• 8:00 am – 5:00 pm: Exhibitor Move-In

• 12:30 pm – 1:15 pm: Chairman’s Circle Meeting with NATSO Leadership

• 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm: NATSO Board of Directors Business Meeting

• 5:15 pm – 6:15 pm: NATSO Foundation Board Meeting

• 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm: New Travel Center Member Reception – Private Invitation-Only Event

• 7:00 am: NATSO Foundation 3K Fundraiser 
The NATSO Foundation’s 3K Fundraiser is back! The NATSO Foundation 3K Fundraiser is a community-building 3K walk that provides a great opportunity to meet up with friends and supporters while also supporting the important work of the NATSO Foundation. Support the annual NATSO Foundation as a fundraiser sponsor! Your contribution supports the NATSO Foundation’s program of work including scholarships, anti-human trafficking initiatives and more. Contact Amy Toner at atoner@natsofoundation.org about supporting this critical NATSO Foundation fundraiser.

• 8:30 am – 9:15 am: Suppliers: What to Know to Win in the Travel Center Industry

• 9:15 am – 12:00 pm: Expo Hours with Continental Breakfast

• 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm: Tank Talks 
Similar in concept to a popular network TV show, sponsors will have the opportunity to pitch their product or idea in front of an audience and live on stage. In each 5-minute presentation, the audience will vote on products or services sure to improve the travel center wallet share. Contact Pamela Hayes at phayes@natso.com for information on participating.

• 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Expo Hours

• 1:30pm – 2:30pm: One-on-One Appointments

• 5:00 pm-6:30 pm: Government Affairs Committee Meeting

• 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm: Exhibitor Move Out

• 7:30 pm: NATSO PAC Party (Requires a separate fee.)

• 8:00 am – 8:30 am: Breakfast Buffet: Hosted Roundtables
New! On Thursday morning, the NATSO Foundation is offering a new hybrid educational/networking event aimed at connecting vendors with truck stops and travel centers. Find the food and solutions you need to fuel your business. Vendors interested in hosting a table should contact Amy Toner at atoner@natsofoundation.org.

• 8:30 am – 8:50 am: What’s Next for the Travel Center Industry?: NATSO Connect Keynote
Speaker: Max McBrayer, NATSO CEO and President, Matt Mildenburger, NATSO Chair Elect
Max McBrayer, NATSO CEO & President, and Matt Mildenburger, NATSO Chair Elect, will welcome attendees to day two of NATSO Connect and share what’s next for the truck stop and travel center industry and NATSO.

Sponsored by: McLane

• 8:50 am – 9:30 am: Create Compelling Reasons for the Four-Wheel Customer to Come Inside: NATSO Connect Keynote
Speaker: Frank Beard, Head of Marketing at Rovertown
Four-wheel traffic is the most overlooked growth engine in the travel center industry. To win these customers, operators need more than fuel—they need a clear reason for everyday people to pull off the highway and walk through their doors.

In this keynote, Frank Beard, Head of Marketing at Rovertown, asserts that the next decade will be won by the brands that create meaningful points of differentiation and redefine what “good” looks like. Drawing on insights from visiting thousands of U.S. convenience stores and a recent tour of Japan’s world-class convenience stores and specialty coffee shops, Beard explores how operators can raise the bar with food quality, coffee innovation, regional and ethnic flavors, and even reimagined restroom standards.

Attendees will leave with a fresh perspective on the four-wheel customer, real examples of what’s working for leading operators, and a range of ideas they can explore or adapt within their own stores.

Sponsored by: McLane

• 9:45 am-10:30 am: NATSO Connect Travel Center Technology Forum: Practical Uses for Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Panelists: Tony Caputo, Director of Business Development, Warren Rogers; Erika Curtis, Delivery Lead, W. Capra; Meghann Erhart, Executive Vice President, Relay Payments; Jeremie Myhren, Cofounder and CIO, Onramp; Chris Oliver, Chief Marketing Officer, Trucker Path; Amy Toner, Executive Director, NATSO Foundation
The Travel Center Technology Forum is designed to facilitate interactive discussions among truck stops and travel center operators regarding their top technology priorities. This year, members of the NATSO Foundation’s 2026 Technology Steering Council will examine artificial intelligence (AI) and its travel center-specific uses.

