It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

I don’t know about you, but I had a hard time pacing myself at this year’s NACS Show Expo.

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

November 2024   minute read

By Chrissy Blasinsky

The 2024 NACS Show broke an all-time attendance record, which IMHO means this industry is moving at the speed of light. There was so much to see this year—from celebrity sightings to new products—that it was impossible for one person to experience it all.

The one and only time I ran a marathon, the advice I got was “leave nothing in the tank.” I limped across the finish line, and if I had $20 on me, I would’ve hailed a taxicab at mile 19. I didn’t give up, thankfully, but that was the last marathon I ran … although this year’s NACS Show felt like my second.

It wasn’t a start-to-finish 26.2, but nonetheless I recorded over 68,000 steps from October 7-10—approximately 30 miles. Y’all are exhausting! But so incredibly worth it.

From A to Z, here’s a snapshot of what I saw at the Expo. 

Artificial intelligence:

I wasn’t sure how to visually capture AI, but it should go without saying that AI solutions are a reality.

Air

We all need it!

Beer caves

(model not included).

Beverages,

as in the evolution of the offer, like this probiotic refresher from Kevita.

Coffee:

canned, frozen, equipment—you name it.

Chicken,

we literally cannot get enough of it in our channel.

Dispensers

for cold dispensed beverages are starting to look more like bar taps.

Display cases

to show off all your delicious foods.

EV charging,

like this one from Wayne.

Freeze-dried candy,

or what I called “astronaut food” when I was a kid.

Games of skill,

like this one from Pace-O-Matic.

Gnocchi

prepared by Chef David Chang onstage at the closing General Session.

Heat,

from sauces to salsas and salty snacks.

Ideas

were literally everywhere, including the debut of Ideas 2 Go during the Day 2 General Session.

Juice—

as in pickle juice.

Kevin Hart,

just hanging out at the C4 booth.

Lemonhead—

looks like the confection born in 1962 is stepping into the future.

Mash-ups—

like the songs but with two brand names coming together for one delicious product.

Nicotine

pouches for those looking for an alternative.

Ovens,

like this beauty from Ovention.

Pickle everything—

this trend quickly stood out in the merchandise section of the floor.

Protein

also deserves a mention.

Quest!

Thank you for starting with a Q, you earned your place on this list.

Refrigeration,

because convenience stores own the packaged beverage category.

Sour

is still going strong in the confection space.

Mike Tyson.

Enough said.

Unreal,

as in there were more than 26,000 attendees at this year’s NACS Show—a record!

Vapor recovery,

like this one from Healy.

WOOOO!!!

Ric Flair in the house!

Come on X,

that’s two years in a row without an entry. Someone please step up for 2025 in Chicago!

Yetis …

and now there are two.

Zevia craft sodas:

Speaking of, I like the evolution of soft drinks. From fast-growing craft and probiotic offers to new flavors from Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Keurig Dr Pepper.

I hope to see everyone back at it in 2025 in Chicago, October 14-17, at McCormick Place. Until then, catch up on what you may have missed at NACSShow.com.

Chrissy Blasinsky

Chrissy Blasinsky

Chrissy Blasinsky is the digital and content strategist at NACS. She can be reached at [email protected].

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