The 2026 NACS Show drew 25,572 attendees from 74 countries Oct. 6-9 in Las Vegas, more than 400 attendees above last year and the second-highest total in the show’s history. It was the third consecutive year attendance topped 25,000.
The 442,600-net-square-foot expo featured 1,090 exhibitors, including 173 in the New Exhibitor Area, organized around five categories: in-store merchandise, technology, facility operations, fuel equipment and services, and foodservice. The show’s 56 education sessions drew a cumulative 11,438 attendees, averaging more than 230 per session, with six sessions topping 400.
Leadership transition and 2030 framework
Lonnie McQuirter, director of operations at 36 Lyn Refuel Station in Minneapolis, was named 2026-27 NACS chairman, succeeding Annie Gauthier, CFO and co-CEO of St. Romain Oil Company. Kevin LeMoyne, SVP of customer leadership at The Coca-Cola Company, was named 2026-27 chairman of the NACS Supplier Board.
“We’re not just conducting transactions, we’re cultivating relationships,” McQuirter told attendees during the Oct. 7 general session focused on the industry’s role in communities.
On Oct. 8, NACS President and CEO Frank Gleeson introduced Advancing Convenience 2030, a strategic framework approved by the NACS board earlier in the week. “We are shifting NACS from being the leading trade association to the platform that powers convenience and fuel retailing,” Gleeson said.
The Oct. 8 session concluded with Ideas 2 Go videos showcasing how retailers are reinventing convenience, especially around food, along with a bonus video offering an inside look at the June grand opening of Dolly Parton’s travel stop. The videos will be available online in the coming weeks.
General session speakers also included former Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus and actor Jason Sudeikis.
The NACS Foundation recognized three First Responder of the Year honorees from more than 600 nominations: overall winner Karen Shepherd of Pattonsburg, Missouri; Carl Nielsen of Fremont, Nebraska; and Sgt. Ryan Sheridan and K9 partner Dembe of Charlottesville, Virginia.
Cool new products
In the Cool New Products Preview Room, attendees logged more than 9,000 scans of the 342 products on display. The top 10 most-scanned products were:
- Kraft Mac & Cheese Cheesy Ramen (Kraft Heinz)
- Forest Food Fumang Propitious Mango, Taoqi Peach Breeze Ice Cream (Ultimate Sales & Services)
- Frazil Fizz (Frazil)
- Self-Serve Bakery Display by Palram 4U (Palram 4U)
- New Pretzilla Soft Pretzel Bite Grab and Go Cups (Pretzilla)
- Bakery Self-Serve Countertop Display Case – 18 SKU (Palram 4U)
- CigarBros Humidor with Freshbox (CigarBros USA)
- Retail Ready Fudge and Nuts (Fudgeamentals)
- Ready High Protein Bar (Ready)
- Little Joe Family of Air Fresheners (Little Joe – Drive Int. USA)
At the show’s close, the NACS Foundation, Vontier and Foodrecovery.org recovered surplus food from the expo floor through the foundation’s Neighborhood Nourish program, with more than 100 volunteers collecting 95,000 pounds of food for five Las Vegas-area charities. The foundation also awarded 18 scholarships.
The 2027 NACS Show will take place Oct. 5-8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
NACS retail member companies cumulatively represent more than 400,000 stores in more than 50 countries, including 45,000 in the U.S. The U.S. convenience store industry, with nearly 152,000 stores, conducts 160 million transactions daily and had sales of $818 billion in 2025.
Related: NACS Board Approves ‘Advancing Convenience 2030’ Strategic Plan