NACS Show: The Complete Exhibitor Guide
Tuesday, October 6th – 9th, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV
At NPARALLEL + Atomic Props, we transform trade show exhibits into moments of connection. We design and build immersive environments that stop attendees in their tracks and invite them in for the NACS Show in Las Vegas. From initial concept through installation and dismantle at the Las Vegas Convention Center, our Minneapolis-based team handles every detail of your NACS presence so you can focus on the 7,000+ buyers walking the floor.
What Is The NACS Show?
The NACS Show is the convenience and fuel retailing industry’s largest annual trade show, organized by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and held each October in Las Vegas. The 2026 show runs October 6–9 (conference and education sessions) with the expo floor open October 7–9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The numbers tell the story of why this show matters: the 2025 NACS Show drew 25,136 total attendees, including 7,046 buyers from all 50 states and 73 countries. More than 1,150 exhibiting companies showcased products across 420,000+ net square feet of expo space.
The NACS Show in Las Vegas isn’t just another trade show. It’s where convenience and fuel retail leaders gather to shape what’s next. It’s fast-paced. Competitive. High-traffic. High-stakes.
26,000+ Total Attendees
8,800+ Qualified Buyers
1,200 Exhibiting Companies
420k Sq.Ft. Expo Space
Who Attends The NACS Show?
The NACS Show floor is filled with people who make purchasing decisions. Among buyers at the 2025 show, 32% held senior management roles, 29% worked in store operations and facilities, 27% were in marketing, merchandising, or category management, 7% represented franchise operations, and 5% were in technology. That means nearly 6 in 10 buyers on the floor are either senior leaders or the people managing what goes on shelves.
The attendee list regularly includes representatives from the biggest names in convenience retail: 7-Eleven, Wawa, Sheetz, Casey’s, Circle K, Kwik Trip, Love’s, Pilot, QuikTrip, RaceTrac, and more. NACS publishes a full Top 20 Retailers list each year.
Geographically, the 2025 show drew the largest share of attendees from the Midwest (22%), followed by the Southwest and Southeast (15% each), the Northeast (14%), international attendees (13%), the West (11%), and the Plains states (10%).
How Big Is the Convenience Store Industry?
The U.S. convenience store industry is massive. There are more than 152,255 convenience stores across the country, generating over $501.2 billion in combined fuel and in-store sales (2023 data). These stores handle roughly 155 million transactions every day — meaning about half of the U.S. population visits a convenience store on any given day. Convenience stores also sell approximately 80% of all gasoline in the country, accounting for more than 32 million fill-ups daily.
Is the NACS Show Worth Exhibiting At?
The data from NACS’s own surveys is pretty compelling. At the 2025 show, 80% of retailers said they came specifically to see new products. Retailers spent an average of 11 hours on the expo floor — well above the 9.4-hour all-industry trade show average. 84% of exhibitors rated the attendees they met as high-quality leads. And 91% of attendees said they’d recommend the show to a colleague, rating it a 9 or higher out of 10.
If your brand serves this space, this is where visibility becomes velocity.
But visibility alone isn’t enough. You need an environment that:
- Pulls traffic with intention
- Tells your story clearly and confidently
- Demonstrates product value in seconds
- Drives measurable business outcomes
Planning your NACS Show exhibit? Let’s start the conversation.
How Much Does It Cost to Exhibit at the NACS Show?
Booth space at the 2026 NACS Show costs $39.00 per square foot for NACS and PEI members. The minimum booth size is 10′ x 10′ (100 square feet), which puts the entry-level space cost at $3,900. To get the member rate, your company needs an active NACS Supplier Membership ($1,350 per year) or PEI membership, maintained through November 2026.
But space rental is just the starting point. The industry rule of thumb is that your total exhibit investment will run roughly 3–5x the cost of floor space alone once you factor in design, fabrication, graphics, shipping, drayage, installation, labor, travel, and staffing.
