The 2024 Concession and Hospitality Expo

SAVE THE DATE FOR 2024! – Join the top food and beverage leaders at THE International Concessions and Hospitality Marketplace

The 2024 NAC Concession & Hospitality EXPO will be held on July 16-19 at the Marriott St. Louis Grand. The Expo Committee, Board-of Directors and Staff are excited to bring together the top food and beverage leaders in the entertainment food and beverage industry.

CLICK HERE FOR GENERAL REGISTRATION, TRADE SHOW BOOTHS AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The event will include General Education Sessions, Trade Show, Awards Luncheon, Venue Breakout Sessions and evening social events. A four-day CCM class will also be made available at the hotel in the days leading up to the Expo.

More specific details on registration, trade-show participation and sponsorships opportunities will be communicated shortly on naconline.org, email and NAC social media channels on Facebook, LinkedIn and twitter.

We can’t wait to see all of you in St. Louis!

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE 2023 EVENT in Memphis, TN..

About/Register

The 2024 NAC Concession & Hospitality EXPO is scheduled for July 16-19 at the Marriott St. Louis Grand. Visit often for information on an evolving Agenda, Sponsorships and Trade Show.

CLICK HERE FOR GENERAL REGISTRATION, TRADE SHOW BOOTHS AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

About

The National Association of Concessionaires will bring together the top food and beverage concession leaders in the recreation and leisure-time industry at The Concession and Hospitality Expo. The Expo committee is planning terrific educational sessions, great social functions and exciting events. Check back often as the program comes together.

The event is an educational conference in its 41th year covering a wide range of concessions and foodservice topics. The business sessions are practical and focused on the concessions industry and provide interaction between all types of operations. In addition, exciting social functions allow for attendees to network in a less formal setting. Your full convention registration fee includes all educational sessions, food functions, social events, venue tours and the trade show.

As part of the Expo, NAC will host its own trade show specifically for the recreation and leisure-time foodservice industry. The trade show will feature companies that provide products and services to all types of recreation, leisure-time and public assembly facilities. For more information on the trade show and how you can participate, click on the Trade Show tab on this page.

Make plans now to attend the 2024 Expo in St. Louis.

Schedule

Check back often as more details are revealed.

