SPECS 2027
SPECS puts the people who build and maintain retail stores in the same room as the companies that carry out the work.
Mar 14-16, 2027 · Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Grapevine
- Show days
- 3
Its audience spans store planning, design, construction and facilities management, with restaurants and non-traditional retail included alongside conventional store chains. The supplier exhibition reflects that remit: general contractors, fire protection, signage, flooring, HVAC and maintenance platforms share the directory.
The conference is the organizing principle. Retailer and supplier orientation sessions lead into a Solution Center, Face2Face information exchanges and evening receptions. That structure makes SPECS particularly relevant to teams responsible for a store portfolio, where a prototype decision, a construction handoff and an equipment failure can all affect the same operating budget. The current program follows those connections through capital allocation, open-store remodels, predictive maintenance and vendor relationships. It is a place to examine how retail projects get delivered and kept working, as well as what goes into them.
How it compares
ConnexFM is the closest comparison for a facilities manager selecting service partners across an operating estate. Its association centers on multi-site facilities management, so the discussion naturally starts with portfolio support and the suppliers that provide it. SPECS extends that conversation upstream into store design, real estate, construction and rollout decisions. A team carrying responsibility from the initial store plan through ongoing maintenance has a clear reason to consider it.
EuroShop offers a different kind of trip. The Düsseldorf fair brings together international shopfitting, lighting, retail technology and foodservice sourcing. It suits buyers comparing physical products and store concepts across markets. SPECS has a more specific US retail development audience and a conference-led setting in which contractors, equipment suppliers and facilities specialists meet the people commissioning and managing their work.
The choice turns on the task. International product scouting points toward EuroShop; a facilities service network points toward ConnexFM. SPECS fits the intersection of capital projects and store operations, especially when the people deciding the design also need to understand installation, maintenance and the supplier relationship that follows.
SPECS fits retail teams responsible for getting stores built, remodeled and maintained across a chain.
Who exhibits
Carrier represents HVAC and energy management, ASSA Abloy Opening Solutions brings doors and access controls, and ServiceChannel sits on the maintenance software side. DAVACO and general contractors place project execution alongside those products. The mix connects physical store systems with the companies that install, repair and manage them. Signage, flooring, roofing, fire protection and exterior maintenance make the exhibition particularly relevant to portfolio-wide standards and recurring service needs.
This year's list is on its way. A HallBrief brief ranks every exhibitor against your goals and finds who to meet at each. Get a brief
SPECS 2027
SPECS 2027 focuses on the pressures linking store expansion to operating costs. Capital allocation, subcontractor shortages and open-store remodels sit alongside HVAC downtime prevention and maintenance strategy. Digital tools feature in construction, risk management and real estate sessions. The program also examines Gen Z store experiences and lessons from non-traditional retail. Face2Face exchanges, the Solution Center and evening receptions connect those discussions with suppliers, while the women in store development and facilities awards recognize leadership in the field.
- Face2Face overlaps with the Main Stage presentations. Decide whether retailer-supplier exchanges or the main presentation best serves your role before building your program.
- The retailer-only and exhibitor-only receptions are separate events. Use the orientation for your attendee group to understand that route into the wider SPECS welcome reception.
- For a remodel assignment, pair the session on digital tools for open-store remodels with the inter-department handoff discussion; together they address execution and the transition into facilities maintenance.
Exhibiting
Prospective suppliers contact the SPECS exhibit sales team; confirmed companies receive staff registration through their coordinator's eKit. The audience fits companies able to deliver construction or maintenance across a retail portfolio, with the Face2Face exchanges complementing the Solution Center.
What your brief includes
The full exhibitor list, and what to do with it.
- Halvorsen ProzesstechnikIndustrial machinery / Germany#3
- Alpenküche SystemeCommercial kitchens / Austria#4
- Brauwerk WielandBeverages / Germany#5
#3Halvorsen Prozesstechnik
- Why it matters
- Their hygienic conveyor line fits the plant expansion you described.
- Who to meet
- Head of Key Accounts, Food Processing
- What to ask
- Lead times for installations in 2027.
Example from a sample brief. The company is fictional.
How a brief is made
Tell us your goals
A short interview: what you want from SPECS 2027 and which kinds of partners you are after.
We research each company, one by one
For each company: what it makes, who it sells to, how it fits your goals and who buys there. Then we compare them side by side and rank the ones worth your time.
Walk in with a plan
A ranked list, a deep dive on each of your top picks, the people to meet and a strategy deck, all before the doors open.
