As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, C-Store leaders prepare to face an unrelenting and continuously shifting landscape to scale and grow business. Today, change knows no boundaries, no borders, and no breaks. The impact of this can be felt as individuals’ fatigue under the weight of extreme ambiguity.

Seth will dissect how world-class firms, leaders, and sales producers are meeting the elevated expectations of more sophisticated and demanding customers by demonstrating an entirely new set of relationship competencies and intelligence gathering skills required to compete and win business in this new complex and competitive environment.

After hearing from Seth Mattison, we’ll break into tables and work together on real solving the top questions, concerns or issues facing labor challenges in our industries. Seth will be helping facilitate the discussion as he spends time with each group to work together as an industry. Ultimately, helping to bring real time actionable ideas to take back to your teams through peer to peer ideas!

Pivoting from the successive pain of Covid and historic inflation, consumers are back in full force and expecting the c-store sector to reward them, from more intuitive loyalty programs to better offerings to a superior shopping experience. Are you equipped to meet this challenge?

Supply chain instabilities are easing, but both global and domestic systems are not yet in a steady state. Hear from two industry leaders who will explain the power of strategic partnerships to manage continued supply chain disruptions, and prepare for future challenges and opportunities.

Fierce competition means consumers face tough decisions when it comes to dining out. How can c-store operators attract new consumers, increase customer retention, and innovate with brands? During this forum, we’ll discuss how chains like Dash-In Food Stores have become a sought-out destination by pioneering on the culinary front. We’ll also discuss how operators can leverage familiar products & trends to differentiate themselves from competitors outside of our channel. 

Convenience stores are quickly evolving alongside consumer needs and demands to provide services that are on point with advancing technology, increased convenience and elevated experiences. Join Punchh and the popular c-store brand Casey’s, as they dive into the most prevalent and exciting trends determining the future of where the convenience store industry is headed today.

Climate change is driving the global conversation, and a shift in the fuel marketplace is inevitable. EVs are coming, but liquid fuels are here today. Improving your liquid fuel offerings can reduce your carbon footprint and give fuel retailers a competitive advantage.

Visit a family-owned and operated 2,500-acre estate beginning back in 1989 and still cultivating over
50 varieties of citrus. Enjoy a 4x4 monster truck tour through native woodlands and grove lands, pick citrus, and get to feed the onsite farm animals in their onsite petting farm.

1:45pm - 2:15pm, Check-in (located in the Tour Lobby)
2:15pm, Bus Departure
2:15pm - 5:00pm, Tour
5:30pm, Arrive at JW Marriott 

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. 

1:45pm - 2:15pm, Check-in (located in the Tour Lobby)
2:15pm, Bus Departure
2:15pm - 5:00pm, Tour
5:30pm, Arrive at JW Marriott 

Ever wondered what the process is to make your favorite libations? This incredible exclusive tour offers a look behind the glass at one of Orlando’s local distilleries. This brewing process is monitored under the close personal attention of an award-winning experienced brewmaster to ensure the vision is reached batch after batch using traditional brewing methods and cutting-edge brewing practices. The brewery has an onsite tap and tasting room featuring flagship brands in addition to many seasonal and limited editions. 

1:45pm - 2:15pm, Check-in (located in the Tour Lobby)
2:15pm, Bus Departure
2:15pm - 5:00pm, Tour
5:30pm, Arrive at JW Marriott 

If you like being up close with nature, this is the experience for you. Certified guides lead you down Shingle Creek, the headwaters of the Everglades, into a lush cypress forest. Traveling the waters by kayak offers rare opportunities to view native wildlife up close, including turtles, birds of prey, otters and even an alligator or two. 

2:00pm - 2:30pm, Check-in (located in the Tour Lobby)
2:30pm, Bus Departure 
2:30pm - 5:00pm, Kayaking tour
5:30pm, Arrive at JW Marriott 

We all love a little vino, but do you know how to identify and properly select the right wines for each meal? Take a journey with our expert as you learn what ingredients are in wine and how to properly read the label; properly select the right glass for the best taste for the wine selected; discover the proper temperatures to serve that wine and some helpful food and wine pairings that are sure to make you sound like an expert at your next dinner event. Led by our Sommelier, guests will experience a progressive wine flight of four wines paired with cheeses.

2:00pm – 5:30pm
2:00pm – 2:15pm, Check-in
2:15pm, Departure (Onsite at JW Marriott Bonnet Creek) 
2:30pm – 5:30pm, Wine Tasting Experience 

If you're looking for something to do at the hotel, head up to the 6th floor where you can play a 9 hole mini course. An attendant will greet you in the Conservatory Lounge to assist you with golf clubs and putters before you play a round of golf overlooking the Bonnet Creek Preserve and Orlando cityscape.

Ideation is important, but what programs are implemented into the stores is an imperative decision. Jason Read (Wawa) and Jessica Williams (Food Forward Thinking LLC) take us through key approaches on foodservice programs and the decision-making process. Does a program make sense for all stores, or a select few? What will be Grab and Go vs. Made to Order? Discuss the operation challenges that drive research and design. See some of the Next Generation Beverages that are hitting the market. Walk away with the tools you need to say ‘Create’ or ‘Reject’ with your team.