DateEventDescriptionSession MaterialsRoom
Monday, July 15
6:00 PM - 9:00 PMBOD and Sponsors DinnerStatler - Mezzanine
9:00 PMNAC Late Night LoungePresident's Suite
Tuesday, July 16
9:00 AM -5:00 PMNAC RegistrationPrivate Dining Room - Lobby
8:30 AM - 10:00 AMContinental BreakfastMezzanine Foyer
9:00 AM - 5:00 PMAccredited Concession Supplier (ACS) Class Register HereStatler-Mezzanine
9:30 AM - 10:45 PMCommunications & Marketing CommitteeAubert-Mezzanine
9:30 AM - 10:45 PMMembership & Mentorship CommitteeParkview-Mezzanine
9:30 AM - 10:45 PMEducation CommitteePortland-Mezzanine
10:45 AM - 12:00 PMCharitable Cause CommitteeAubert_Mezzanine
10:45 AM - 12:00 PMGovernment Relations CommitteeParkview-Mezzanine
10:45 AM - 12:00 PMInternational CommitteePortland - Mezzaine
12:00 PM - 1:00 PMBOD and Committee LunchCrystal Foyer 20th Floor, Lobby Access
1:00 PM - 2:45 PMExecutive Committee MeetingLafayette Boardroom - Mezzanine
3:00 PM- 4:30 PMBOD MeetingParkview/Aubert - Mezzanine
6:30 PM - 8:00 PMOpening Night Reception & Silent Auction Crystal Ballroom - 20th Floor, Lobby Access
9:00 PMNAC Late Night LoungePresident's Suite
Wednesday, July 17
7:00 AM - 8:00 AMNAC Fun Run/Walk Register HereMeet in Lobby
8:00 AM -5:00 PMNAC RegistrationPrivate Dining Room, Lobby
8:30 AM Continental BreakfastCrystal Foyer-20th Floor, Lobby Access
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Opening General Session - State of the Industry AddressLeaders from various operations and NAC leadership will address the most current happenings in Entertainment Food & Beverage.Crystal Ballroom-20th Floor, Lobby Access
10:45 AM - 12:00 PMGeneral Session 2 - Maximizing Group Sales: Strategies for SuccessThis session provides an in-depth exploration of cutting-edge strategies and best practices in group sales, emphasizing the unique challenges and resulting opportunities.Crystal Ballroom--20th Floor, Lobby Access
12:15 PM - 1:30 PMAwards Luncheon We will come together to honor the 2024 Bert Nathan Memorial Award Honoree, and the 2024 Mickey Warner Award Recipient.Statler-Mezzaine
2:00 PM - 2:45 PMGeneral Session 3 - Thinking Outside the Popcorn Box: Maximizing Sales with MerchandiseThis session will discuss how to drive increased revenue through innovative merchandising strategies. We will explore creatively expanding product offerings beyond traditional venue snacks to include a variety of appealing merchandise that enhances the patron experience and boost profitability.Crystal Ballroom-20th Floor, Lobby Access
3:00 PM - 4:00 PMGeneral Session 4 - Venue Breakout SessionsCrystal Ballroom-20th Floor, Lobby Access
5:30 PM - 9:00 PMWednesday Evening Event - Tour of Busch Stadium and Dinner at Budweiser Brew House.Gather in Lobby
9:00 PMNAC Late Night LoungePresident's Suite
Thursday, July 18
8:00 AM -5:00 PMNAC RegistrationMajestic Foyer - Gateway Level
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Exhibitor Set-UpMajestic D-H-Gateway Level
9:30 AM - 11:00 AMContinental Breakfast: Majestic A - C-Gateway Level
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM General Session 5 -Enhancing Leadership in Entertainment Venue Management Heather Morgan, Chief of Staff and Strategy at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, and Brett King, Founder and CEO of CineTRAIN, will guide a conversation on cultivating a strong leadership mindset and tactical approaches for improving leadership skills throughout your entertainment venue. Majestic A - C-Gateway Level
11:00 AM - 11:45 AMGeneral Session 6 - Town Hall - Open ForumNAC leadership will once again open the floor to listen to needs of our membership as we continue to evolve. Majestic A - C-Gateway Level
12:15 PM - 1:30 PMAnnual Meeting/LuncheonCrystal Ballroom- 20th Floor, Lobby Access
1:30 PM - 5:00 PMNAC Expo Trade Show Majestic D-H-Gateway Level
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Thursday Evening EventAn Evening at Grant's FarmGather in Lobby
9:00 PM NAC Late Night LoungePresident's Suite
Friday, July 19
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM Venue ToursScheduled to visit:
-CityPark Soccer Stadium

-The Enterprise Center, Home of the St. Louis Blues NHL team.

-Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Gather in Lobby
4:15 PM Airport Drop Off
5:00 PMArrive back at Hotel

Education

Check back often as more details are revealed.

Wednesday, July 17

(9:00 AM – 10:30 AM) Opening General Session – State of the Industry Address
Leaders from various operations and NAC leadership will address the most current happenings in Entertainment Food & Beverage. Chris Johnson, ECM, ACS, CCM of Classic Cinemas; Rob Lehman, CCM, Santikos Entertainment; and George Raub, IV, ECM of Delaware North will help lead the way

(10:45 AM – 12:00 PM) General Session 2 – Maximizing Group Sales: Strategies for Success
This session provides an in-depth exploration of cutting-edge strategies and best practices in group sales, emphasizing the unique challenges and resulting opportunities. Kim Cook-Sorano of Sky Zone will lead a panel of experts from various entertainment venues including John Malkus from the Marriot St. Louis Grand, James Caldwell from Grant’s Farm and Shawn Baker from Delaware North/Busch Stadium

(2:00 PM – 2:45 PM) General Session 3 – Thinking Outside the Popcorn Box: Maximizing Sales with Merchandise
This session will discuss how to drive increased revenue through innovative merchandising strategies. We will explore creatively expanding product offerings beyond traditional venue snacks to include a variety of appealing merchandise that enhances the patron experience and boost profitability. Tim Farha and Steve Sciortino of AICP will be joined by Jeff Waaland of Golden Link to lead the discussion.

