Special Events
You are also required to check-in for each special event at the special event desk the morning of your selected activity to secure your spot. If you do not check-in at least 10 minutes prior to bus departure time, you forfeit your place to an attendee on the wait list.
Click here for more information on the CRU special events.
Wild Florida: Everglades Boat Ride and Explore Wildlife Park (retailers only)
Location: Departure from Panzacola Ballroom G1, F1-2 PrefunctionTake this one-of-a-kind opportunity to get a closer look at alligators and other exotic wildlife as you glide through the Florida Everglades, 4,200 acres of untouched nature preserve, on an exclusive airboat. Following the boat ride, stroll through the wildlife park where you can see lemurs, sloths, zebras and more.
7:30am - 8:00am | Check-in and Breakfast |
8:00am | Bus Departure |
9:00am | Everglades Airboat Tour |
9:30am | Gator Demo |
10:00am | Explore Wildlife Park on your own |
11:15am | Bus Departure |
12:00pm | Arrive to Rosen Shingle Creek |
Store Tours (retailers only)
What better way to see the latest innovations in c-store design and merchandising than to visit the stores themselves? CRU’s Store Tours Program takes attendees along on a curated agenda of store visits to see what some of the area’s top operators are doing. Participants will view strategies in action within key categories and experience signature features of each location. The consumer and retail space is evolving rapidly, and you can’t afford to miss out on this competitive learning opportunity.
8:00am - 8:30am | Check-in and Breakfast |
8:30am | Departure |
8:30am - 11:30am | Store Tours |
12:00pm | Arrive to Rosen Shingle Creek |
Disruption Watch
Location: Suwannee 11Consumers are shopping online more and driving less. Automakers and technology companies alike are pouring money into self-driving cars and alternative fuels. Convenience itself is being redefined as consumers increasingly spend time staring at their mobile devices instead of each other. What do these changes mean for convenience? Cut through the noise for a series of can’t-miss conversations on trends that matter with Jackson Lewis, CSP’s resident expert on disruption, together with revealing consumer insights and retailer data courtesy of Incisiv, to learn how to avoid being left behind in today’s ever-changing times.
8:30am - 9:00am | Check-in and Breakfast |
9:00am - 9:45am | Session 1: Technomic |
9:45am - 10:30am | Session 2: Shopper Expectations You Can't Ignore |
10:30am - 11:00am | Networking Break |
11:00am - 12:00pm | Session 3: Panel Discussion - Adjusting to Disruption |
Editor, Convenience Group
Winsight, LLC
Chief Insights Officer
Incisiv
President
HJB Convenience, dba Russell's Express
Session 1: Frictionless Shopping: Future of Retail?
Amazon Go was only the beginning. The very idea of the point-of-sale is quickly becoming obsolete as Skip Checkout, Zippin, Standard Market and others follow the explosive growth of no-checkout technology. Join CSP’s technology editor Jackson Lewis, one of the first in the industry to experience Amazon Go, for a conversation on frictionless shopping and what it means for the future of retail.
Editor, Convenience Group | Speaker
Winsight, LLC
Session 2: Shopper Expectations You Can't Ignore
These days, your competition goes beyond the corner store across the street. Mobile-based services spanning from Uber to Netflix are reshaping consumer expectations across industries. No matter what your gut tells you, backing business decisions with intelligently sourced and collated data is imperative in today’s ever-changing retail landscape. That’s where leading insights firm and executive network Incisiv can help. Incisiv’s custom research benchmarks digital performance across all consumer industries, and Gaurav Pant, chief insights officer at Incisiv, will lead a CRU-exclusive session on a host of important insights and unique analysis. This must-see session will draw data from 6,500 U.S. shoppers across categories, including food, drug and convenience, in addition to more than 50 c-store retailers, 100 retailers across formats and 150 consumer industry startups. Don’t miss this exclusive chance to get the inside scoop on where your stores stand in today’s crowded retail field.
Chief Insights Officer | Speaker
Incisiv
Session 3: Panel Discussion - Adjusting to Disruption
Learn from other business owners on the front lines of the disruption wars in this retailer panel on changes in consumer behavior and how convenience stores can keep up with their ever-changing customer base.
Editor, Convenience Group | Moderator
Winsight, LLC
Founder and CEO
Choice Market
President
HJB Convenience, dba Russell's Express
Chief Insights Officer
Incisiv
Opening General Session
Location: Panzacola Ballroom G1 & F1-2E-commerce, delivery, alternative fuels, competition – these and other market forces are pushing the industry in new directions, but the primary disruptor is consumers’ evolving definition of convenience. The very foundation of this industry is shifting, presenting both threats and opportunities for c-store retailers and their supplier partners. Join Technomic’s Donna Hood Crecca to explore what “convenience” means today, who’s winning and the implications for c-store offerings, amenities and prospects for future growth.
Principal
Technomic
We tend to think about “the future” as something programmed by experts and engineers. In this keynote, futurist and innovation expert Ari Wallach rejects “the official future” that we’ve been handed. He argues that all of us can take action to actively build the futures that we desire for ourselves, our organizations, and society at-large. But to do so, we need to think strategically about the transformational shifts that are shaping tomorrow’s world.
Wallach gives us a view of the 21 megatrends affecting the futures of politics, sociology, the environment, arts, religion, and much more. More important, he helps shift our thinking to engage the futures actively, with empathy for coming generations in our communities, companies, and the world. To stay competitive, leaders need to broaden the framework of what they do, and how and why they do it. Wallach’s talk is invaluable for any purpose-driven organization that wants to adapt, stay relevant, and build accountability and empathy within the transforming communities and markets of tomorrow.
Founder and Executive Director
Longpath Labs
Product Gallery
Location: Panzacola Ballroom G2 & F3-4Be sure to join us for the Grand Opening of the Product Gallery! This is the focal point of our sponsor and retailer interface, set within a real life functioning convenience store environment while enjoying fabulous food in a setting unique to our events. There is no better way to engage with people and products then to network and discuss building business. Use this opportunity to schedule time to meet with fellow attendees!