Washington, D.C. – With more than 30 educational workshops and sessions led by a lengthy roster of industry experts, the 2024 NGA Show offers highly specialized content designed specifically for independent grocers.
Hosted by the National Grocers Association and Clarion Events, the 2024 NGA Show is scheduled for March 10-12 at Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas.
“The education sessions at The NGA Show are part of a diverse industry curriculum ranging from marketing and merchandising to operations and technology to human resources and finance,” said Greg Ferrara, NGA president and CEO. “The show is a chance to work on your business and an opportunity to recharge and get inspired by the many expert-driven educational opportunities. Combined with content offered by the co-located IGA Rally and Indoor Ag-Con, the NGA Show lineup makes for a formidable agenda of actionable insights designed to propel your business forward.”
Here’s just a glimpse of the wealth of knowledge in store for attendees of the 2024 NGA Show (a complete listing of sessions and speakers can be found at www.theNGAshow.com):
Technology: The Technology Summit returns with an all-new lineup of innovators illustrating how tech can streamline retail operations and take friction out of the customer experience. The summit will offer a broad look at topics like personalizing shopper connections, tech’s impact on marketing and merchandising, plus the release of a new exclusive consumer survey by Acosta Group and MorningNewsBeat. Throughout the show, breakout sessions will focus on multiple aspects of artificial intelligence, in-store tech and ecommerce, including Online SNAP.
Finance: FMS Solutions returns with its Financial Symposium, looking at the impact of supply shortages, diminished labor force, margin tightening and inflation. Sessions will look at profit improvement, exit strategies and environmental programs for your business.
Retail Strategy: Todd Hale, a shopper insights consultant whose decades of experience include 30 years at Nielsen, will deliver “U.S. Retail Hot Buttons: Driving Change and Growth in Retail.” Hale’s presentation, sponsored by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, will include real-life examples of how companies are driving growth.
Operations: Sessions in this track will focus on navigating new regulations regarding refrigeration, strategic succession planning, coping with traceability regulations, reducing theft at the front end, training for retention, and strategies for reducing shrink. Additionally, NGA’s government relations team will provide a regulatory and policy update. Plus, a gathering of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) grocery entrepreneurs will share their insights on how to leverage cultural diversity as a competitive advantage.
Omnichannel Marketing: These sessions will delve into tapping retail media networks, crafting cohesive marketing strategies, boosting baskets with digital promotions, and harnessing the power of AI.
Merchandising: This wide-ranging track will explore international food sales, the fundamentals of driving units and value, electronic shelf labels, trends in deli and dairy, the power of store brands, and leveraging sustainability.
Fresh Foods: These sessions will focus on growing sales in key fresh departments such as meat and produce.
People Development: Human resources topics include trends in health insurance and retirement funds, as well as strategies to improve retention.
Kicking off the program on Sunday, March 10, sponsored by KraftHeinz, is the opening keynote speaker, Carla Hall, a dynamic chef, entrepreneur and leader. Hall has appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” ABC’s Emmy-winning lifestyle series “The Chew” and the Food Network show “Thanksgiving, Holiday and Halloween Baking Championships,” and is the author of the best-selling cookbook, “Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration.”
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The NGA Show has been the place where independent grocers gather for more than 30 years, 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.
About Clarion Events
Clarion Events (US.ClarionEvents.com) operates over 180 events in 50 countries from 15 offices in the U.K., U.S., South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. Clarion can trace its roots back to 1947 and takes great pride in being one of the oldest independent event organizers in the U.K. More recently, the firm has developed an international portfolio of brands and now has interests in a number of global vertical industries including energy, security and defense, hospitality, electronics, technology, fashion, retail, gaming and marketing. The teams at Clarion create uniquely effective and stimulating environments that can serve as a platform to build businesses, enhance customer relationships and accelerate product awareness.
About NGA
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.