AI is rapidly evolving from a buzzword into a practical business tool that can deliver real, measurable benefits. AI-driven systems can help with everything from reducing downtime and improving pricing decisions to personalizing the customer experience. When used well, AI takes data operators already have and turns it into action. It can keep pumps running, detect fraud and help customers feel recognized.

Fortunately, AI is becoming more accessible to operators of all sizes. It is being built directly into many of the everyday systems operators already use, including point-of-sale platforms, loyalty programs and fuel management solutions. 

While AI’s influence is still emerging, there are several use cases that can benefit operators. Hear specific ideas from the experts on the Technology Steering Council and connect with the operators at your table on the ways they are using or planning to use AI in 2026. 

• 10:45 am – 11:30 am: NATSO Connect Learning Labs
Speaker: Curtis Dukes, Sunshine Electronic Display
How to Use Signage to Attract Customers and Keep Them Coming Back
Highway signage has long been more than a tool for direction—it’s a reflection of evolving technology, shifting traveler expectations, and broader industry trends. Drawing from over five decades of industry experience, we’ll examine how landmark signage—such as the now-iconic LED Love’s Heart—illustrates the convergence of branding, technology, and infrastructure. Attendees will gain insights into how signage design continues to evolve in response to digital integration, environmental considerations, and consumer behavior.

• 11:45 am – 12:30 pm: NATSO Connect Food Focus Forum
Moderator: Jessica Williams, Food Forward Thinking LLC
Panelists: NATSO Foundation Food and Beverage Steering Council
New! Quality food offerings can drive customer loyalty and give truck stop and travel center operators a competitive advantage. Whether customers are coming in for grab-and-go snacks, full meals or sweet treats, they want fresh, quality offerings. The right mix of proprietary and branded offers can make a location really stand out, but a successful food program requires a commitment from owners and managers.

In the new NATSO Connect Food Focus Forum, the NATSO Foundation Food and Beverage Steering Council will examine:
– How travel centers can use food to bring in customers.
– The pros and cons of proprietary food.
– Equipment ideas to deliver quality food fast.

Hear specific ideas from the experts on the Food and Beverage Steering Council and connect with the operators at your table on the ways they are tackling food in 2026. Attend to ensure you remain relevant amidst evolving consumer food, buying, and travel habits. Vendors interested in joining the NATSO Foundation Food and Beverage Steering Council should email atoner@natsofoundation.org.

• 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch: Hosted Roundtables
The NATSO Foundation is offering a new hybrid educational/networking event aimed at connecting vendors with truck stops and travel centers. Continue the conversations you started at breakfast or select a new vendor to continue to grow your solutions.

•1:00 pm – 1:45 pm: The Trucking Economy: What it Means for Truck stops and Travel Centers: NATSO Connect Keynote
Speaker: Bob Costello, Chief Economist & Senior Vice President, International Trade Policy, at the American Trucking Associations
Bob Costello, Chief Economist & Senior Vice President, International Trade Policy, at the American Trucking Associations, is back by popular demand to share critical insights into the future of the trucking industry at NATSO Connect.

Costello will discuss a number of factors influencing trucking and freight demand, including tariffs, Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, inflation, international trade and immigration policy, among other factors that affect NATSO member fleet customers.

Costello also will dissect key barometers of trucking’s economic health, from motor carrier financial and operating data to ATA’s annual freight transportation forecast and driver wage studies.

Don’t miss this opportunity for an in-depth analysis of the current position — and future outlook — for your trucking customers.

Sponsored by: Federated Insurance

• 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: What Does the 2026 Legislative and Regulatory Outlook Hold for Travel Centers? NATSO Connect Keynote
Speakers: Max McBrayer, President & CEO of NATSO, David Fialkov, LeeAnn Goheen and Jessi Frend, NATSO’s Government Affairs team
Max McBrayer, President & CEO of NATSO, will host David Fialkov, LeeAnn Goheen and Jessi Frend, NATSO’s Government Affairs team, for an in-depth panel discussion on the 2026 political and regulatory landscape and the federal transportation and fuels policies expected to impact your truck stops or travel centers.

This discussion will focus on the current politics surrounding the economics of blending biofuels and the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization. The 2026 “highway bill” will define the future of highway transportation policy — and the value of your off-highway real estate.

Learn how NATSO is advocating to ensure a level playing field for the truck stop and off-highway fuel retail industry, including the ability to operate your business free from government competition at rest areas. Join us and prepare your business to identify — and adapt — to emerging challenges and opportunities created by federal policy.

Sponsored by: Altria