Record-Breaking Attendance The 2026 NACS Show drew 25,572 attendees from 74 countries during its October 6-9 run in Las Vegas, marking the second-highest attendance in the trade show's history and the third consecutive year surpassing the 25,000-attendee threshold. Organizers noted the tally exceeded 2025 figures by more than 400 attendees.

Expo Floor Activity The 442,600-net-square-foot Expo hosted 1,090 exhibitors, including 173 new vendors.

The show organized around five categories: in-store merchandise, technology, facility operations, fuel equipment and services, and foodservice. In the Cool New Products Preview Room, attendees scanned 9,000+ QR codes for product information across 342 displays. Top-scanned items included Kraft Mac & Cheese Cheesy Ramen, Forest Food ice cream products, and Frazil Fizz beverages. The Convenience Catalyst section highlighted newer products entering the c-store channel. The NACS Future of Convenience pavilion showcased digital-first solutions, with retailers discussing TruAge and THRIVR platforms with staff.

Education and General Sessions Fifty-six education sessions drew 11,438 cumulative attendees, averaging 232 per session, with six sessions exceeding 400 participants. Audio and slide recordings will be available for purchase. Three days of general sessions in the 3,200-seat Paradise Event Center featured industry leadership and speakers. NACS 2025-26 Chairman Annie Gauthier, CFO/Co-CEO of Y-Not Stop, opened October 6 remarks by encouraging attendees to seek "happy accidents—unexpected encounters and opportunities that can propel a business forward." October 7 focused on community. Lonnie McQuirter, 2026-27 NACS chairman and director of operations at 36 Lyn Refuel Station, stated: "We're not just conducting transactions, we're cultivating relationships." That session also included announcement of the NACS Foundation's First Responder of the Year awards. Karen Shepherd of Pattonsburg, Missouri, won overall recognition; Carl Nielsen of Fremont, Nebraska, and Sergeant Ryan Sheridan with K9 partner Dembe of Charlottesville, Virginia, received regional honors. More than 600 nominations from 47 states were submitted. On October 8, NACS President & CEO Frank Gleeson unveiled "Advancing Convenience 2030," a strategic framework approved by the NACS Board. "We are shifting NACS from being the leading trade association to the platform that powers convenience and fuel retailing," Gleeson said.

Leadership and Awards Lonnie McQuirter was named 2026-27 NACS chairman.

Kevin LeMoyne, senior vice president of customer leadership at The Coca-Cola Company, was named 2026-27 Chairman of the NACS Supplier Board. OXXO Mexico's travel center in Majalca, Chihuahua, received the NACS Convenience Store of the Year Award for Latin America during the Global Colleagues Reception.

Food Recovery and Scholarships Following the close of the show, volunteers recovered 95,000 pounds of surplus Expo food through a partnership with the NACS Foundation, Vontier, and Foodrecovery.org. The recovered food benefited five Las Vegas-area charities through the NACS Foundation's Neighborhood Nourish program. Over 100 volunteers participated. The NACS Foundation also awarded 18 scholarships at a Future Fund reception in the Keurig Dr Pepper booth.

Looking Ahead The 2027 NACS Show will take place October 5-8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. NACS also announced more than a dozen events over the next 12 months, including the December 2-3 Future of Mobility Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina, developed jointly by NACS and the Transportation Energy Institute.

Why It Matters

For convenience retailers, the consistent 25,000+ attendance signals sustained industry engagement and investment in emerging technology and product solutions. The show's focus on digital-first tools and sustainability initiatives reflects evolving operator priorities in a sector managing 160 million daily transactions across nearly 152,000 U.S. stores.

For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.

Written by FBM Publications Editors