Sixty-three thousand, nine-hundred and eighty-six. That’s the number of steps my iPhone says I logged the five days I was in Atlanta for the NACS Show last month. I’d overheard fellow NACS-ers discussing how many steps they’d accumulated during one action-packed day—and night—and confessed that I didn’t track my daily fitness activity. Unbeknownst to me, my phone does, as one colleague kindly demonstrated.
So, I learned something new—which is an understatement since the NACS Show itself is all about learning. From the 57 education sessions to the three General Sessions to the two Super Sessions, the 23,539 attendees on-site at the Georgia World Congress Center had ample opportunity to log their own steps as they delved into myriad topics that are top of mind for the convenience and fuel retailing industry.
Being new to the Show and the industry,I tried to soak up as much as I could.
That’s not to mention all of the discovery going on in the 425,000-plus net square feet of the expo, brimming with more than 1,200 exhibitors from startups to big brands, a first-ever CBD Pavilion, the Cool New Products Preview Room and the New Exhibitor Area featuring 200-plus first-time exhibitors.
Being new to the Show and the industry, I tried to soak up as much as I could while walking the expo. I spotted lots of new flavor combinations, plant-based snacks and protein-rich drinks, meat jerky and veggie jerky, sprays for covering up a variety of smells (from cannabis to pets) and the latest in digital signs, lighting, shelving and fuel pump dispensers. I learned what a storage tank “interstice” is and why fuel mitts are available at diesel pumps.
In the magazine this month, we share key takeaways from this year’s NACS Show, including highlights from the main-stage speakers, educational sessions, networking events and the expo. You can find extended coverage at www.NACSMagazine.com. And if you couldn’t attend in person, we’ve shared video of speeches by NACS President and CEO Henry Armour; Julie Jackowski, the 2019–20 NACS Chair of the Board; and Frank Gleeson, 2018–19 NACS Chairman of the Board at www.nacsshow.com/NACS-TV. Step to it and check it out!
And speaking of steps…
My husband’s birthday was October 6, two days after I returned from Atlanta, and to celebrate, our family took a five-mile hike in Shenandoah National Park—which grew to a seven-mile hike when we missed a trailhead. Needless to say, I was more sedentary in the days that followed. I was such a slacker that my phone reached out with this message: “You’re walking less than you do on a typical day.”
Really? I’m OK with that!
