Pepperoni pizza drizzled with hot honey? Kraft Cheesy Ramen? These and other trending flavors, along with tech and services, captivated attendees at the National Association of Convenience stores (NACS), which returned to the Las Vegas Convention Center Oct. 6-9, bringing together over 1,100 exhibitors and over 24,000 convenience and fuel retailing professionals.
Here’s how brands leveraged a B2C-grade experiential approach at a legacy show floor to get retailers excited about their products and services.
Hershey
The upcoming “Hershey” feature film, coming this November, was the star of the brand’s sprawling exhibit. Attendees could “take a bite out” of the iconic candy bar at the photo activation or get a wrapper personalized with their favorite picture at the “That’s a Wrap! Pick Up Happiness Here” activation, walking away with their own piece of Hershey history. (Exhibit Partner: MC2)
Kraft Heinz
The Kool-Aid Man and a Wienermobile welcomed attendees to the Kraft Heinz exhibit, which invited them to “Fuel Up on Flavor” with a lineup of the newest products. From hot dogs to cheesy ramen, samples were served on one side of the walkthrough, while refrigerator walls showcased packaged products on the other.
“Our biggest goal for this show was making it relatable for C-stores. We service restaurants and grocery, so because we represent both sides of the business, we wanted to bring it together with a holistic approach,” says Marit Kruger, senior planning and sales manager at Kraft Heinz. (Exhibit Partner: Encore)
Electrify America
Electrify America’s exhibit goal was to help C-store retailers see how to build, operate and grow a branded charging network with confidence. For that, the company recreated the experience of having EV charging stations to a T.
“We wanted the retailers to visualize exactly what it would be like to have these chargers in their parking lot and how it would be part of their customer experience,” says Misti Murphey, director of marketing at Electrify America.
From custom-wrapped chargers to landscaping to a “Charge On” storefront serving coffee and snacks, each detail brought this concept to life. The exhibit was part of an integrated marketing campaign that also included LinkedIn ads, Uber ads in Las Vegas and pre-booked meetings, among other components.
The team measures engagement across all these touchpoints, including QR scans at the booth, and tracks conversations to make real-time strategy adjustments to meet their KPIs. (Exhibit Partner: Exhibit Works)
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C4 Energy
Anchored by the “Innovation Station,” where attendees could sip nostalgic Cereal Killer flavors or get pumped up with a 300-mg-caffeine C4 Ultimate, C4’s exhibit showcased how the brand is expanding beyond its traditional athlete-centric roots and into a broader active lifestyle.
The exhibit was part of larger experiential campaign, with over 1 million cans given away over the summer at activation locations ranging from races to festivals and surf competitions.
“We want to make sure we show up where our community is, moving toward the athleisure active lifestyle that takes us out of just the gym and sporting events to these other cultural moments,” says Marquel Carter, vice president of local integrated marketing at C4 Energy.
In the fall, the action shifts to college campuses, where students can sample the new All Hopped Up, a beer-flavored drink for younger consumers who may want an alternative to alcohol.
Monster Energy
High-octane attitude ruled Monster Energy’s exhibit, designed to turn up the volume on the brand’s expanding portfolio and product innovation. Circular bar in the middle, product vignettes on the sides, celebrity meet-and-greets against the back wall LED screen—all action all the time.
Our favorite activation was tucked on the side: Monster drinks starring in a dirty soda bar, served by a robot bartender. (Exhibit partner: EDE)
Verifone
“Our concept is that your site is always on, which is our core promise,” says Amy Tennison, vice president of North America petro and partner marketing at Verifone. “So with our booth, we’re playing up this idea of light. You’ll see it in the LED lights, our rebranded Cafe, even our giveaways—LED hats and lanyards—are about never going dark.”
To experience the new Commander foodservice sub-brand, attendees could order drinks at the cafe through a touch kiosk, while demos around the booth showcased other solutions. Measurement included tracking meetings, SMS campaign opt-ins, rebate campaign opt-ins, and the “Your Voice Matters” NPS survey. (Exhibit Partner: MC2)
Barebells Candy
Barebells invited attendees into a retro-inspired convenience store dubbed the Barebells Mini Mart, blending the brand’s unique Swedish aesthetic with vintage-style signage. Once inside, attendees could sample their way through the expanding portfolio in the environment where they were meant to be discovered and purchased.
An enclosed environment captured attendees’ full attention, delivering anticipation and engagement.
Spindrift
Spindrift leaned into “a chic roadside farmstand” aesthetic, augmented by deep green and wood tones, warm lighting, and real fruit. Two sampling bars offered sips. Attendees are consumers, and therefore biased, and it was hard not to stop by and breathe out.
Sally Denapoli, senior manager of design at Spindrift told us: “Our booth stands out because of the refreshing change of pace and aesthetics on a very loud floor. We wanted it to be minimal and clean, like our products, and let them speak for themselves.” (Exhibit partner: Good Time Creative)
Have a story idea? Want us to cover your booth? Reach out to EM’s editor-at-large Anna Huddleston.