(3:00 PM – 3:45 PM) General Session 4 – Venue Breakout Sessions

Thursday, July 18

(10:00 AM – 10:45 AM) General Session 5 – Enhancing Leadership in Entertainment Venue Management

Heather Morgan

Brett King

Heather Morgan, Chief Content Officer at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, and Brett King, Founder and CEO of CineTRAIN, will guide a conversation on cultivating a strong leadership mindset and tactical approaches for improving leadership skills throughout your entertainment venue. Be prepared to engage and share how your company implements these essential practices.

(11:00 AM – 11:45 AM) General Session 6 – Town Hall – Open Forum
NAC leadership will once again open the floor to listen to needs of our membership as we continue to evolve.

Social Functions

Check back often as more details are revealed.

Tuesday, July 16

(6:30 PM – 8:00 PM) Opening Night Reception & Silent Auction

Wednesday, July 17

(7:00 AM – 8:00 AM) NAC Fun Run/Walk

(12:00 PM – 1:30 PM) Awards Luncheon
We will come together to honor the 2024 Bert Nathan Memorial Award Honoree, and the 2024 Mickey Warner Award Recipient.

(6:00 PM – 9:00 PM) Wednesday Evening Event – Busch Stadium Tour and Dinner at Ballpark Village
All attendees with Full Expo Registration will board a bus and tour Busch Stadium. Step up to the plate and experience the magic of baseball history with a tour of Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, nestled in the heart of downtown St. Louis. It has a seating capacity of 44,383, with 3,706 club seats and 61 luxury suites. It replaced Busch Memorial Stadium and occupies a portion of that stadium’s former footprint.

After the tour, we will walk across the street to Ballpark Village for dinner at the Budweiser Brew House.

Thursday, July 18

(6:00 PM – 9:00 PM) Thursday Evening Event – an evening at Grant’s Farm
Since opening to the public in 1954, Grant’s Farm has become a refuge for more than 900 animals both great and small. You can visit and interact with many of them throughout the evening. Historic buildings range from Ulysses S. Grant’s humble log cabin to the Busch family’s “Big House” to the traditional German-style stables and Bauernhof. A variety of food and beverage options will be available for you to enjoy while spending time at Grant’s Farm.

Friday, July 19

(9:00 AM – 5:00 PM) Venue Tours and lunch

Scheduled to visit:

CityPark Soccer Stadium

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

The Enterprise Center, Home of the St. Louis Blues NHL team.

Trade Show

Booths are now available for the 2024 Expo!
The 2024 Trade Show will be held on Thursday, July 18 (1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) in St. Louis, at the the Marriott St. Louis Grand and is open to full and tabletop displays.

Trade Show booths are now available, and we look forward to having your company exhibit at our show. Here is a link to an on-line registration portal for your convenience. You can also simply email cdammann@naconline.org.

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR BOOTH TODAY!

The booth registration entitles you to receive one complimentary registration to our Accredited Concession Supplier Certification (ACS) Class on Tuesday July 16!

As an added incentive, booth registrations received and paid for by April 30th will receive ONE FREE FULL EXPO REGISTRATION! Special pricing is available for any other booth personnel who wish to attend all the events. The Opening Night Silent Auction and Happy Hour is open to all for additional networking time.

Click on company name to go to their website.
Booth #CompanyBooth #CompanyBooth #Company
100RCM Media204PretzelHaus/FUNacho 312Continental Cup Company
101Churchill Container 205Home Market Foods/Eisenberg313Suckerpunch
102Vivian Company206J. Lohr Wines
314/316Snap Creative
103Great Western Products207SOLUT! 315So Green Pack
104Testo North America210Vistar 317Open
105Sultana Distribution Services, Inc.
211Preferred Popcorn 400Zinc
106Taste of Nature212Country Pleasin' Smoked Sausage401Packaging Concepts, Inc.
107Fanestil Meats213, 215, 217ICEE/ J&J/Dippin Dots 402Burdette Beckmann, Inc.
108Kernel Season’s 214Second Nature Brands403Trinchero Family Estates
110Coca-Cola 404Prime Ticket
111Pops Corn 405Sierra Nevada Brewing
112Bartesian406Ricos Products
113Catch301PIM Brands407Mars Wrigley
114Draft Top, Inc.302Aspire Bakeries
410Rural Route 1 Popcorn
115Rich Products Company
303Great Kitchens 411Pepsi
116Open304Ben's Pretzels412Weaver Popcorn
117, 216Golden Link305Gold Medal Products Company 413Ventura/Odell’s
200Royal Corporation 306The Hershey Company 414Mars Ice Cream
201/300Freezing Point / Frazil 307Proctor Company415Onni Creative
202American Licorice 310DEEL Media416Open
203HealthPro Brands 311C. Cretors & Company 417Sigma Foodservice

We look forward to seeing your in St. Louis!