Now, let’s explore what that looks like across different booth sizes and investment levels, and how each can be strategically engineered to perform at NACS:
| Booth Size | Space Cost | Total Budget Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10×10 Booth (100 sq ft) | $3,900 | $12,000 - $20,000 |
| 10×20 Booth (200 sq ft) | $7,800 | $23,000 - $39,000 |
| 20×20 Booth (400 sq ft) | $15,600 | $47,000 - $78,000 |
| 20×30 Booth (600 sq ft) | $23,400 | $70,000 - $117,000 |
| 30×30 Booth (900 sq ft) | $35,100 | $105,000 - $175,000 |
| 40×40 Booth (1,600 sq ft) | $62,400 | $187,000 - $312,000 |
For first-time exhibitors, NACS offers a dedicated New Exhibitor Area with 10×10 spaces and extended expo floor hours. It’s a lower-commitment way to test the show before investing in a larger presence.
Want to understand what your full NACS exhibit investment will look like?
We can walk you through the complete budget picture. →
Where Does the NACS Show Take Place?
The 2026 NACS Show takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), one of the busiest convention facilities in the world. LVCC spans 4.6 million square feet total and sits within walking distance of roughly 150,000 hotel rooms on and near the Las Vegas Strip.
The NACS expo floor typically occupies over 420,000 square feet and is organized into five product category zones, making it easy for buyers to navigate to the exhibitors most relevant to their business:
| Expo Category | What You'll Find | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel Equipment & Services | Dispensers, underground tank systems, payment terminals, fuel management software, EV charging infrastructure | ||
| Food Equipment & Foodservice Programs | Commercial kitchen equipment, grab-and-go solutions, food programs, beverage dispensing, refrigeration | ||
| Facility Development & Store Operations | Store design, shelving and displays, signage, lighting, security systems, cleaning and maintenance | ||
| Merchandise / Candy & Snacks | CPG products, candy, snacks, beverages, tobacco alternatives, general merchandise | ||
| Technology | POS systems, loyalty programs, digital signage, inventory management, back-office software, AI-powered analytics | ||
The LVCC is on the Las Vegas Monorail system and is also connected by the Vegas Loop, an underground Tesla transport network linking the convention center to Resorts World and other nearby properties. Both options help avoid the Las Vegas traffic that can eat into your show schedule.
LVCC underwent a $600 million renovation and expansion that added the West Hall: a 1.4-million-square-foot addition. The facility features modern loading docks, freight elevators, and flexible rigging points that support a wide range of exhibit builds.
When Should You Start Planning for the NACS Show?
Ideally, 9–12 months before the show. Booth spaces at the NACS Show frequently sell out, and the priority point system gives returning exhibitors and NACS members first pick of locations. The earlier you commit, the better your booth placement options.
| Timeframe | Key Actions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 12+ Months | Define show objectives and target audience. Begin booth space application process. Engage an exhibit partner. Join NACS as a supplier member to qualify for member booth rates and priority points. | ||
| 9–12 Months | Finalize booth location and size. Begin exhibit design concepting. Book hotel rooms through NACS’s official hotel block (rates go up fast in Vegas during October events). | ||
| 6–9 Months | Approve final exhibit design. Begin fabrication. Plan booth staffing and product demonstrations. Submit any new products for the Cool New Products Preview Room consideration. | ||
| 3–6 Months | Order electrical, internet, and other utilities through the Exhibitor Service Kit. Coordinate shipping logistics. Plan pre-show marketing and social media. Schedule meetings with key retail buyers. | ||
| 1–3 Months | Train booth staff on key messaging and demos. Test all technology and product displays. Confirm all logistics. Pre-schedule meetings through the NACS attendee directory. | ||
| Show Week | Installation during the targeted move-in window (assigned by NACS). On-site execution. Real-time lead capture. Daily team debriefs. | ||
| Post-Show | Lead follow-up within 48 hours. ROI analysis and reporting. Exhibit asset storage and refresh planning for next year. | ||
NACS assigns a specific move-in date and time to each exhibitor based on booth size and location. Details are provided in the Exhibitor Service Kit, which typically becomes available in July. All exhibit freight must be removed by the move-out deadline, which is usually within three days after the expo closes.