Review current trends within packaged beverages & the cold vault. Bonnie will share some of the takeaways from Goldman Sachs proprietary Beverage Bytes retailer and distributor surveys. Learn about the strategies the large beverage companies are taking regarding innovation, pricing, etc.

Cowen’s Vivien Azer will discuss current trends and her outlook for the U.S. tobacco, alcoholic beverage and cannabis categories, including the role of innovation and regulation in tobacco, evolving trends and preferences in alcoholic beverages, and the interaction between cannabis and alcohol (in particular among younger, legal age consumers)

The triple threat of the category declining over the past 4 years: COVID, increase in remote working, and changing taste profile from Gens Y & Z - have expedited the downfall of the Dispensed Beverage Category which had a long history of being a “cash cow” for the convenience store channel.  In this session, we will explore creative strategies to revitalize this category, and reposition its role to a “trip driver.”

Have you been thinking about creating a frictionless check-out experience for your guests?  During this session, you will hear the pros and cons from a Convenience Retailer that has Implemented Self-Checkout.  While there has been some successes, there have been key challenges and learnings that they will share in this interactive session.

No matter what the category, we're all feeling the disruption supply chain is causing. Two center store retailers discuss the ways they're navigating the challenges of contract compliance and incentives when you can’t get product, using your backoffice data for your advantage, and how you can look towards the future.

It was one year ago when Russia invaded Ukraine and gas prices surged to $5/gl. From pricing volatility to the rise of electric charging to bipartisan efforts to make E15 legal year-round, the forecourt has never been so chaotic. How do we bring stability amidst uncertainty? How do we balance profitability with greater sustainability?

In this conversational session, Casey’s Fuel Category Manager Sarah Blodgett navigates an approach that blends market sensibilities with new opportunities, maximizing cents-per-margin, while foreseeing new technologies.

Foodservice has grown in the last few years! Hear this year's CMOY nominees talk about unique challenges, new innovations, and more! 

These CMOYs know what's happening when it comes to packaged beverages! Watch the dynamic panel comprised of Non-Alcoholic & Alcoholic Beverages CMOY finalists as they chat all things C-Store Packaged Beverages. 

New things are happening every day in Behind the Counter. These CMOYs  break down the current trends and challenges they've faced this year and talk what's to come! 

"Pour me a cold one!" or a warm one...anything's possible in the C-Store! This year's CMOY finalists talk all about Hot and Cold Dispensed Beverage. 

There's so much crossover between General Merch and Center Store. Stephanie Reeder and Anne Johnson take this opportunity to chat with Winsight's Carol Valora and create a group discussion. 

Snacks and Candy and GM and HBC...oh my! Center Store has grown and changed in the last few years. Hear how this year's CMOY finalists have worked to meet customer demand while incorporating new trends! 

Fuels and EV are a hot topic this year! From costs to new regulations, it seems like something new is always happening. This panel of CMOY finalists sit down to discuss the challenges and changes from the past year! 

Nothing goes better with chats than a good snack. Which is why we're bringing the two together! Connect with other attendees, make new friends, and discuss hot topics in the industry!

Hemingway famously said, "Wine is the most civilized thing in the world." So be it wine or your favorite beverage, join us to think, drink, and connect with each other!

The glitterati of CRU will be found at the Cocktails Reception before the Awards Ceremony! Come for a few drinks, and some tantalizing appetizers before dinner! Hob nob with attendees, CMOY finalists, KISS and Tina Turner impersonators, and more! And YES, dressing as a rocker is encouraged! Cheers!

Join us as we honor the rock stars of category management in CSP’s 8th annual Category Manager of the Year Awards. The CMOY awards honor category managers who are pushing the convenience-store industry forward. All attendees are welcome to join us for a plated 3-course dinner while we recognize c-store professionals from across the industry in eight major product categories. Come raise a glass with us in honor of all the nominees!

We’ve celebrated this year’s CMOY nominees and winners, don’t stop now! Let’s continue the party with Rock-n-Roll Karaoke. Join American rock guitarist Billy Morris, from Warrant and Quiet Riot, and sing onstage with your peers hits from the decades! And yes, dressing in your favorite decade is encouraged!

Amidst national inflation and supply disruptions, getting customers to buy more when wallets are pinched has never been harder. How do we woo consumers to spend more with us, to purchase that extra pack of gum, bag of chips, tobacco product or 20oz soft drink? Hear how leading category managers are integrating planogramming creativity, teamwork, data analytics, technology, and loyalty programs to grow their baskets by getting shoppers to spend more than originally planned. 

Labor and hiring has always been a challenge for c-stores. It’s become especially tricky since the start of the pandemic, testing every convenience-store employer. But convenience retailers have developed strategies to overcome these issues with initiatives ranging from providing referral bonuses, 4-day work weeks and wage increases to cutting down on onboarding time and embracing employees’ cultural values. CSP’s Steve Holtz sits down with 3 c-store HR reps to talk through how they’ve strived to make a difference in their stores.