IGA Education Sessions Released for The NGA Show 2026

"The time for independents is now," IGA CEO John Ross said, remarking on the grocery landscape 100 years after the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) was founded.

Today, staying in front of consumer trends, deepening supplier partnerships, and investing in your team has never been more critical, and with IGA and NGA as your partners, the possibilities have never been stronger.

That’s where The NGA Show 2026 comes in. The premier gathering for independent grocers, wholesalers, and their partners, the event runs February 1-3, 2026 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Today, we’re sharing IGA’s education session descriptions so you can start mapping out your agenda. If you haven’t registered yet, do so by December 17, 2025, to lock in early bird pricing and use code IGA150 to save $150.

IGA Education Sessions

Sunday, February 1

12:45-1:45 p.m. IGA & Creative Choice present Best in Class Retailers

IGA CEO John Ross takes the Grand Ballroom stage for a brief presentation on marketing and merchandising, which he will follow by moderating a panel discussion featuring four Creative Choice winners and IGA Retail Award winners. 

4:45-6:15 p.m. Keynote Presentation: NGA Industry Update & Travis Mills

6:15-8:15 p.m. Welcome Reception & IGA 100th Anniversary Celebration

All are invited to join the Welcome Reception and IGA's 100th Anniversary Celebration in the Grand Ballroom pre-function space for a 1920s-themed reception where we will kick off our centennial year at The NGA Show. Here we will introduce our Centennial IGA USA Retailers of the Year. This remarkable group of retailers, nominated by each of our U.S. Licensed Distribution Centers (LDCs), represent the best independent retailers of the last 100 years, and this reception is the first of several events designed to honor their contribution to the industry.

Monday, February 2

7:30-8:00 a.m. Onward to 2030: A Look at Changing Shopper Behaviors Through the Decade’s End | IGA CEO John Ross General Session 

As the grocery landscape accelerates into a new era, independent retailers face both unprecedented challenges and powerful opportunities. This forward-looking session explores how shopper expectations, purchasing patterns, and loyalty drivers are transforming as we approach 2030, and what independent grocers must do today to stay ahead. 

9:15-10:00 a.m. Unlocking Independent Grocery’s Untapped Retail Media Potential: What CPG Brands Want, What’s Missing, and What Comes Next 

Despite representing millions of high-value shoppers and more than $250BN in annual spend, the independent grocery segment has captured only a small fraction of national retail media spending, and far less than projections. Why? Because from the CPG brand and media-agency perspective, independent grocery retail remains fragmented, operationally inconsistent, and hard to buy. 

In this candid discussion, senior retail media leaders from top CPG manufacturers share what brands really want from retail media partners, and why independent grocery retailers have yet to unlock their enormous potential.  

This session will help retailers, wholesalers, and technology partners understand exactly what brands need to increase investment and will creatively illuminate how new models (including consortium-style approaches) will unlock national media scale for the independent segment. 

10:15-11:00 a.m. Connecting with the Value-obsessed Shopper Online and In-Store 

After years of persistent inflation and rising grocery costs, consumers are more intentional about where they shop and whom they trust. This environment creates a unique opportunity for independent grocers to stand out and build trust among shoppers by delivering consistent, authentic value messaging across every touchpoint. 

This workshop explores practical, high-impact ways to reach value-obsessed shoppers and influence their decisions in real time. Participants will learn how to activate a unified strategy that includes national offers from CPG partners, in-store and online messaging that addresses price concerns, and affordable CTV advertising that blends item-and-price promotion with brand awareness. These tools empower independents to maintain an ongoing, continuous conversation about value—reinforcing their commitment to shoppers’ long-term, price-conscious needs. 

Tuesday, February 3

9:15-10:00 a.m. Recipes as Retail’s Untapped Growth Engine: How Inspiration, Paid Media & CPG Partnerships Convert Shoppers into Buyers 

Independent grocers are fighting for shopper attention in an increasingly digital, inspiration-driven world. Today, more than 70% of consumers begin their meal planning online—not in the circular, not in the store—and whoever captures that moment of inspiration often wins the entire grocery trip. Yet most independent retailers are not capitalizing on one of the most powerful and proven tools for driving trips, bigger baskets, and loyalty: shoppable recipes amplified through paid media and CPG partnerships. 

This high-impact panel will bring together digital retail experts, CPG brand leaders, and commerce strategists to demonstrate how recipes—once considered “content”—have become a measurable conversion engine. Attendees will see how retailers are using recipe hubs, QR-enabled in-store displays, and targeted paid media to pull shoppers into a whole-meal mindset that increases basket size by 7+ items, lifts cross-category sales, and strengthens store preference. At the same time, CPG sponsors gain new high-ROI opportunities to integrate products into meal solutions, fund retail media campaigns, and drive household penetration in ways static ads cannot. 

For NGA Show attendees, this session delivers actionable, margin-growing strategies that can be implemented by independents of any size. It also reinforces the growing importance of retailer-CPG collaboration, which helps independents unlock funding, media investments, and innovation typically reserved for national chains. 

Find the full agenda, which also features IGA Red Oval Partners, here.

Maximize Your NGA Show Experience

• Register by December 17 — secure early bird pricing before December 17, 2025 and use the IGA discount code IGA150 for $150 off the prevailing rate.
• Book early — lodging in Vegas can fill up fast.
• Plan in advance — review session tracks, exhibitors, and map out must-see contacts before you go.
• Send a team — one person tracks educational sessions, another navigates exhibits, someone else handles supplier meetings.
• Schedule one-on-ones — set meetings with key vendors ahead of time.
• Follow up immediately — the real ROI comes when you bring ideas home and implement them.

Registration

With so much to learn and experience, The NGA Show is a must-attend event at one great price. IGA retailers and wholesalers can secure $150 off with the code IGA150. Early bird pricing ends December 17, 2025.

Independent grocers and regional wholesalers operate in constant disruption, including changing consumer preferences, supply chain pressures, labor challenges, and technology shifts. The NGA Show 2026 is engineered to equip you for those forces, not just to survive them but to lead your market.

Vegas is the setting. February 1-3 is your window. The audience is your peers and partners. The invitation is open — don’t discount your future.