta, so there’s an enormous opportunity for people to get to this show,” said Lenard. “Especially for those who have never been and want to sample, it’s a good year to get in, get out and on your way — and that’s what convenience is all about.”