Education & Training

Convenience Retailing University 2027

Starts in 16 weeks

Convenience Retailing University 2027 runs Mar 2–4, 2027 at Austin Marriott Downtown in Austin, United States. It is an Education & Training conference expecting about 300 attendees. ConferenceGrid lists 26 speakers, 144 sponsors, 127 exhibitors and 26 sessions so far.

Lineup updated Oct 11, 2026 · dates verified May 5, 2026

Convenience Retailing University is the only conference dedicated to convenience category managers. The event offers focused education, one-on-one meetings, and industry networking designed to boost category strategies and expand professional impact. Attendees experience a dynamic agenda, expert sessions, and connection opportunities with supplier partners.…

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26Speakers
144Sponsors
127Exhibitors
26Sessions
159Companies · in total

Speakers

Programmed at Convenience, in alphabetical order.

Abbey Lewis
Vice President, Content Strategy · Informa Connect
Adit Gupta
CEO and Co-Founder · Lula Commerce
Alex Kupper
Category Lead · bp
Al Harrington
CEO · Viola
Art Sebastian
Chairman of the C-StoreTEC Advisory Board and Founder & CEO · NexChapter
Bonnie Herzog
Managing Director and Senior Consumer Analyst · Goldman Sachs
Denton Cinquegrana
Chief Oil Analyst · OPIS
Donna Hood Crecca
Senior Principal · Technomic
Erin Jackson
Founder · Manager Material
Hannah Hammond
Executive Editor · CSP
John Pszeniczny
Director of Operations · Nouria
Kate Hibbard
Vice President, Retail Brands · Informa Connect Foodservice Group
Kevin Paul Scott
Author, Leadership Expert and Co-Founder · ADDO
Kevin Smartt
CEO · TXB Stores
Kyle Drenon
Co-Owner and CEO · Supper Co.
Liza Salaria
Merchandising & Foodservice Practice Lead · W. Capra
Matt Van Gilder
Principal and Vice President, Omnichannel · NexChapter
Melissa Vonder Haar
Managing Director · TradeWorks from iSee
Mike Templeton
Partner & VP, Digital Strategy · NexChapter
Mitch Morrison
Vice President, Retailer Relations & Event Content Director · Informa Connect
Nik Modi
Co-Head of Global Consumer/Retailer Research · RBC Capital Markets | Equity Research
Peter Rasmussen
CEO & Founder · Convenience and Energy Advisors

Sponsors

The companies behind the program. Tiers as disclosed.

Danone North AmericaPlatinum
Keurig Dr PepperPlatinum
TemptersPlatinum
1st PhormGold
Advantage SolutionsGold
Ajinomoto FoodsGold
Ajinomoto Foods North AmericaGold
Alamance Foods IncGold
ALLDAY Energy SprayGold
All In LicensingGold
BarrancoGold
Bicycle - The United States Playing Card CompanyGold
Black Buffalo Inc.Gold
Botanic TonicsGold
BUM EnergyGold
BUNNGold
C.H. GuentherGold
Chinook SeederyGold
ChompsGold
CirkulGold
CJ Schwan'sGold
CLEW PouchesGold
Costa CoffeeGold
DBZ EnterprisesGold
DIRECTV for BUSINESS®Gold
E.A. Sween CompanyGold
EssityGold
Field AdvantageGold
Food Concepts, IncGold
Franke Coffee SystemsGold
FrazilGold
General MillsGold
GN-US Ventures, LLC.Gold
Gonnella Baking CompanyGold
Good Times TobaccoGold
HaleonGold
Harvest Hill Beverage CompanyGold
Home Market FoodsGold
Hormel FoodsGold
Hudson Leramo Beverage GroupGold

Agenda

Selected from 26 sessions.

  • Tuesday, February 24 10:30am - 10:40am

    Welcome to CRU!

    General Session
  • Tuesday, February 24 10:30am - 12:30pm

    Opening General Session

    Conference
  • Tuesday, February 24 10:40am - 11:15am

    Category Leadership in a Changing Retail Landscape

    For years, category management has relied on a familiar playbook: a 9-step process and the traditional 4 P’s. But the rules have changed. Today’s environment calls for category lea…

    General Session
  • Tuesday, February 24 11:15am - 11:40am

    Technomic’s Take: The Consumer Conundrum

    A consumer-centric approach is critical to sustainable growth strategies, and today’s consumer is both financially pressured and increasingly demanding. Join Technomic’s Donna Hood…

    General Session
  • Tuesday, February 24 11:40am - 12:30pm

    The Lens of Leadership: Strategic Shifts in Perspective

    The way we view things changes how we do things. Discover the importance of perspective and how this pivotal principle will unlock and unleash your potential as a leader. In this s…

    Keynote
  • Tuesday, February 24 12:30pm - 1:30pm

    Connections Lunch

    Grab your lunch and dive into meaningful conversations! The room will be divided into sections by category, creating the perfect environment to connect with peers who share your pr…

    Conference
  • Tuesday, February 24 1:30pm - 2:15pm

    A Calm Before the Storm?

