It was fun to hear so many folks at the recent 2026 NACS Show in Las Vegas comparing how many years they had been coming to the annual NACS Show. My estimate was at least 35 years attending myself!
I am always impressed with the energy and love seeing folks again that I’ve known for many, many years, and truly consider to be friends.
I tell first-timers to attend as many Education Sessions and General Sessions as possible for the networking and nuggets, so here are my notable nuggets.
1 Annie Gauthier, NACS 2025-2026 Chair and Lonnie McQuirter NACS 2026-2027 Chair
- Create “Nacsidents” (I DID!)
- “We’re not just conducting transactions, we’re cultivating relationships, Most of all, we are important because sometimes without realizing it, we change lives for the better.”
2 “The NACS Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council’s Insights on Driving Trips” Education Session
- Tom Brennan, Chief Merchandising Officer, Casey’s General Stores: “Collogen is the next trend” (Tom, you get credit if that becomes true!)
- Ryan Sheetz, EVP Marketing & Supply Chain, Sheetz: “Invest in your brand.”
3 Lindsay Snookus General Session keynote
- Remember the small details
- People never forget how you make them feel
- Ask good questions, and listen to the answers
- Invest in transformational relationships vs transactional
4 The Bets That Built Empires: Why the Best Business Decisions Looked Wrong at First” Education Session
David Salyers, Former VP Marketing, Growth & Hospitality, Chick-Fil-A and Aaron Fossas, VP, ADDO
- 10% of the effort affects 100% of the positive results
- Focus on creating and keeping “raving fans” instead of non-customers
- Be remarkable
5 Frank Gleeson, NACS President and CEO
- “You have to be famous for something. We need to lean into what we offer and tell our customers that’s what we do well.”
There is more than I could capture in this space, but I will summarize by saying that celebrating our sense of community is a thread that runs through so much of the excitement and focus for our future.
What were your nuggets?
See you next year in Atlanta for my 36th–ish NACS Show!
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