FAQs
What is the Center Store Forum?
The Center Store Forum is an annual industry event that brings together convenience store retailers and suppliers to focus on center store category management, including packaged foods (snacks and candy), household essentials, personal care products, and more. The forum features expert speakers, consumer trend analysis, and innovative approaches to product placement and merchandising to help retailers optimize their center store revenue and performance.
When and where is the 2026 Center Store Forum?
The 2026 Center Store Forum will take place from Monday, June 22, 2026, through Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at the Westin Chicago Lombard, IL.
Who should attend the Center Store Forum?
The forum is ideal for convenience retailers, category managers, foodservice directors, operations executives, and anyone responsible for center store strategy and sales. Suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and service providers in the dispensed beverage industry will also benefit from attending to connect with retail decision-makers and showcase their solutions.
What are the different fees and registration types?
Retailer:
An individual who works, manages or owns a retail outlet in the convenience and petroleum industry.
Registration fees are complimentary for those who have received an invitation, thanks to the support of our sponsors. Please contact Mike Marino at michael.marino@informa.com for more information.
Sponsor:
An individual who works for a company that is a sponsor of the conference.
If you are not yet a sponsor and would like additional information, please contact Brandy Mulcahy at fssponsorrelations@informa.com.
I was contacted by a housing provider that offered to assist with making my Center Store hotel reservation. What should I do?
Please be vigilant if approached by any company representing themselves as the housing provider for the Center Store Forum. These companies will offer to make hotel reservations within the room block on your behalf or misrepresent themselves as agents of the hotel. Please note that Center Store Forum does not rent, share or sell your contact information to any third parties.
The companies that we have been made aware of are Convention Housing Planners Corp, Expo Housing Services and Exhibitors Housing Management. Please let us know as soon as possible if another company reaches out to you.
Center Store Forum is not utilizing the services of any housing agent or third party and the host hotel will never reach out to attendees to solicit booking rooms. Please only make your accommodations using the link in your registration confirmation email.
Where can I view the meeting agenda?
View the Center Store Forum Agenda at the button below.
Is there wireless internet in the meeting space?
Complimentary wireless internet will be provided throughout the meeting space. Login details will be provided during the meeting.
What is the meeting attire?
The meeting attire is business casual.
Who is Informa and How Does it Connect to CSP?
Informa is a leading international business-to-business information services group that connects people with knowledge to help them learn more, know more, and do more. Through its Informa Connect division, the company delivers content-led live and on-demand events, training, and specialist content to businesses and professionals across various industries.
As part of the Informa family, CSP benefits from global reach, industry expertise, and the infrastructure necessary to host gatherings that assemble key decision-makers and financial partners in environments specifically designed for meaningful business connections and actionable insights across the convenience retail landscape.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
Informa Connect is dedicated to creating experiences that deliver positive impact while minimizing environmental footprint. Through the FasterForward sustainability program, events like ours will move faster to become zero-waste and net-zero carbon by 2030.
In the future, we will actively help partners, customers, and wider markets achieve their own sustainability goals. By attending CSP Center Store Forum, participants will not just gain valuable industry knowledge and connections, but they will also support a more sustainable future for their industries.