What Makes a Successful Exhibit at the NACS Show?
The NACS Show audience is specific: convenience store operators, fuel retailers, franchise owners, and category managers who are there to find products and solutions they can put in their stores. They’re practical buyers, not browsing, which means your exhibit needs to answer one question fast: “How does this help my business?”
Product Demonstration Is Everything
NACS attendees want to see, touch, taste, and try your products. 83% of retailers say they come to the show specifically to discover new products.
If you’re in foodservice, that means live cooking demonstrations, sample stations, and working kitchen setups. If you’re in technology, that means hands-on POS demos, interactive displays, and real-time data visualizations. Static signage and brochure displays don’t cut it here.
Plan for High-Volume Foot Traffic
With 8,800+ buyers on the expo floor, popular booth areas can get crowded quickly. Your booth layout needs to accommodate traffic flow: wide entry points, clear sightlines to your hero products, and enough space for demonstrations without creating bottlenecks.
Retailers at the NACS Show spend an average of 11 hours on the expo floor (compared to the 9.4-hour all-industry average), so they’re taking their time and engaging deeply with exhibitors.
The Cool New Products Room Matters
The Cool New Products Preview Room is one of the highest-traffic areas at the show. Retailers use it as a curated “shopping list” before they hit the main expo floor.
If you have a genuine product launch, getting into this room is worth the effort. You’re in front of buyers in discovery mode before they’ve committed their time elsewhere.
Think Category, Not Just Brand
Because the expo floor is organized by product category, buyers navigate by need, not by exhibitor name.
Your booth design should clearly signal what category you’re in and what problem you solve within the first few seconds. The retailers who walk by your space might have 1,200 other exhibitors to evaluate. Make it obvious why they should stop.
Common Mistakes at NACS
Underestimating drayage and electrical costs at LVCC.
Not pre-scheduling meetings with target retailers through the NACS attendee directory.
Bringing food demos that aren’t compliant with health code requirements (if you’re doing live food preparation, you’ll need to plan for running water, proper drainage, sanitization stations, and disposal).
And the classic: not training booth staff on how to qualify leads quickly in a high-volume environment.
Planning your NACS Show exhibit? Let’s start the conversation.
How Does NPARALLEL + Atomic Props Approach NACS?
Whether you need maximum visibility or intimate engagement spaces, we create custom solutions for every booth configuration:
Every NACS exhibit starts with understanding your goals. It’s not just “we need a booth,” but the specific business outcomes you’re trying to achieve.
- Are you launching a new product line?
- Trying to break into the convenience channel for the first time?
- Expanding from regional to national distribution?
We dig into your target audience, competitive positioning, product hierarchy, and messaging strategy before we sketch a single concept.
Our 160,000-square-foot facility in Minneapolis houses the full range of fabrication capabilities — woodworking, metalwork, CNC machining, 3D printing, large-format graphics, and specialty finishes.
For NACS exhibitors, that often means custom product display fixtures, branded sampling stations, functioning kitchen builds for food demonstrations, and modular structures that can adapt if you exhibit at multiple shows throughout the year.
Convenience retail is increasingly tech-driven, and your exhibit should reflect that.
We integrate interactive touchscreens, digital product catalogs, video walls, AR product visualization, and our proprietary NP CAPTURE lead generation system.
NP CAPTURE lets you share product information, videos, and spec sheets with prospects through a simple badge scan or QR code, and gives you real-time analytics on who engaged and what they looked at.
We manage shipping, drayage coordination, installation and dismantle (I&D), and on-site support at LVCC.
Our team handles the targeted move-in schedule that NACS assigns to each exhibitor, coordinates with union labor on-site, and stays through the show to handle anything that comes up.
After the show, we manage freight-out and can store your exhibit assets in our Minneapolis warehouse for future use.
Should You Buy or Rent Your NACS Show Exhibit?
Custom-Built Exhibits
If you’re committed to exhibiting at NACS for multiple years, need a unique footprint that matches your brand identity, or require specialized features like built-in foodservice equipment, live demo stations, or large-format product displays, a custom-built exhibit gives you the most control and impact.