Trade Show Hours

Thursday, July 20 (1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

The trade show will feature products and services such as:
soft drinks • beer • iced tea • nachos • menu boards • pizza • hot dogs • soft pretzels • peanuts • pressure fryers • cotton candy • sno kones • frozen yogurt • ice cream • churros • egg rolls • condiment dispensers • mobile food carts • food warmers • holding ovens • candy • grills • BBQ• popcorn poppers • concession stands • containers & trays • architectural planning & concession design• souvenir cups/mugs • beverage dispensers • paper products • popcorn toppings & oils • point-of-sale equipment and MORE!

Don’t miss the chance to put your company in front of the leading buyers in the industry!

Hotel


The 2024 NAC Concession & Hospitality EXPO will be held on July 16-19 at the Marriott St. Louis Grand

Marriott St. Louis Grand
800 Washington Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63101, US
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE ROOM.

NAC Expo Single Room Rate: $195.00 / night

Stay at Marriott St. Louis Grand to experience the vibrant, authentic spirit of St. Louis, Missouri. With a prime downtown location near the St. Louis Zoo, City Museum, Busch Stadium, Ballpark Village, and the Gateway Arch, our downtown St. Louis hotel is a National Historic Landmark. It was originally the Statler Hotel, an icon of the St. Louis skyline since the 1900s. Relax in our guest rooms and suites featuring plush bedding, high-speed Wi-Fi and scenic downtown views. Maintain your workout routine in our well-equipped fitness center. Greet the day with breakfast at 8th Street Pantry or our on-site full-service Starbucks®. Delight your palate with contemporary American cuisine and cocktails at our Zenia Bar & Grille restaurant. Our hotel on Washington Ave, St. Louis, offers versatile event space, including the historic Statler and Crystal ballrooms, for your next corporate event or wedding in downtown St. Louis. Fall in love with Missouri at Marriott St. Louis Grand.

Unsolicited Room Phone Call Scam
NAC members and exhibitors may receive unsolicited phone calls from companies stating that they can provide you cheaper rooms than we can in St. Louis for The Concession and Hospitality Expo. Please be aware that these individuals and companies are known to scam clients by getting credit card numbers and pertinent information that can be used in nefarious ways. You are receiving the most affordable rate while also supporting your association at NAC. DO NOT PROVIDE THESE CALLERS ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION AND PLEASE REPORT THEM TO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THEM A CEASE AND DESIST LETTER.

Sponsors


The Concession and Hospitality Expo provides your company with opportunities to put your products, services and brand in front of buyers for all types of recreation and leisure-time food and beverage operations. Sponsorships are available at every level and extend well past the convention itself, and benefits for each level are detailed below. Many of our sponsors also choose to extend their opportunities by registering for the full NAC convention, allowing them access to buyers at all educational sessions and social functions.

CLICK HERE TO BECOME AN EXPO SPONSOR!

For more information on how to become a sponsor contact Chris Dammann at the NAC office, 312.236.3858, cdammann@NAConline.org.

Level:PlatinumGold PlusGoldSilverBronze
$10,000$8,000$5,000$2,500$1,000
Benefits:
2 Complimentary 8×10 trade show booths valued at $3,000 Or 1 booth and two additional RegistrationsX
Complimentary Full EXPO Registration valued at $595.XX
Thank you announcement and invitation to address attendees at event.XX
Complimentary 8×10 trade show booth valued at $1,500.X
Complimentary Full Page Ad in Expo Program valued at $350.XXX
Invitation for two to invitation-only board/ sponsor VIP party on Monday, July 15th.XXX
Seated on dais and recognized as major sponsor at NAC Membership Luncheon on Thursday, July 18th.XXX
Logo recognition and major prominence on every Expo page on the NAC web site throughout the year.XXXX
Recognition in all pre-Expo marketing, both in print and via email.XXXXX
Company name and logo noted in Expo program.XXXXX
Recognition in pre- and post-Expo press releases.XXXXX
Signage at event.XXXXX

2024 Expo Sponsors

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsors


Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

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