NACS 2026 BOSS Award Winners Announced
The Experiential Design Authority announced the winners of its NACS 2026 BOSS Awards during a recent LinkedIn Live webinar. The BOSS (Best of Show Stand) Awards recognize the best examples of experiential design at some of America's largest and most exciting trade shows, and this iteration was focused on the 2026 National Association of Convenience Stores show, held October 6-9, in Las Vegas.
Reynolds American’s first double-deck exhibit in a decade earned first place, while Tropicana Brands Group and Monster Energy Company finished second and third, respectively. Mondelez International and Bloom Nutrition rounded out the top five. Meanwhile, Saint James Brands won Best Small Exhibit, and Ferrara Candy Company received the People’s Choice Award.
The 2026 NACS Show drew 25,572 attendees from 74 countries and territories to Las Vegas, with 1,090 exhibitors across 442,600 net square feet. From that floor, TEDA chose 30 finalists for its main competition and five 10-by-10 booths for Best Small Exhibit. A panel of nine judges then scored each one. Exhibit City News served as the competition’s official media partner.
Each exhibit was scored from 1 to 10 on five weighted criteria:
• Concept and design: 20%
• Technology and innovation: 15%
• Engagement and immersion: 20%
• Execution and fabrication: 20%
• Overall impact: 25%
The highest and lowest judge’s scores for every entry were dropped, so no single judge had undue influence on the outcome.
“This was an incredibly tight competition,” said Travis Stanton, Executive Director of The Experiential Design Authority. “Less than two points separated first place from fifth, and one one-hundredth of a point separated 17th from 18th place.”
Finalists in first through fifth place receive Gold Awards. Those in sixth through tenth were named Silver winners. And the remaining finalists were named Bronze winners.
1. Reynolds American (Gold)
For the first time in 10 years, Reynolds built up. The second level of its 60-by-100 held three meeting rooms, with two more below, so retail partners could meet privately without shrinking the brand’s floor presence. At ground level, a circular exterior with transparent LED entrances led to showcases for the company’s three core brands, a VELO golf simulator, and a Grizzly NASCAR racing simulator. Judges described a clean, distraction-free design with strong visitor flow. Reynolds also drew one of the competition’s most emphatic endorsements. “From the circular exterior and transparent LEDs to the interactive display space and theatrical lighting, this was a beautiful booth,” one judge wrote. “It was in a league of its own, with the perfect balance of polish and personality.”
2. Tropicana Brands Group (Gold)
At 20-by-40, Tropicana claimed second with the most compact footprint in the top three, and its signature element was motion. Angled overhead LED walls poured a digital waterfall across a custom LED “T” and into the sampling counter, where visitors could try up to 20 flavors. Past two superwide innovation displays stood a life-size Florida orange tree, hung with hundreds of modeled oranges, flanked by oversized striped straws. Judges credited the design with uniting Tropicana, Naked, and the group’s other brands without diluting any of them.
3. Monster Energy Company (Gold)
Monster went big. Signage ran the full 100-foot face of its 50-by-100, and a 12-foot digital can at the entrance was paired with translucent LED panels. Inside, a central tasting bar sat between digital environments for associate brands such as Reign, Bang and NOS. Visitors also found a full c-store, a robot “dirty soda” bar, and a stage hosting Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, and Andy Velo. On the 2,000-square-foot double deck, buyers handled RFID-enabled cans that changed the sales sheets in front of them.
4. Mondelez International (Gold)
Mondelez arrived with new products it couldn’t show until the doors opened. With the launches under NDA, its 50-by-80 teased the news from the aisle and saved the reveal for inside. Photo moments did the drawing: an oversized swing, a Sour Patch Kid, a giant Oreo and a sculpted milk splash that spilled onto the floor. Guest left with printed photos, while the booth’s interior hosted scheduled client meetings. In one judge’s view, the exhibit gave adult buyers permission to enjoy nostalgic yet relevant brands they grew up with.
