Technology summit, financial symposium offer actionable insights for independent grocers; marketing awards and opening keynote speaker also highlight event’s first day
Las Vegas, NV – The National Grocers Association (NGA) launches its 2024 NGA Show tomorrow in Las Vegas with enhanced education sessions leading its Sunday agenda. The show runs March 10-12, 2024, at the Caesars Forum Convention Center.
Kicking off the lineup on Sunday morning is the returning Technology Summit, offering grocery retailers a look at technology from multiple perspectives. The summit runs 10 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. Sunday, March 10.
An all-new lineup of innovators will explore how technology can be put to work streamlining retail operations, taking friction out of the customer experience and bringing the store and shopper closer together. Topics will include e-commerce, personalizing shopper connections, AI optimization, new food tech’s impact on marketing and merchandising, identifying and appealing to the next generation workforce, and establishing new avenues to loyalty.
The summit will also feature the release of a new and exclusive consumer survey by Acosta Group and MorningNewsBeat that identifies shopper preferences, barriers and experiences when it comes to food retail technologies.
Among the 15 scheduled speakers will be MorningNewsBeat’s Kevin Coupe, Lauren Redman of Rudy’s Markets, Anne Feder of eGrowcery, Jon Jenkins from Amazon, Galen Walters of Mercatus and longtime industry observer and consultant Michael Sansolo.
Next on Sunday’s agenda is the FMS Financial Symposium, also returning this year for a session curated by FMS Solutions offering a deep dive into today’s most timely financial topics. The symposium runs 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
With costs continuing to climb, retailers are seeing a competitive marketplace that is very different than the last few decades. The symposium will look at profit improvement, exit strategies and environmental programs for your business, including solar energy and carbon credits. A panel of retailers will share how they’re thriving despite inflation and overall rising costs. Symposium discussions will be led by Bob Graybill and Jon Cline from FMS Solutions.
The annual Creative Choice Awards, presented by Kellanova and Unilever, celebrate independent grocers’ most innovative and successful marketing campaigns and promotional events of 2023. “Snack and See: Unwrap Innovative Insights from the 2024 Creative Choice Award Winners” runs from 2:45 to 4 p.m.
This session is designed to explore and learn from the exceptional marketing and merchandising campaigns within the independent grocery industry. Hear from award recipients about best practices and their inspiration for successful campaigns in omnichannel marketing, community engagement, and aspects like center store and fresh innovations.
Following an opening reception from 4 to 5 p.m., the opening keynote session will feature celebrity chef Carla Hall, entrepreneur, author and Food Network host who will share an inspirational message about the power of delivering a sensory experience of food and grocery shopping. The keynote session, starting at 5 p.m., is sponsored by KraftHeinz.
Full details on all show programming, workshops and speakers can be found here. The event is sponsored by the National Grocers Association and produced by Clarion Events Inc.
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For more than 30 years, The NGA Show has been the place where independent grocers gather, connecting supermarket retailers and wholesalers, food manufacturers and service providers from around the world to share innovative solutions and best practices that support and strengthen the independent supermarket channel. The NGA Show is produced and managed by Clarion Events as part of the Food & Beverage Group, in partnership with the National Grocers Association (NGA). For more information and to register, visit www.theNGAshow.com.
Clarion Events produces 37 events across 13 sectors of both trade and consumer events. Clarion Events, which is the U.S. division of Clarion Events UK and backed by The Blackstone Group, has become one of the fastest-growing event companies in the U.S. with aggressive growth through both acquisition and launch. Clarion acquired PennWell in early 2018, bringing four Tradeshow 200 events into the U.S. portfolio and supercharging the already rapid growth. Clarion Events has offices in Shelton, Conn.; Tulsa, OK; and Fairlawn, N.J.
The National Grocers Association (NGA) is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
