forecourttech, Alicante 14-15 October 2026
The forecourttech conference & meetings Convention is focused on present day and evolving retail technologies that advance and optimise operations around fuel & convenience retail and enhance the customer experience. forecourttech bring fuel & convenience retailers together with leading solution providers to create an environment for thought leadership, effective networking and business opportunities, supported by key industry associations, leading international media and industry consultants.
14-15 October 2026, Asia Gardens Hotel, Alicante, Spain
Smartest Store to be spotlighted at forecourttech 2026
forecourttech and Global Convenience announce strategic partnership
forecourttech and Global Convenience are pleased to announce a newly agreed collaboration, focused on content from the Smartest Store in the World 2026 competition and the Future of Convenience podcast platform.
The strategic partnership brings together two organisations who have a shared mission to spotlight technology innovation, elevate best practice, and deliver practical examples of retail technology excellence to the global convenience and forecourt community.
Now in its ninth year, forecourttech is established as a highly regarded, must-attend convention by senior retail management executives, representing national and multi-national forecourt and retail operators, from Europe and beyond. The partnership will integrate learnings from the Smartest Store in the World competition into the successful forecourttech event platform. It will also provide an influential stage for short-listed competition entries to showcase their world-class retail tech, in person, to the forecourttech audience.
Global Convenience, organiser of the unique Smartest Store in the World competition, the Best EV Hub and the Best Foodvenience Store in the World competitions, is a leading platform for the convenience and mobility industry retail worldwide to share, learn and innovate. The objective of the Smartest Store in the World Competition is to find the one store and the retail tech that is head and shoulders above the rest, exemplified by its use of AI, data, analytics and world-class technology.
forecourttech and Global Convenience will work together to ensure the insights from the Smartest Store in the World reach a broader audience. A Smartest Store top 10 entry will be invited to deliver a keynote at the forecourttech’26 event in October in Alicante, Spain, giving forecourttech delegates the opportunity to hear directly from the operator and learn about its retail transformation journey.
Stephen Bozdan, Managing Director SAB Events and organiser of forecourttech’26 said: “The forecourttech Conference and Meetings Convention has become a success story through collaborating with industry associations and consultants, vital for fostering innovation, expanding awareness and networks. Collaboration keeps us ahead of the rest and abreast of the latest trends and developments. The partnership with Global Convenience and Future of Convenience podcast allows us to continue on that path, and I look forward to pooling our resources and expertise, to generate impactful and relevant content that might not emerge in isolation.”
Dan Munford, CEO, Insight Research & Global Convenience: “The goal of our global competitions is to always to drive industry progress and in this case the focus is retail technology. We’re getting some very strong entries to this competition! In fact, it has been described by one of our competition judges as the ‘North Star for Retail’. As the fascinating entry content comes to light on www.globalconvenience.com, at NACS events and now at forecourttech, it will be really interesting to see the impact it will have on the pace of change in our industry.”
