Innovation and Emerging Issues Takes the Spotlight at The NGA Show

Trumbull, CT – The NGA Show, the premier tradeshow of the independent supermarket industry, will showcase more than 60 educational sessions and more than 100 speakers, covering a wide array of emerging and top of mind issues facing the food retailing industry during its three-day, flagship conference held February 23 – 26 in San Diego, CA. For more information on The NGA Show and the education program, visit this page.

“Change is occurring in our industry at a rapid pace, and independents need to continue to keep their finger on the pulse of the shifts occurring in the food retailing industry and with consumers,” said Greg Ferrara, NGA president and CEO.  “We’re excited to release the preliminary agenda for The NGA Show that captures current issues and future trends that should be on top of mind for independent grocers and wholesalers.”

The conference will feature 11 workshop tracks offering a more in-depth look into specific hot topics. These tracks include Omnichannel Marketing, Store of the Future, Compliance, Tech Trends, Focus on Fresh, Operating for Excellence, Foodservice, Strategies for Competing, E-Commerce, People Development, and Center Store.

The event will kick off on Sunday, February 23 from 1:30pm – 4:00pm with presentation from the Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART) titled Independent Retail: What it takes to Thrive in the Age of ‘i’ that will review the top technology trends impacting retail over the next several years and explore how retailers can position themselves for success, including developing a clear strategy, putting together a roadmap, and creating a culture of innovation in this new age of retail.

On Monday, February 24, NGA President and CEO Greg Ferrara will be joined by a group of next generation, young executive retailers to discuss how these emerging leaders are adapting to major changes, such as a millennial-oriented workforce, shifting shopper demographics and the changing role of the physical store, during the Super Breakfast Session titled Future Industry Leaders – Expectations, Insights and Plans.  Tuesday’s Super Breakfast Session will once again highlight winners from the Creative Choice Awards, which honors and recognizes the best marketing and merchandising programs in the grocery industry.
 
The NGA Show will also offer attendees an opportunity to view new products and service suppliers on the EXPO floor with more than 400 exhibitors, and engage in various networking opportunities, such as the Best Bagger Championship, the student mentoring programs, and the Closing Celebration.

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The NGA Show has been the place where independent grocers gather for over 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 UX 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.

The National Grocers Association (NGA) is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale 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 close to one percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating $131 billion in sales, 944,000 jobs, $30 billion in wages, and $27 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers, state grocers’ associations, as well as manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.

Clarion UX (www.clarionux.com) produces 37 events across 13 sectors of both trade and consumer events.  Clarion UX, which is the U.S. division of Clarion Events, UK, and backed by The Blackstone Group has become one of the fastest growing event companies in the U.S. with aggressive growth through both acquisition and launch.  Clarion acquired PennWell in early 2018, bringing 4 Tradeshow 200 events into the U.S. portfolio and super-charging the already rapid growth.  Clarion UX has offices in Trumbull, CT; Kennesaw, GA; Boca Raton, FL; Tacoma, WA, Tulsa, OK and Fairlawn, NJ. www.clarionux.com