Convenience show seals three-year pairing with ACS Summit

The National Convenience Show and the Association of Convenience Stores' Annual Summit are to be held alongside each other for the next three years.

The two events were jointly staged at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham for the first time in March, resulting in a 17% boost in attendance for the ACS Summit.

"Being at the heart of NCS delivered value for us by increasing retailers' awareness of the summit's power and influence," said ACS chief James Lowman. "Feedback shows they benefited from the intelligence and insights delivered within the summit and across NCS. It's a winning formula."

Andrew Reed, MD for events and exhibitions at William Reed Business Media, the publisher of The Grocer, added: "We have firmly established NCS as the focal point for the convenience industry, a must-attend event that delivers flexibility, choice and completeness to retailers and their suppliers. Securing the ACS's long-term partnership is an important step forward and a cause for celebration within both organisations."

Next year's NCS will be held at the NEC from 25-27 March and more than 40% of this year's exhibitors have already signed up.

The Grocer's Top 50 Annual Lunch, which celebrates the trade's biggest independent retailers and wholesalers, will also be held alongside NCS, as will Food & Drink Expo, Foodex and the Forecourt & Fuel Equipment Show.