AMERICAS - The National Association of Convenience Stores Association has claimed a four per cent growth in exhibition space at this year’s NACS Show in Atlanta.
The show, held on 12-15 October at the Georgia World Congress Center, increased to a record 36,700sqm of exhibition space with 1,160 exhibiting companies - of which 195 companies were new to the show.
A total of 22,263 visitors attended the event, with 7,874 classified as “buyers” (retailers, wholesalers and distributors). According to the organiser, the international attendance reached 1,939 delegates.
At the NACS Show's 58 educational sessions, a record attendance was claimed for three days. In total, the sessions drew 12,000 attendees, averaging more than 200 attendees per session.
“The growth of the NACS Show is impressive, and it’s also a clear indicator that the supplier community is serious about partnering with convenience store operators to leverage business connections and solidify their position within this dynamic and highly innovative retail channel of trade,” said NACS Supplier Board chairman Bob Sears.
“Investing in the NACS Show, participating in networking events and engaging with current and potential customers offers an immediate ROI for exhibiting companies that take full advantage of the opportunities available to them at the NACS Show - and beyond.”
The association said a total of 47 tons (93,438 lb) of left over product from exhibitors was donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which delivers food and groceries to food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia counties.
Earlier this year NACS partnered with GenieConnect to offer a new NACS Events mobile app and the MyShow Planner online tool for attendees to pre-schedule the events and sessions and map out the exhibitors they wanted to visit at the NACS Show.
The 2014 NACS Show will take place on 7-10 October 2014 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
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