Event

April

2027

21-23

NACS State of the Industry Summit

Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Add to Calendar 00/21/2027 02:00 PM 00/23/2027 08:00 PM America/Chicago NACS State of the Industry Summit Powered by 50 years of convenience data, this one-day virtual event includes access to benchmarking data, analysis, emerging trends and executive imperatives you need to win in the game of convenience. Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Date & Time

Apr 21-23, 2027

Location:

Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Omni Fort Worth Hotel

Countdown:

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About

The NACS State of the Industry Summit is the only event that delivers industry data and insights on the latest financial, operational, categorical, regional market, and consumer trends in convenience.

Participants get an exclusive first look at industry performance metrics that are published in the annual NACS State of the Industry Report®. This report helps retailers benchmark their business against competitors in their respective region(s) and across the United States.

Attendees include leading convenience retailers and industry partners who want to make data-driven decisions and improve their businesses. The Summit not only builds new connections and opportunities, but is the premier opportunity to upskill future leaders who can impact performance as they grow and develop their industry knowledge.

See who attended in 2026 (PDF)

Sample Agenda

The following agenda is from the 2026 NACS State of the Industry Summit; stay tuned for 2027 updates and to register.

April 14, 2026

4:00 PM - 4:10 PM	Welcome Annie Gauthier, 2025-26 NACS Chair, CFO/Co-CEO of St. Romain Oil Company LLC (dba Y-Not Stop)
4:10 PM - 5:00 PM	Do Different Things Differently: Breakthrough Ideas for Better Results Tucker Bryant, Poet & Innovation Keynote Speaker Tucker revealed how poets and artists break from comfort, transform uncertainty into possibility, and use creative constraint to fuel breakthrough ideas.
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM	Master of Convenience Awards Ceremony Brandi Mauro, Program Manager, Executive Education, NACS Annie Gauthier, 2025-26 NACS Chair, CFO/Co-CEO of St. Romain Oil Company LLC (dba Y-Not Stop) Frank Gleeson, President and CEO, NACS Celebration of the new NACS Master of Convenience recipients, a designation that honors those who have prioritized self-improvement by successfully completing three or more of the five NACS Executive Education programs.
April 15

7:15 AM - 8:15 AM	Networking Breakfast; Technology Solutions Center Open
8:20 AM - 8:30 AM	Welcome by the NACS Research & Technology Committee Chair Charles McIlvaine, Chairman/CEO Coen Markets; NACS Vice Chairman, Research and Technology
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM	The Economic Narratives and Realities Shaping 2026 Thomas Weinandy, Ph.D, Principal Research Economist, Upside An exploration of the economic narratives and realities impacting c-stores in 2026 and beyond. Join Dr. Weinandy for an exploration of the economic narratives and realities impacting c-stores and gas stations in 2026 and beyond. He’ll break down the three pillars supporting the U.S. economy: the labor market, consumer spending, and artificial intelligence. Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of what to expect from this changing environment and how to make data-driven decisions that help them stay competitive while meeting the needs of the modern consumer.
9:30 AM - 9:50 AM	Networking Break; Technology Solutions Center Open
9:50 AM - 10:45 AM	Financial and Operational Lessons from 2025 Chris Rapanick, Managing Director, NACS Research, NACS
10:45 AM - 11:40 AM	In-Store Performance Lessons from 2025 Andrew Baill, Senior Category Manager–Fresh Beverages, Wawa Inc.
11:40 AM- 12:40 PM	Lunch; Technology Solutions Center Open
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM	The Path to Profitability: What Set 2025's Top Performers Apart Mike Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, Cubby's Inc.
1:30 PM - 2:10 PM	Turning Pump Stops Into Meal Stops: Unlocking Foodservice Caitlin Root, Executive Vice President, Customer Experience, Datassential A look at strategies from leading QSR brands to plug foodservice leakage and win loyalty along the way. The future of convenience isn’t only faster—it’s fresher, hotter, and a lot more craveable. This session explores how leading c-stores are evolving from quick in-and-out pit stops to true meal destinations, competing head-on with QSRs. We'll also explore strategies from leading QSR brands to plug foodservice leakage and win loyalty along the way. Walk away with actionable plays to turn every fuel trip into a foodservice trip.
2:10 PM - 2:30 PM	Networking Break; Technology Solutions Center Open
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM	2025 Regional Performance Insights NACS Regional Breakout Sessions on key insights from newly released NACS State of the Industry data for each region: the Northeast (1), Southeast (2), Midwest (3), South Central (4), Central (5), and West (6).
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM	Winning the Convenience Trip: dunnhumby’s 2025 Convenience RPI Insights Erich Kahner, Head of Competitive Strategy & Insights, Americas for dunnhumby Analyzing 10,000+ U.S. shoppers and 40 largest convenience and 45 largest QSR retailers to learn what drives long-term market share—from foodservice excellence and price perception to the emotional connections that fuel loyalty.
3:30 PM - 4:10 PM	2025 Regional Performance Insights from 2025 Continued NACS Regional Breakout Sessions cover key insights from newly released NACS State of the Industry data for each region: the Northeast (1), Southeast (2), Midwest (3), South Central (4), Central (5), and West (6). From Insight to Impact: How AI Can Drive Lower Costs, More Trips, and Bigger Baskets in Convenience Retail Jeff Hassman, General Manager, AI Solutions, MyPDI How retailers can use AI to control expenses, grow traffic and increase basket size, while suppliers can increase their value by enabling smarter decisions across pricing, promotions, and operations.
4:10 PM - 4:30 PM	Networking Break; Technology Solutions Center Open
4:30 PM - 5:20 PM	Creating Superfans: How to Turn Customers Into Lifelong Advocates Brittany Hodak, Award-winning Entrepreneur and Customer Experience Expert, Author of Creating Superfans This keynote showed why every member of a team is in the "Experience Department" and offers a memorable, proven five-step framework to attract—and keep—superfan customers.
5:20 PM - 5:30 PM	Closing Statements Charles McIlvaine, Chairman/CEO Coen Markets; NACS Vice Chairman, Research and Technology
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM	Reception; Technology Solutions Center Open
April 16

