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Visitors to next month's The UK Food & Drink Shows will have the opportunity to be inspired and informed by a host of industry leaders and innovators. Taking place at the NEC Birmingham from Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 April, the event is free to attend and boasts 1,200 exhibitors with 65 insightful sessions across five stages.
National Convenience Show, supported by the ACS, is the biggest event for the convenience retailing sector and is a one-stop destination for c-store specific products, services and innovations to help boost footfall, increase basket spend and gain a competitive edge.
As well as being a fantastic opportunity to network while seeing the latest products and services the industry has to offer, The UK Food & Drink Shows offers a packed programme of panels and presentations. Among these will be live interviews with major names in the food and drink industry including:
Edward Woodall, chief executive. Association of Convenience Stores
Stepping into his new role on 1 March 2026, Ed will share his vision for ACS as it enters a new chapter: strengthening its influence on key policy issues, deepening engagement with both independent and multiple retailers and ensuring the organisation remains the most effective voice and valuable resource for the UK’s 50,000+ convenience stores.
Colm Johnson, retail managing director, Booker
Booker symbol brands Premier, Londis and Budgens have seen great success over the years. Retail managing director Johnson will discuss the convenience retail sector, the changing needs of consumers and Booker's plans for the future.
Katie Secretan, managing director, Co-Op Wholesale
This is an opportunity to hear about the strategic thinking behind the Nisa rebrand, how it strengthens Co-op Wholesale’s position in the market and the opportunities it creates for independent retailers.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO, British Independent Retailers Association
Retail crime continues to pose significant challenges for businesses - impacting safety, profitability, and customer confidence. Our ‘Securing Retail Space’ panel session will discuss safety and security challenges in the retail sector and will highlight good practice for managing these issues including latest advice, guidance and reporting mechanisms.
Hetal Patel, national president, Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed)
The vape category is experiencing change. In this session, retailers and experts unpick the category in detail, what retailers need to do to prepare for these changes and the impact they could have on the convenience retail market.
Abigail Mines, food waste and communities manager, Ocado
Abigail joins Dan Byam Shaw, Policy Lead at The Felix Project, and a panel of industry experts to discuss what can be done to support UK food and drink businesses to increase food surplus redistribution, including proposals for mandatory food waste reporting and incentivising donations through Corporation Tax relief.
Martina Di Rocco, senior insights manager, Lumina Intelligence
Get under the skin of your customers with the latest data and insight on the convenience shopper from Lumina Intelligence. Understand where they shop in convenience, why they shop in convenience, what they buy, how often they visit and much more.
Check out the full speaker line up and sessions timetable.
To ensure visitors make the most of their visit, an online digital event companion will offer a comprehensive event guide, interactive floorplan, seamless indoor navigation and real-time notifications.
Register for your free trade ticket here.