5. Bloom Nutrition (Gold)
Bloom packed perhaps the most personality per square foot of any Gold winner into a 20-by-30. Visitors stepped through an illuminated archway to sample the brand’s popular beverages, chose stick packs from a grab-and-go wall, and passed working fridges dressed with faux store doors. The journey ended in the Shirley Lounge, a meeting area and selfie spot backed by a full wall of neon. Lighting and color drew the most praise from judges, one of whom likened the booth to a playful brand oasis on the NACS show floor.
6. Ferrara Candy Company (Silver)
Four-hundredths of a point short of Gold, Ferrara found consolation in the public vote, taking home this year’s People’s Choice award. Overhead, a 40-foot-diameter “Inspiring Sweetness” sign hung above a 60-foot LED video banner. Below, 54 double-sided illuminated circular displays presented bags, boxes, and logos as buyers would see them on shelves. A sampling bar paired candy with custom Sunny Sky Slushee drinks, and an invitation-only red carpet previewed a 2027 category launch. Judges praised how the 40-by-100 gathered brands from Brach’s to Nerds into one cohesive statement.
7. Dover Fueling Solutions (Silver)
Fueling equipment rarely makes for spectacle, so Dover reimagined the service station through a futuristic lens. A sweeping overhead architectural sign framed its 50-by-110 and steered guests along a path of technology, from SiteIQ remote diagnostics to Wayne PWR DC fast chargers rated up to 640 kW. Blue accent lighting tied it together from floor to ceiling. “They somehow made fueling stations sexy,” one judge observed. Dover finished just six-hundredths of a point ahead of Red Bull.
8. Red Bull North America (Silver)
Red Bull’s MotorMania theme drew on both NASCAR and Formula 1, pairing a Red Bull stock car with an inverted F1 auto suspended overhead. A racing video game, a DJ area, and a sampling bar for the new Infusions line kept the 50-by-50 busy. A POS and foodservice area then tied the spectacle back to retail. Judges called it one of the clearest concepts on the floor, and one compared it to an adult amusement park.
9. Celsius Holdings (Silver)
Celsius designed its 40-by-40 to change throughout the show. Live music from The Paradox, a Juan Soto appearance, an Alani Nu Witches Brew takeover, and ESPN College GameDay moments gave attendees reasons to return. Meanwhile, CELSIUS, Alani Nu, and Rockstar Energy each held a distinct zone. A giant interactive slot-machine wall gave judges one of the clearest examples of technology enhancing the experience rather than decorating it.
10. Spindrift Beverage Company (Silver)
The quietest exhibit in the Top 10 got there on purpose. Spindrift set out to be the calm one on a loud show floor, and its 20-by-30 used curved custom bars, open-air refrigeration, and a greenhouse look to put real fruit and the packaging at center stage. Judges responded to the restraint, with one noting that its balance of color and texture stood out “among a sea of very noisy spaces.”
Best Small Exhibit: Saint James Brands
Saint James Brands won Best Small Exhibit with a 10-by-10 that relied on light and craft rather than scale. A backwall of illuminated lightboxes, curved edges, and a clean, glossy counter gave the iced tea brand a polished glow among its neighbors. Judges also noticed the people, citing a friendly, welcoming staff. One judge named it a personal favorite among the small exhibits, and another called it a smart way to stand out in a tight footprint.
The category was close. Saint James finished half a point ahead of Sesh Products US, whose minimalist, product-first booth drew more first-place votes (three) than any other small finalist. Tru Brands placed third, Saputo Cheese USA fourth, and Be Love fifth.
People’s Choice Award: Ferrara Candy Co.
Ferrara Candy Company won the People’s Choice Award, the only honor decided by the public rather than the judges. It earned nearly 20 percent of the votes cast on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, ahead of 5-hour Energy, Reynolds American, Yerba Madre, and The Hershey Company, which rounded out the top-five vote getters.
A few builders stood out across the results. EDE Corp. had a hand in four of the top 11 exhibits: Tropicana, Monster, Ferrara, and ITG. Good Time Creative placed Bloom and Spindrift in the Top 10, and C4 Energy and Chomps also made the finals. MC² built the winning Reynolds booth, along with finalists Verifone and Hershey.
Bronze Awards
Finalists in 11th through 30th place were named Bronze winners.
For more information on the NACS BOSS Awards, click here or contact info@experientialdesignauthority.com.
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