Schedule (Preliminary and Subject to Change)

Hilton Nashville Airport BNA Terminal, TN

Education at Fast Forward Focus is offered by the NATSO Foundation. The NATSO Foundation is the research education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO Inc. Interested in speaking? Reach out to NATSO Foundation Executive Director Amy Toner at atoner@natsofoundation.org.

Wednesday, October 28

NATSO Board of Directors Strategic Planning
11:30am – 5:30 pm
The NATSO Board of Directors Strategic Planning is open to Board of Directors only.

Registration
2:30 – 3:30 pm and 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Registration will be open prior to the Retail Tour and before the Dessert Welcome Reception.

NATSO Foundation Fast Forward Focus Retail Tour
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm      
Meet at the hotel registration, 1st Floor.
NATSO Foundation retail tours provide attendees with an opportunity to tour best–in–class retail locations, gather great ideas from successful travel center operators and network with other travel center operators in attendance!

Retail tour participants should plan to meet in the hotel lobby at the hotel registration desk at 3:00 p.m. The group will travel via bus.

Dessert Welcome Reception 
8:00 pm – 9:30 pm      
Join the early arrivals for desserts and cocktails.

Thursday, October 29

Registration
8:00 – 12:00 pm    

NATSO Foundation Board of Directors Meeting 
8:00 – 9:00 am    
The NATSO Foundation Board of Directors meeting is open to Foundation Board members only.   

Breakfast and Networking
8:30 am

Executive Briefing: Learn How to Pursue Federal Truck Parking Grants In Partnership with Your State DOT 
9:15-10:00 am  
The U.S. Transportation Department and Congress continue to open pools of capital for truck parking as capacity expansion has elevated to a top-tier national infrastructure priority.

Under Federal-aid Highway Programs and discretionary grant programs — including the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) and Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants — the U.S. Federal government has awarded more than $750 million in the last five years. In 2026, lawmakers appropriated $200 million for truck parking projects — marking the first federal carve out for truck parking projects. Lawmakers also are pushing to include another $750 million in surface transportation reauthorization. 

Accessing federal truck parking grants necessitates a strategic approach that requires strong partnerships between truck stops, travel centers and your state transportation department. The process is long and, often, the application timeframe is short.  

Alex Marach, director, freight analytics at global infrastructure consulting firm CPCS, will walk attendees through the types of Federal funding programs, the federal and state grant process, and explain how it really works so that you can take advantage of truck parking grant opportunities.

Alex will discuss: 
How to establish DOT relationships long before a grant opportunity arises;
How states develop truck parking projects;
What’s involved in a state grant application for federal funds; 
How you can seize public-private partnership opportunities; 
The outlook for current and future truck parking grants;
How to make your location a viable state DOT partner.

Executive Briefing: Learn What Drives Car Traffic
10:15-11:00 am    
To help Fast Forward Focus attendees better understand four-wheel customers’ needs and buying behavior, Carly Deitrich, VP Customer Success, will share PAR Retail’s extensive research on what factors play essential roles in attracting and retaining four-wheel customers. 

What brings car traffic in? 
What are they buying at fuel retailers? 
How are professional drivers shopping in their personal life? 
What purchasing themes are rising that travel centers should be tapping into?  

With Deitrich’s expert intel, operators can position themselves as preferred destinations, capture more sales and ensure long-term growth.

Table Discussions: Travel Center Technology
11:15 – 12 pm

NATSO Board of Directors Meeting
12:15-4:15 pm  

The NATSO Board of Directors Business meeting is open to Board of Directors and Chairman’s Circle members only.


       

       

Thank You to Our 2026 Fast Forward Focus Sponsors