NACS Show 2013 Lineup Begins to Take Shape

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, began releasing speaker and events information for the upcoming 2013 NACS Show this week. Business leader, motivational speaker and best-selling author Chip Conley will serve as the opening general session speaker at the annual convention, which will take place October 12-15 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Conley will share insights from his book, "Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow," and advise attendees on how they can motivate employees, customers and investors through peak experiences that address their higher, unspoken needs, according to NACS. Conley is the founder and chief "emotions" officer of Joie de Vivre, California's largest independent hotel company and America's second-largest boutique hotelier, which has more than 40 hotels, restaurants and spas.

"We are very excited to have a speaker the caliber of Chip Conley open the 2013 NACS Show. He will give you the tools to both grow your business and grow as a person, all while achieving that perfect work-life balance," said NACS Vice Chairman of Convention Pat Lewis, partner of Twin Falls, Idaho-based Oasis Stop 'N Go LLC. "The rich content and takeaways from our opening general session demonstrate why the NACS Show is so essential to our industry."

NACS also announced a series of themed post-expo events that will allow attendees to extend networking beyond regular show hours. The following events are part of the lineup:

• NACS Show Kick-Off Party — Saturday, Oct. 12, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Located on Atlanta's "Restaurant Row," less than two blocks from the Georgia World Congress Center, this event replaces the traditional NACS Show opening reception. Along with planned entertainment, attendees can take part in the "Golden Ticket" contest, whose prizes include a limousine party, spending money and access to exclusive parties. Tickets to the event are included with full registrations.
   
• NACS Show Tailgate Party — Sunday, Oct. 13, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. This event is themed around the day's NFL games and features a viewing party and highlights on flatscreen televisions. On-site games and activities will also be available. Registration for the event, which is located in Hall C lobby of the Georgia World Congress Center, is free for all NACS Show attendees.
   
• NACS Show 2014 Launch Party — Monday, Oct. 14, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Attendees can learn more about other industry events that can help them grow their business in 2014 and beyond at this event, also located in the Hall C lobby of the Georgia World Congress Center. Registration is free for all NACS Show attendees.

"These new events extend the networking value of our traditional opening reception across three days," said Lewis. "The NACS Show doesn't end when the expo closes, and these new evening events deliver enhanced value to attendees who want to continue to network after the expo closes and before their scheduled dinner events."

All three events will include complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages.

The NACS Show has again been rated in the top 10 among U.S. trade shows in three of the four key categories used by exhibitors to measure audience quality, according to a national survey of the country's biggest trade shows conducted by Exhibit Surveys Inc., NACS said. The 2012 survey results were tabulated from more than 30 of the top annual U.S. trade shows.

The 2012 NACS Show ranked fourth in the country in terms of total buying plans, or the percentage of attendees who anticipate buying within 12 months of a show. The all-show average was 49 percent, while the NACS Show scored 63 percent. The event also ranked sixth in the country for net buying influence, or "buying power," which calculates the percentage of attendees who have the power to make or recommend final purchasing decisions. Again, the NACS Show's score of 92 percent was considerably higher than the all-show average of 84 percent.

Finally, the NACS Show ranked eighth for the amount of hours each attendee spends visiting exhibitions. NACS Show attendees averaged 10.4 hours on the expo floor per person, 0.5 percent more than in 2011. The all-show average was 9.1 hours.

"The NACS Show's top-tier ranking over the past decade confirms what our industry has long known: The NACS Show is where retailers and suppliers get together to do business," Lewis commented. "Savvy retailers know that the new ideas and products that they find at the NACS Show help them continually thrive and stay ahead of the competition, and the 2013 NACS Show will be no exception."

The 2013 NACS Show will feature a 392,000-net-square-foot exposition with 1,050 exhibiting companies, more than 150 of which are new to the event; three days of general sessions; and 53 educational sessions. The general sessions will be translated into Portuguese, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, and select educational sessions will be translated into Portuguese and Spanish.

Full registration for the NACS Show is $295 for NACS retailer members and $495 for other retailer attendees. One-day registration is available at $195 per day for NACS retailer members and $295 per day for other retailers. Super-saver registration rates are available until July 31.

More information and online registration are available at www.nacsshow.com.