NACS Show Exhibitor Guide 2026

Updated September 7, 2026.

Your first NACS Show booth has to help a convenience-store buyer see where your product fits, try it, and discuss how to buy or use it. That becomes difficult when the counter, samples, refrigerator, and sales team all compete for the same small space. This NACS Show exhibitor guide explains the 2026 booth options, costs, sampling requirements, and preparations that shape a workable exhibit.

There is an immediate booking issue: NACS currently lists every section of the New Exhibitor Area as sold out. If your company is still looking for space, contact NACS about the waitlist before committing to booth production. If your space is confirmed, concentrate on the service orders and approvals below. New Exhibitor Area availability.

NACS Show 2026 Dates and Expo Hours

The 2026 NACS Show takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The convention runs October 6–9; the expo runs October 7–9 in the North and Central Halls. October 6 is therefore part of the convention, but not a regular expo day. 2026 event details; exhibit hall information.

Times are local to Las Vegas, from the official schedule. For a booth in the New Exhibitor Area, the earlier opening on Wednesday and Thursday changes the staffing plan: your samples, equipment, and salespeople need to be ready before the rest of the expo opens.

Is NACS the Right Show for Your Product?

The NACS Show is organized by NACS, the National Association of Convenience Stores, for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. Its expo covers in-store merchandise, foodservice, technology, facility operations, and fuel equipment and services. That includes products a store sells and the equipment and systems it uses to operate. About the NACS Show.

For a packaged-food or beverage brand, the useful conversation goes beyond taste. Be ready to explain pack size, case quantity, shelf life, wholesale terms, and where a retailer can obtain the product. A buyer who likes a sample still needs a practical route to stocking it. If distribution is limited, name the regions you can actually serve.

An equipment or technology exhibitor needs a different demonstration. Show a store task: preparing a menu item, completing a transaction, or resolving an operating problem. Bring the information needed for the next decision, such as installation needs, system compatibility, service coverage, or a trial process. A presentation aimed mainly at factory production engineers may miss the store-level audience.

Your product-area assignment also matters. NACS says at least 60% of the displayed product must apply to the selected area. Review the official category definitions with your account manager when your range crosses several categories; the nearest available booth may not be in an area for which you qualify. Product areas and floor plan.

Applying for a Booth and the New Exhibitor Area

First-time status concerns the exhibiting company. Being new to the event-manager role does not necessarily make your company a new exhibitor. Establish its participation history and membership status with NACS before deciding which application route to use.

The published 2026 booth application guidance limits first-time exhibitors to a 10×10-foot booth. The New Exhibitor Area also has a 10×10 maximum and requires current NACS or PEI membership. If you believe your membership level or company circumstances allow a different arrangement, obtain written confirmation from your account manager before designing for a larger footprint. Booth application guidance; New Exhibitor Area requirements.

For the standard application, use the current NACS Show floor plan and offer several acceptable locations. NACS does not hold a booth while you prepare an application. Ask your account manager what can actually be assigned, then check the aisle opening, neighboring exhibits, and service locations before approving the layout. Membership alone does not secure space. Exhibitor booking FAQ.

A company still on the waitlist can prepare product dimensions, brand artwork, and a simple display brief. Keep fabrication and nonreturnable orders tied to a confirmed assignment. With only weeks remaining before the 2026 show, a plan that depends on an unconfirmed booth leaves little room to recover.

Once booked, use the Exhibitor Resource Center to reach the portal, service kit, and updates. Keep the confirmed booth number and hall on every supplier order, particularly if your location changes.

NACS Show Booth Costs and What to Budget

The published 2026 NACS/PEI member rate is US$39 per square foot, so a 10×10-foot space costs US$3,900. NACS supplier membership is separately listed at US$1,350 annually. If you are joining NACS for this route, those two items total US$5,250 before booth production or show services. This calculation uses NACS dues; it is not a PEI membership quote. Booth costs and membership.

For the 10×10 New Exhibitor Area space, the listed package includes back and side drape, a booth identification sign, a directory listing, and three booth-personnel badges. Floor covering is required and is your responsibility. Plan it into the booth order rather than assuming the exhibit hall’s aisle carpet covers your space. Included booth items.

Build the rest of the budget around the product you will actually demonstrate:

• Display and graphics: the structure, branded surfaces, counters, shelving, flooring, and furniture.
• Working demonstrations: electrical service and labor, internet, refrigeration, water or drainage where needed, and approved sampling arrangements.
• Freight and handling: transportation to Las Vegas, unloading and delivery within the show, storage, and outbound freight.
• Installation and dismantling: crew time, supervision, packing, and applicable overtime.
• People and buyer outreach: travel, accommodation, staffing, lead retrieval, and any optional promotional placements.

Ask the booth supplier to identify which items it orders, which it only coordinates, and which you pay directly. For example, renting a refrigerator and arranging the electrical service that keeps it running are separate questions. Resolve both before approving the display.

Planning Your Display, Samples, and Demonstrations

Make a 10×10 Booth Work for the Product

Give the booth one clear demonstration and enough room to discuss it. For a snack brand, that might mean a focused product display, a sampling counter, and accessible stock below it. Trying to display the entire range can leave the team reaching around boxes while a buyer waits.

