The National Grocers Association has posted the event schedule for The NGA Show 2027, set for Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Exhibits run Feb. 1-2.
The education program is organized into tracks covering technology and AI, fresh foods, omnichannel marketing, operations, business strategy and people development. NGA said more sessions and events will be added as they are confirmed, and many breakout slots are still listed as to be announced.
Sunday, Jan. 31: Forums and opening keynote
The show opens with an attendee orientation breakfast, followed by a Tech Innovation Forum at 9 a.m. In the afternoon, attendees can choose between a Leadership & HR Forum and a Financial Forum, both running 1:30-3:30 p.m. Speakers for the forums have not been announced.
The opening keynote begins at 4 p.m. and will include a keynote speaker and an industry update from NGA leadership. The day closes with an opening reception at the MGM Grand’s Splash Pool.
Monday, Feb. 1: Breakouts, expo and awards
Main stage general sessions start at 7 a.m., followed by 2 rounds of breakouts. Sessions with confirmed speakers include:
- Leading from the C-Suite: Building a Strong Food Safety Culture, a panel with Kristin Popp, president of Woodman’s Food Markets; Michael Stigers, president of Wakefern Food Corp.; and Tim Lowe, president and CEO of Lowes Foods. Natalie Seymour, manager of food safety and public health at Ecolab, will moderate.
- Succession Ready: Business Succession and Exit Planning for Independent Grocers, led by Brad Smith, principal at Baker Tilly. The session covers transition options including family transfers, management buyouts and ESOPs.
- Your Brand, Your People, Your AI: Finding the Right Balance, moderated by Webstop CEO Shawn Tuckett with Samantha Johnston, director of marketing at Clarks Market. The panel looks at where AI improves the customer experience for independent and regional grocers.
- From Gut Feel to Ground Truth, a session on using dimensional data and AI agents in grocery financial management.
The expo floor opens at 10 a.m., and Fresh Pitches speed networking sessions pair retailers and sponsors in 5-minute introductions at 11 a.m. Dietz & Watson will present a session on the evolution of prepared foods at 12:15 p.m. on the Boulevard Stage.
At 3:30 p.m., The Shelby Report will present its 5th annual Exceptional Independents Awards, an invitation-only ceremony honoring independent U.S. grocery operators. The day ends with the Best Bagger National Championship at 5 p.m., where state winners compete for a $10,000 grand prize.
Tuesday, Feb. 2: Store execution and closing party
The final day opens with another main stage general session and breakouts, including “Making Every Store Visit Count: Improving Execution, Experience, and Profitability,” moderated by Caitlin Allen. A second round of Fresh Pitches runs at 2 p.m., and the show wraps with a closing party at Topgolf at 5 p.m.
The NGA Show is produced by Clarion Events in partnership with NGA.
To view the full event schedule visit the NGA Show website.
Registration for The NGA Show 2027 is open here.