IGA Celebrates 100 Years with Centennial Global Rally & Awards Gala in Atlanta

CHICAGO, IL — The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has opened registration for the IGA Centennial Global Rally & Awards Gala, a three-day celebration marking 100 years of independent grocers, their wholesalers, and the Red Oval manufacturing partners and service providers who support them, taking place September 17-19, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Centennial Global Rally will bring together IGA retailers, suppliers, and partners from around the world for a milestone celebration of the independent grocery model that has defined IGA since its founding a century ago. The event culminates in the IGA Centennial Awards of Excellence Gala, honoring the retailers who have shaped the alliance’s first 100 years.

“One hundred years ago, a group of independent grocers came together because they knew they were stronger united than alone. That spirit is exactly what we’re celebrating in Atlanta,” said IGA CEO John Ross. “This Rally is our chance to thank the retailers, partners, and communities who have carried that mission forward for a century—and to set the course for the next hundred years.”

All events are included with registration, allowing attendees to take part in as many—or as few—activities as they choose.

Friday’s business program brings together retail leaders, futurists, and analysts for a full day of insight aimed at helping independent grocers compete and grow, including:

In “The State of IGA: A New Era for Independent Grocers,” John Ross, President & CEO, IGA, Inc., opens the program with a look at IGA’s founding vision and the case for why the independent model is positioned to thrive in grocery’s next era.

Kasey Lobaugh, Chief Futurist, Deloitte Consumer Industry, will discuss “The Forces Changing Our World: Demographics, Data & Global Trends.”

We are living through a once-in-a-century transition — an unprecedented convergence of change happening all at once, not one at a time. Deloitte’s Chief Futurist Kasey Lobaugh unpacks six powerful forces reshaping how businesses compete, operate, and win: shifting consumer behavior, evolving society and culture, exponential advances in technology, industry-wide upheaval, energy and climate pressures, and a shifting regulatory landscape. Drawing on Deloitte’s landmark research, Kasey shows how these forces interact and compound, and what it will take to stay ahead as they reshape the ground beneath every industry, including grocery.

John Ross welcomes a special guest for “Feeding the City,” a conversation on food insecurity, community partnership, and how independent grocers and city leadership can work together to bring fresh, affordable food to underserved neighborhoods.

The show also includes an IGA International Retailer of the Year Panel. Past honorees share their perspective on where the shopper is headed next.

The View from the Top: IGA Inc. Board Members on the Future of Independent Retail. Moderated by John Ross, members of the IGA Inc. Board of Directors discuss where independent grocery is headed over the next decade.igarally.com

Registration closes August 19, and hotel accommodations at the Signia Hotel are part of a limited room block. Full event details, the complete agenda, and hotel booking information are available at igarally.com

About IGA

The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) was founded in 1926, bringing together independent grocers across the United States to ensure that the trusted, family-owned local grocery store remained strong in the face of growing chain competition. IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of over $43 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 7,500 stores globally, with operations in 46 of the United States and over 25 countries.