Tuesday, February 26 7:00am – 3:30pm

Product Gallery Sponsor Set-up

Location: Panzacola Ballroom G2 & F3-4
Tuesday, February 26 7:00am – 7:00pm

Registration & Information Desk

Location: Panzacola Registration
Presented By:
Altria Group Distribution Company
McLane Company, Inc.
Tyson Convenience
Tuesday, February 26 7:30am – 9:00am

Networking Breakfast

Location: Panzacola Ballroom Prefunction (nearest to outdoor Bus Loop)
Tuesday, February 26 7:30am – 12:00pm

Special Events

Every activity within the CRU agenda is an opportunity to expand your professional network. Whichever Special Event option you choose, you'll be surrounded by the industry's best and brightest. Don't miss this opportunity to meet new friends, chat with old ones and, most importantly, have fun leading up to a terrific conference experience. Approximately 8-10 weeks prior to the conference, guests will receive an invitation to register for the outing of their choice. Please be aware that capacity is limited and excursions will be available on a first-come, first-served basis; pre-registration will be required for each activity.

 

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.

Tuesday, February 26 7:30am – 12:00pm

Wild Florida: Everglades Boat Ride and Explore Wildlife Park (retailers only)

Location: Departure from Panzacola Ballroom G1, F1-2 Prefunction

Take 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
8:00amBus Departure
9:00amEverglades Airboat Tour
9:30amGator Demo
10:00amExplore Wildlife Park on your own
11:15amBus Departure
12:00pmArrive to Rosen Shingle Creek
Presented By:
Nestlé Waters North America
Tuesday, February 26 8:00am – 12:00pm

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 - 8:30amCheck-in and Breakfast
8:30am Departure
8:30am - 11:30amStore Tours
12:00pmArrive to Rosen Shingle Creek
Presented By:
Tyson Convenience
Tuesday, February 26 8:30am – 12:00pm

Disruption Watch

Location: Suwannee 11

Consumers 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 - 9:00amCheck-in and Breakfast
9:00am - 9:45amSession 1: Technomic
9:45am - 10:30amSession 2: Shopper Expectations You Can't Ignore
10:30am - 11:00amNetworking Break
11:00am - 12:00pmSession 3: Panel Discussion - Adjusting to Disruption
Speakers:

Editor, Convenience Group
Winsight, LLC

Chief Insights Officer
Incisiv

President
HJB Convenience, dba Russell's Express

Tuesday, February 26 9:00am – 9:45am

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.

Speakers:

Editor, Convenience Group | Speaker
Winsight, LLC

Tuesday, February 26 9:45am – 10:30am

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.

Speakers:

Chief Insights Officer | Speaker
Incisiv

Tuesday, February 26 11:00am – 12:00pm

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.

Speakers:

Editor, Convenience Group | Moderator
Winsight, LLC

Founder and CEO
Choice Market

President
HJB Convenience, dba Russell's Express

Chief Insights Officer
Incisiv

Tuesday, February 26 12:00pm – 1:30pm

Networking Lunch

Location: Panzacola Ballroom H 3-4
Presented By:
Epson
Tuesday, February 26 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Refresh, Relax and Rejuvenate

Tuesday, February 26 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Opening General Session

Location: Panzacola Ballroom G1 & F1-2
Convenience Re-Defined

E-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.

Speakers:

Principal
Technomic

Presented By:
McLane Company, Inc.
21 Megatrends: Transformational Shifts Shaping Our Futures

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.

Speakers:

Founder and Executive Director
Longpath Labs

Presented By:
Tyson Convenience
Tuesday, February 26 5:00pm – 7:00pm

Product Gallery

Location: Panzacola Ballroom G2 & F3-4

Be 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!

Presented By:
Food Concepts, Inc.
Networking Reception
Location: C-Store Product Gallery
Presented By:
Altria Group Distribution Company
Meet and Greet for Ari Wallach
Location: C-Store Product Gallery (Panzacola Ballroom G2 & F3-4)
Presented By:
Tyson Convenience
Tuesday, February 26 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Dinner on Your Own