Education Program

Industry Insights & Educational Seminars

The Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Expo 2027 will feature a robust lineup of educational seminars designed to deliver timely insights, practical strategies, and forward-looking perspectives for today’s fuel, food, and retail professionals. Sessions will be led by experienced industry experts and thought leaders, covering topics such as emerging technologies, marketing trends, regulatory considerations, operational efficiency, and workforce development. Whether you’re focused on growth, innovation, or navigating change, the seminar program is built to provide actionable knowledge you can take back to your business.

Educational Program

Wednesday,

March 3, 2027

Meeting Room 202 (second floor)

Network Strategy in Transition: Optimizing Site Portfolios for Fuel, Convenience, and Electrification

Future-ready network planning for fuel marketers navigating the shift to diversified energy and retail models. This session presents strategic framework to help members make smarter decisions about site expansion, consolidation, and reinvestment.

Meeting Room 202 (second floor)

From ChatGPT to Custom AI: How Large Language Models are Powering Smarter, Faster Decisions in Fuel Retail

Practical applications of AI and large language models in fuel retail decision-making and strategy.

Meeting Room 203 (second floor)

The Value of 3rd Party Aftermarket Parts Suppliers in Retail Petroleum

Overview of the importance of aftermarket parts providers in increasing profitability and operational efficiency in the retail petroleum industry.
Challenges in the Industry
Highlight low profit margins (~3%) and the need for strategies to improve gross margin and reduce expenses.
The Role of Aftermarket Providers
Explanation of how aftermarket parts offer cost-effective, high-quality alternatives to OEM parts.
Address common misconceptions about remanufactured and rebuilt parts.
Market Trends and EV Transition
Discussion of the growing electric vehicle (EV) market and its impact on the industry.
Current realities and long-term projections for EV adoption.
Key Benefits of Aftermarket Parts
Cost savings, improved warranties, better inventory options, and sustainability benefits.
Enhanced solutions for both service companies and station owners.
Reinforce the value of leveraging aftermarket solutions to overcome challenges and stay competitive in the evolving market.

Meeting Room 204 (second floor)

Leadership Development - The Essential Convenience Growth Tool

Everything Runs Through the Store Manager. Everything. Convenience Store Growth is essential to long term value. It is driven with C-Store Operations. Review best practices of high growth family chains regarding their investment into their operations talent: Staff retention – Team building – Customer experience – Improved operations – Optimal financial performance.

Meeting Room 204 (second floor)

What Most People Overlook When Planning for EV Charger Expansion

Site owners wanting to enter the EV charging market by offering charging at their gas stations / c-stores typically do not have all of the information around what it really takes to deploy EV charging. In this session we will cover the often overlooked, critical details that need to be not only accounted for, but planned for. These include the assumptions around charging equipment selection, financial planning, the tactical tasks including pre-construction site walks, permitting, utility coordination, material selection, as well as typical pitfalls of project execution. Attendees will come out of this session better prepared to ask the right questions of their partners as they take on an EV charging project.

Meeting Room 205 (second floor)

Retail Marketing With AI to Save Time and Money

In this session moderated by John Lofstock, Editor Emeritus for CStore Decisions magazine, John, Ernie Harker, the Chief Marketing Officer for Ignite Retail Technology and a still-to-be-determined convenience store retailer, will discuss how convenience stores should be incorporating AI into their retail strategy to help in all aspects of store management including marketing, staffing, store design and layout, loyalty programs and branding.

Meeting Room 206 (second floor)

Right People, Right Place, Right Vision

This session focuses on hiring, training, and retaining great people, making sure those new hires (as well as existing staff) are in the best possible role within the organization and that all of the organization’s staff is heading in the same direction to hit the company’s goals. I will also add a bonus piece on a “hiring drivers” strategy that is unorthodox but very effective and will also touch on AI.

Meeting Room 207 (second floor)

Managing Automated Tank Gauges (ATGs): Best Practices for Gas Station Owners/Operators

This educational session will provide gas station owners and operators with practical guidance on managing Automated Tank Gauges (ATGs). Participants will learn best practices for daily operation, common compliance pitfalls, how to ensure accurate leak detection, and strategies for maximizing ATG performance to reduce downtime.

Meeting Room 208 (second floor)

2025 & 2026 Legislative Recap & Roadmap Ahead

This education session will provide an overview of the 2025 legislative landscape with results and impacts on both threatening and proactive regulatory actions (flavor bans, excise taxes, preemption, and vapor directories etc.). We’ll also explore the ongoing legislative proposals in 2026 at the federal, state, and local levels.

Meeting Room 208 (second floor)

Fewer Fines, Faster Lines: Digital Age-Verification in the Age of AI and Privacy

In this exciting discussion, we’ll explore the innovations in age-verification that impact our stores and our customers. With people and the government increasingly focused on privacy, how can we ensure we, as retailers, maximize profit, revenue, and ensure our channel has access to the latest products our customers want?

Meeting Room 209 (second floor)

Redefining Hemp Through Convenience – The Rise of Alternative Products

Will discuss the hemp industry in a scientific approach and debunking common misconceptions.

Meeting Room 209 (second floor)

The Hidden Profit Centers in Your Fuel Network

This session breaks down the new realities facing fuel retailers: shifting from volume to margin, managing volatility, and avoiding costly downtime and compliance failures. Learn how leading operators are using real-time data to prevent fuel loss, cut maintenance costs, and stay compliant, with Supply & Logistics emerging as the next major opportunity.