Custom exhibits also make sense when you attend several trade shows annually and want a design that can adapt across different floor plans.
Rent & Reuse Solutions
If this is your first time at the NACS Show, you’re working within a tighter budget, or you’re testing the convenience retail channel before committing long-term, a rental exhibit keeps your investment lower while still giving you a professional presence.
Our Rent & Reuse program gives you a custom look with rental economics. We design a booth tailored to your brand using components from our inventory, so it looks purpose-built without the full custom price tag.
Not sure which direction makes sense for you?
We can walk you through the options based on your goals, budget, and how many years you’re planning to exhibit. →
Exhibiting at the NACS Show for the First Time?
If you’ve never exhibited at the NACS Show before, here’s what to know up front.
1
Planning & Logistics
Start the booth application process early. NACS’s priority point system gives returning exhibitors first pick, so first-timers need to move fast.
- Apply as soon as applications open to maximize your location options
- Look into the New Exhibitor Area (10×10 spaces with extended expo hours and extra retailer promotion)
- Book your hotel through the official NACS block — October is peak Vegas convention season
NACS supplier membership ($1,350/year) is worth it for the booth rate savings alone.
2
Booth Design Strategy
Your first NACS booth doesn’t have to be massive to be effective. A focused 10×10 or 10×20 will outperform a larger space with no clear story.
- Lead with one or two hero products, not your full catalog
- Include a live demo or sampling station. NACS buyers want to see, touch, and taste
- Make your product category obvious at a glance. Buyers navigate the floor by need, not by exhibitor name
Good lighting and clear messaging do more than extra square footage.
3
Promotion & Follow Up
Don’t rely on foot traffic alone. The exhibitors who get the most out of NACS are the ones who do the work before and after the show.
- Use the NACS marketing toolkit (available January) for pre-show email, social, and direct outreach
- Pre-schedule meetings through the NACS attendee directory
- Have a lead capture system (NP CAPTURE or otherwise) set up before you arrive
Follow up within 48 hours. The conversation goes cold fast after a big show.
Success Story: General Mills
At the NACS 2023 Show, we created a high-energy, immersive exhibit for General Mills designed to stand out in one of the most competitive environments in convenience retail.
Blending bold, contemporary design with entertainment-driven engagement, the space became a destination on the show floor. Attendees were drawn in by dynamic visuals, sound, and interactive moments that encouraged exploration and extended dwell time.
Key features included:
- A city-inspired architectural design that conveyed movement and energy
- A live DJ that created a constant draw and elevated the atmosphere
- A large-scale video wall delivering dynamic brand storytelling
- Interactive digital games that encouraged play and repeat engagement
The result was a standout NACS presence that drove continuous traffic, meaningful interactions, and long-term value through a flexible, reusable exhibit structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to exhibit at the NACS show?
Booth space costs $39.00 per square foot for NACS and PEI members at the 2026 show. The minimum booth is 10′ x 10′ (100 sq ft) at $3,900 for space alone. You’ll also need active NACS Supplier Membership ($1,350/year) or PEI membership. Total exhibit investment — including design, fabrication, shipping, installation, and staffing — typically runs 3–5x the space cost.
How do I reserve a booth at the NACS Show?
Booth space is assigned through NACS’s online application process. NACS and PEI members select booths by priority group from January through May 2026, based on priority points accumulated since 2004. Open selection for all suppliers begins in June 2026 on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll need active membership to apply during the member selection window.
Who attends the NACS show?
The 2025 NACS Show drew 25,136 total attendees, including 7,046 buyers from all 50 states and 73 countries. Among buyers, 32% are senior management and 27% work in marketing, merchandising, or category management. Top retailers like 7-Eleven, Wawa, Casey’s, Sheetz, and Kwik Trip attend regularly.
What size exhibit space should I choose?
First-time exhibitors are limited to a 10′ x 10′ maximum booth. Returning exhibitors must maintain the same booth size for three consecutive years before increasing. Standard sizes range from 10′ x 10′ to 50′ x 60′ or larger. Consider your product display needs, demo requirements, and meeting space when selecting your size.