Place the actual equipment footprints on the drawing. Include refrigerator door clearance, staff movement, waste collection, and any required handwashing station. When these items will not fit, reduce the display range or change the demonstration before adding more fixtures.

NACS applies cubic-content display rules to the New Exhibitor Area and line-of-sight rules to inline booths elsewhere. The latter protect views toward neighboring exhibitors. Have your designer check the rules for your assigned area before committing to tall side walls or shelving near the aisle. 2026 display-policy notice.

Decide How You Will Sample Food and Beverages

Opening a package and handing out portions changes what the booth needs. The current sampling guidance distinguishes manufacturer-sealed products from open food or beverage samples: open sampling requires the specified sanitation and handwashing provisions, while manufacturer-sealed products do not require the handwashing kit. Send Sodexo Live! the actual preparation and serving method when requesting approval. Sampling requirements.

Decide who replenishes stock, where used serving materials go, and how staff can wash their hands without blocking visitors. A display can look spacious in a rendering and become unusable once these everyday jobs begin.

Alcohol requires separate attention to approval, serving personnel, and shipping. Arrange those details with Sodexo Live! and Freeman before dispatch. Use the alcohol instructions in the current service kit rather than putting alcoholic samples into an ordinary advance-warehouse shipment. Alcohol and sampling instructions.

For hot-food demonstrations, send the equipment specifications and intended cooking process for review through the official service channels. Approval for handing out a packaged sample does not settle what is permitted for a live cooking setup.

Prepare Equipment and Software Demos Before Ordering Utilities

List each device, where it sits, and the power or connection it needs. A beverage machine, refrigerator, illuminated sign, and laptop may all be necessary to the same demonstration. Giving the service provider that list makes it possible to quote the complete setup.

For a software demo, identify the steps that require a live connection and prepare an offline explanation if connectivity fails. For equipment, let a visitor see the operating task without standing in a queue that blocks the aisle. NACS identifies Freeman, the venue’s catering provider, and other official contractors in its Exhibitor Service Kit; use those order routes to confirm who supplies and installs each service.

Shipping, Setup, and the Remaining 2026 Deadlines

Several planning dates have already passed. The dates below are the published 2026 checkpoints relevant to this guide, checked on September 7. Your dashboard and individual service orders may contain additional deadlines.

Sources: Freeman Quick Facts, sampling form, Cool New Products specifications, EAC submission details, and move-in guide.

Separate Booth Freight from Temperature-Controlled Products

Freeman’s 2026 advance warehouse does not provide refrigerated or frozen storage, and its instructions direct temperature-controlled shipments to the show site. Those shipments can be received at the venue beginning October 2, subject to the applicable instructions. The warehouse is also closed on September 7 for Labor Day. 2026 shipping information.

Your booth structure and your chilled samples may therefore travel on different schedules. Give each shipment a named receiver, the correct labels, and a plan for delivery to the booth. Include enough information for the team to distinguish display stock from products requiring immediate controlled storage.

Transportation gets the shipment to the receiving location; material handling covers the show’s handling services from there. Check both costs and arrange replenishment from storage where needed. A successful truck delivery does not, by itself, mean the sales team can access the samples.

Confirm the Contractor and Finish Before Opening Morning

An outside installation company is an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor, or EAC. NACS requires registration and insurance submission through both its process and the LVCC process. The 2026 requirements include at least US$1,000,000 in commercial general liability coverage and US$300,000 for damage to rented premises; have the contractor and insurance provider use the complete official requirements, including the named additional insured parties. EAC requirements.

Freight arrival is targeted by booth location. Match the carrier and installation schedule to the assigned move-in plan instead of treating the first receiving day as your own appointment.

The Wednesday morning access window is for product placement and food preparation, not unfinished booth construction. Arrange the booth handover early enough to test lighting, refrigeration, demonstrations, and access to stock before the Tuesday setup deadline. Move-in instructions.

Plan the return journey at the same time. Packing cannot begin before the expo closes at 1:30 p.m. on October 9, and empty containers may take hours to return. Have Freeman confirm the crew start time and carrier arrangements before booking your team’s departure. Move-out instructions.

Meeting Buyers and Following Up

Review the official NACS Show exhibitor list to see how businesses in your category are presented, then check your own listing for accuracy. Use your exhibitor listing to explain the product’s role in a convenience store. A buyer should be able to tell whether you offer a new shelf item, a foodservice program, or a store-operating solution without decoding a broad brand slogan. Give invited buyers a specific reason to visit: tasting a particular product, seeing a transaction workflow, or discussing a trial in their stores.

The optional Cool New Products Preview Room can help buyers discover a product and locate its booth. Its scanning system provides product details, booth numbers, and sales contacts. Consider it when a focused product display can communicate the offer without a salesperson standing beside it. How the Preview Room works.

For 2026, a product or service can qualify if it is new since October 17, 2025, or if it comes from a company new to the show that year. Check the separate display specifications and purchase arrangements before reserving space. 2026 eligibility and specifications.

At the booth, record what the buyer needs next along with the badge scan. For a food brand, that may be a distributor introduction, regional availability, or a sample shipment. For equipment, it may be a site review or technical discussion. Assign follow-up while the conversation is still fresh, so the next email answers the buyer’s question.

Frequently Asked Questions