Education Sessions

Branded merchandise is a powerful way for retailers to build loyalty, extend their brand and create new revenue streams. In this session, industry leaders will explore how c-store brands like 7-Eleven have turned store merchandise into must-have items through effective merchandising, brand storytelling and social buzz.

Learn how AI-powered search is changing customer discovery—and what you can do to stay visible.

NACS

Christina Scala

Director, Business Development

Explore how agentic AI transforms store operations by moving beyond dashboards and alerts to continuous monitoring, decisioning and action. Through real-world retailer examples across pricing, promotions, forecasting and financial performance, attendees will see how AI can operate at speed and scale to identify issues and opportunities before they impact the business. The discussion will highlight how shifting from lagging to leading indicators enables smarter, faster decision-making at the store and enterprise level.

PDI Technologies

Jeff Hassman

GM of AI Solutions

As more convenience retailers expand their foodservice offer, discover ways to define the category in today’s c-store environment. For example, identify a signature offer and compete for market share through investments in space, equipment, people and partnerships. Industry experts will talk about core fundamentals that include food safety, cleanliness, training and culture.

Weigel's Stores, Inc.

Beth Hoffer

Vice President

Sprint Mart

Ryan Krebs

Senior Director of Food Service

The NACS Leadership for Success Program brings the brightest industry supervisors together to develop their personal leadership skills and become better leaders. For the past five months, participants have been working on reducing turnover, increasing employee engagement and developing store managers by creating plans, setting goals and tracking their progress. They are ready to share the results! Hear what worked (and what didn’t) as they sought to develop and strengthen their teams.

The USDA’s final SNAP stocking requirements rule takes effect in November, and convenience retailers have a limited window to expand their shelf offerings or risk losing their SNAP authorization. The NACS government relations team will break down what’s changing, what it means for store operations and inventory, and how retailers are approaching compliance. They will also talk about the broader SNAP landscape and how NACS is engaging with legislators beyond the stocking requirements.

NACS

Margaret Mannion

Director, Government Relations

See how identity connects payments, loyalty, promotions, age verification, and more into a seamless customer experience

NACS

Christina Scala

Director, Business Development

The biggest breakthroughs rarely come from following best practices—they come from making bold bets that others dismiss. Join David Salyers, former VP of Marketing, Growth & Hospitality at Chick-fil-A, and Aaron Fossas, VP at ADDO and co-hosts of Wrong On Paper , as they share the surprising stories behind unconventional decisions that became game-changing successes. You'll leave with practical frameworks for identifying high-impact opportunities, evaluating smart risks, and making the bold decisions that can set your business apart.

ADDO

Aaron Fossas

VP

Chick-Fil-A

David Salyers

Former VP of Marketing, Growth and Hospitality

Category deep dive. What's next in cold, hot, and specialty beverages, and what customers will pay for.

Pilot Travel Centers LLC

Nicholas Reed

Manager, Category

Advanced technology is changing the customers’ path to purchase. Drivers are increasingly relying upon their smart phones and vehicle technologies to determine travel routes and to direct them to retailers offering products and services they need. The days of driving down the road and looking for a good place to stop are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Convenience retailers must ensure they are part of the customer decision making process long before the drivers realize they need gas or electricity. This session will discuss the tools and tactics that will ensure your physical location

In this unique small group setting, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a series of expert-led roundtables covering key operational areas such as loss prevention, HR, social media, vendor relations, and more. This open, conversational setting creates a safe space to ask candid questions, exchange ideas, and learn what’s working for others across the industry.

Casey's General Stores, Inc.

Amy Costello

Sr. Director - Food Safety & Quality Assurance

Refuel Operating Company

Wes Pate

Vice President, Loss Prevention & Risk Management

Favtrip

Babir Sultan

President

Weigel's Stores, Inc.

Rebecca Gregory

Center Store Category Manager

Casey's General Stores, Inc.

Steph Hoppe

VP Omnichannel Marketing

iSee Store Innovations

Melissa Peretz

Vice President of Commercial Strategy for TradeWorks

Strauch Companies

Ashley Boston

Risk and Compliance Manager

Majors Management, LLC

Chuck Strassburger

SVP, Human Resources

CHS Inc. (Cenex)

Donald Emery

Senior Manager, Product

Louisiana Truck Stop & Gaming Administration, LLC

Chris Rosbottom

Social Media & Web Marketing Manager

CrossAmerica Partners LLC

Barbara Kessler

Director of Marketing

OXXO USA

Tye Smith

Director, HR OXXO USA