What is the New Exhibitor Area at the NACS Show?
The New Exhibitor Area is a dedicated section of Central Hall designed for first-time NACS exhibitors. It features an extra hour of floor time each morning (10:30–11:30am on Wednesday and Thursday), a separate entrance, and heavy promotion to retail buyers. Space is limited to 10′ x 10′ booths at $3,900 and tends to sell out early.
Is the NACS show worth exhibiting at?
For companies selling to convenience stores and fuel retailers, NACS is the single most important industry event. According to NACS attendee data, 83% of attending retailers come specifically to discover new products, buyers spend an average of 11 hours on the expo floor (well above the industry average), and 84% of exhibitors rate attendees as high-quality leads.
When should I start planning for the NACS show?
Nine to twelve months before the show. Booth spaces frequently sell out, and NACS’s priority point system rewards early commitment. The sooner you lock in your space, the better your location options.
What are common mistakes exhibitors make at the NACS show?
The most common: skipping NACS supplier membership before applying (which costs you $14 more per square foot). Other frequent ones include underestimating drayage and electrical costs at LVCC, not pre-scheduling meetings with target retailers through the NACS attendee directory, running food demonstrations without proper health code compliance planning, and showing up without a lead follow-up system ready to go.
What is the Cool New Products Preview Room at the NACS Show?
It’s a curated showcase of new and innovative products that opens to retailers before the main expo floor. Organized into five areas matching the expo categories, retailers use it as a shopping list to flag products they want to explore further. If you have a genuine product launch, this room puts you in front of buyers in discovery mode before they’ve committed their time elsewhere.
What food demo requirements should I plan for at the NACS Show?
If you’re doing live food preparation on the expo floor, you’ll need to plan for running water, proper drainage, sanitization stations, ventilation, and waste disposal. Health code compliance is strictly enforced. NACS and LVCC require exhibitors to meet local food handling regulations, which may include permits, temperature monitoring, and glove protocols. Plan your kitchen footprint early, because these builds take more lead time and floor space than a standard product display.
Can I share a booth or co-exhibit at the NACS Show?
NACS allows co-exhibitors within a primary exhibitor’s booth space, but each company sharing the space must be registered and pay a co-exhibitor fee. This can be a cost-effective option for smaller brands or companies wanting to split a larger footprint. Check with NACS directly on current co-exhibitor policies, as the rules and fees can change year to year.
Why Brands Trust Us at the NACS Show?
Exhibiting at the NACS Show isn’t like exhibiting at a general trade show. The convenience retail industry has its own language, its own buying cycles, and its own operational realities. Your booth needs to work for an audience that thinks in terms of store sets, planogram compliance, category management, gross margin per square foot, and speed-to-shelf. They’re evaluating your product’s performance potential in a 3,000-square-foot store where every inch of shelf space has to earn its place.
If you’re a foodservice exhibitor at NACS, the stakes are even more specific. Your demo setup needs to replicate real store conditions: grab-and-go cases that maintain proper temperature, self-serve stations that meet health code requirements, prep areas with appropriate ventilation and waste management. The retailers walking your booth have operated food programs in their stores. They know what works in a real convenience environment and what looks good only in a trade show setting.
At NPARALLEL + Atomic Props, we don’t just build attractive booths. We build exhibits that function the way your products need to be experienced. Our in-house fabrication team builds working kitchen environments, product display systems designed around retail merchandising standards, and interactive technology integrations that let buyers engage with your products the way their customers will. Our 160,000-square-foot facility handles everything from structural steel and CNC-cut fixtures to large-format graphics and precision electronics integration, which means we can build what other exhibit companies have to outsource.
Ready to Create Impact at NACS 2026?
The brands that win at NACS don’t just show up. They show up prepared, differentiated, and aligned.
If you’re planning your next exhibit at the NACS Show in Las Vegas, let’s create something that turns traffic into traction and conversations into measurable growth.
No matter the scope, we turn creative visions into reality and unite brands with the hearts and minds of their audience.
We’ve got you.