    Retail gasoline prices and supply in the U.S. have been stable despite plenty of global turmoil that could turn the market upside down. Margins remain firm in a declining demand en…

    Fuels/Alternative Solutions
  • Tuesday, February 24 1:30pm - 2:15pm

    Beyond The Limits of Traditional Loyalty

    Are you actually making money on your loyalty program after paying for loyalty, app, online ordering, and messaging? Can online ordering be surfaced through ChatGPT and other conve…

    Tech & Loyalty
  • Tuesday, February 24 1:30pm - 2:15pm

    Foodservice + E-commerce: The New Growth Engine for Convenience

    Foodservice and e-commerce are no longer separate growth strategies; they are inseparable. Digital ordering, personalization, and loyalty are changing how customers discover, order…

    Foodservice

Quick answers

When is Convenience Retailing University 2027?
Convenience Retailing University 2027 runs Mar 2–4, 2027 at Austin Marriott Downtown in Austin, United States.
Where is Convenience Retailing University 2027 held?
Convenience Retailing University 2027 is held at Austin Marriott Downtown in Austin, United States.
Who is speaking at Convenience Retailing University 2027?
ConferenceGrid lists 26 speakers, including Abbey Lewis (Vice President, Content Strategy, Informa Connect), Adit Gupta (CEO and Co-Founder, Lula Commerce) and Alex Kupper (Category Lead, bp).
Who sponsors Convenience Retailing University 2027?
ConferenceGrid lists 144 sponsors, including Danone North America, Keurig Dr Pepper, Tempters, 1st Phorm and Advantage Solutions.
Company intelligence

What does it mean when 159 companies show up, and 129 bet on three roles at once?

159 companies. 129 are betting more than once.

The numbers below are derived from the speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors on this page, cross-referenced into one ledger. They are the only thing here that 10times.com cannot tell you.

Who's in the room
129All threespeak · spons · exh
14Sponsoringsponsor only
0Exhibitingexhibitor only
16Speakingspeaker only

In all three roles

NexChapter·Lula Commerce·1st Phorm·Abierto·AdAction: Loyalty Powered by Mobile Gaming·Advantage Solutions·Ajinomoto Foods·Ajinomoto Foods North America·Alamance Foods·ALLDAY Energy Spray·All-In Licensing·Apter Industries·Barranco·BIC·Bicycle - The United States Playing Card Company·Black Buffalo Inc.·Botanic Tonics·BUM Energy·BUNN·Bunzl Distribution USA LLC·C.H. Guenther·Chinook Seedery

Speakers by seniority

77% of the speakers carry senior titles: C-suite, Founder, VP, or Director-level.

  • C-suite727%
  • Founder / Owner312%
  • VP-level519%
  • Director / Head of519%
  • Manager / Lead415%
  • Other roles28%

Of 26 speakers · classified by free-text title

Most-represented companies
#CompanyRolesSpeakers
1NexChapterSponsor · GoldExhibitor3
2Lula CommerceSponsor · GoldExhibitor1
31st PhormSponsor · GoldExhibitor-
4AbiertoSponsor · SilverExhibitor-
5AdAction: Loyalty Powered by Mobile GamingSponsor · SilverExhibitor-
6Advantage SolutionsSponsor · GoldExhibitor-
7Ajinomoto FoodsSponsor · GoldExhibitor-
8Ajinomoto Foods North AmericaSponsor · GoldExhibitor-
9Alamance FoodsSponsor · GoldExhibitor-
10ALLDAY Energy SpraySponsor · GoldExhibitor-
11All-In LicensingSponsor · SilverExhibitor-
12Apter IndustriesSponsor · SilverExhibitor-
13BarrancoSponsor · GoldExhibitor-
14BICSponsor · SilverExhibitor-
Sponsors by tier
platinum3
2% of 144
gold87
60% of 144
silver37
26% of 144
title2
1% of 144
unspecified15
10% of 144
At peer events but not here

These companies sponsored two or more peer events recently, but aren't on this program. For an organizer, that's a list of warm prospects.

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