7:15 AM - 8:15 AM	Networking Breakfast; Technology Solutions Center Open
8:20 AM - 9:00 AM	Driving C-Store Traffic in Today’s Hyper-Competitive Environment Chad Lusk, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal Marco Valentini, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal How convenience store operators can leverage levers from digital strategy, loyalty, foodservice, private label, pricing and promotional strategy, etc. to develop an integrated strategy to drive profitable growth.
9:00 AM - 9:35 AM	The Business of Loyalty: How Leading Retailers Drive Growth Mike Templeton, Partner, NexChapter Jessica Starnes, Director of Loyalty/Tobacco Category Manager, Weigel's David Jackson, Director of Marketing, Kwik Trip Inc. How leading convenience retailers are leveraging loyalty to compete in a constantly evolving marketplace.
9:35 AM - 10:00 AM	Networking Break; Technology Solutions Center Open
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM	The Current State of Transportation Energy John Eichberger, Executive Director, Transportation Energy Institute This session provided relevant insights about the trends that will affect demand for the liquid fuel and electricity that c-store operators sell to their customers.
10:45 AM - 11:25 AM	Fuel Deep Dive with OPIS Denton Cinquegrana, Chief Oil Analyst, OPIS Cinquegrana shared OPIS' fuel outlook for 2026, including how retailers can be ready to capitalize when opportunities arise.
11:25 AM - 11:45 AM	Closing Remarks Frank Gleeson, President and CEO, NACS

Past Speakers

Technology Solutions Center

The Technology Solutions Center features businesses that have technology solutions specialized to the convenience industry. Exhibitors can connect directly with hundreds of convenience retail leaders.

As Summit attendees focus on identifying solutions that meet their business goals, the Center is a timely opportunity for strategic planning and learning more about the innovations available in the technology space.

If your company would like information about participating in 2027, contact Emma Tainter at [email protected].

Be the first to know for next year. Sign up below to be notified when registration opens for the 2027 NACS State of the Industry Summit.

NACS serves the global convenience and fuel retailing industry by providing industry knowledge, connections and issues leadership to ensure the competitive viability of its members’ businesses.

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NACS State of the Industry Summit

2026 Highlights

April 14, 2026

April 15

April 16

2026 Speakers