A new city proved to be an added draw for the 64th Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG) PrimeTime event and expo, hosted at San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. And because everything is bigger in Texas, participation was strong with 120 exhibitors and over 3,000 attendees — a 20 percent increase from 2024. This created ample opportunity for connection and learning — along with access to exclusive deals as green as the San Antonio River on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
In what has been an unpredictable start to 2025, Nationwide’s San Antonio PrimeTime brought much needed clarity, transparency and hope to the independent channel. The theme for March 2025 — Power of Connection — also permeated every facet of the four-day event, through networking opportunities, customer-focused solutions, community-driven initiatives, educational sessions and the sharing of resources.
“This event is all about building and making connections,” Nationwide CEO Tom Hickman emphasized to attendees at the show’s opening general session. “Our goal is to create the kinds of connections that get you fired up — because you know they have a real impact on your business. We want you to have conversations with your peers, vendor partners and us.”
Hickman’s welcome was followed by a kick-off keynote from Matthew Leiser of Cleveland Research Center, who gave a current economic overview along with research-supported predictions for the remainder of 2025 and beyond, with emphasis on impacts for independent retailers.
Day one concluded with a welcome reception, but not before an insightful Q&A between Leiser and Hickman and a special message announcing the establishment and formalization of Nationwide’s give back efforts, under the umbrella of NMG Gives — an initiative that began with support for No Child Hungry (NCH) in 2018 and now extends to two additional legacy charities, Smile Together and Destination Hope.
With a purpose to uplift and transform the lives of children in need, NMG Gives’ initiatives focus on helping kids globally through local activation, which included efforts at PrimeTime. Attendees were encouraged to volunteer on the show floor, a request that led to over 32,000 items packed for NCH fire relief kits packed for the victims of California wildfires.
To emphasize the power of connection through education, the Nationwide Learning Academy (NLA) offered over 30 member-led sessions at PrimeTime. In addition to offering more vendor-led courses, the NLA took a fresh approach this year by incorporating real-world success stories from NMG members into the mix to provide attendees with practical, market-tested ideas and peer-driven insights.
Educational opportunities continued with two mainstage presentations — an economic update from Wells Fargo and a digital-focused session on strategies for retail success. The digital mainstage wrapped up with a panel of Nationwide members emphasizing the benefits and value of NMG OneShop, a proprietary set of solutions curated to optimize digital marketing and advertising strategies for independent retailers.
After a 2024 hiatus, PrimeTime Backyard returned, inviting attendees to a backyard block party just outside the expo floor, complete with live music, lawn games and food samples served fresh off the latest outdoor cooking products offered by NMG vendors.
And it wouldn’t be PrimeTime without Palooza, the event’s exclusive 90-minute, limited-time savings extravaganza, along with other savings opportunities like CashBack and show-only specials. “Exclusive deals are a major draw for every show, and our vendor partners continue to drive excitement with offers not available anywhere else,” shares Melissa Stenson, VP of Member Experience for Nationwide. “But our goal is always to make PrimeTime a valuable experience that goes beyond financial benefits to truly highlight the power and impact of connecting with peers and partners alike. That feeling of connection was evident as Nationwide took over five restaurants on the River Walk on St. Patrick’s Day for an unforgettable block party,” Stenson added. “As we look to the next show, I am confident we will hear more stories of success from our members who joined us in San Antonio.”
The Nationwide Marketing Group team will return to Nashville, Tennessee for the next PrimeTime, slated for August 17-20, 2025 at Music City Center. For more information, visit the PrimeTime website at www.nationwideprimetime.com.
