Innovation, operations, and community: Curri at the NAW Executive Summit 2026

The distribution industry touches pretty much every facet of the U.S. economy. And at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) Executive Summit, leaders from the fastest-growing distribution firms come together to connect, celebrate innovation, and keep it all about community. In January of this year, the Curri team had the opportunity to do just that. 

Attendees at this year’s conference heard from political, technology, academic, and other global industry leaders on the main stage, and the insights were unforgettable. Every learning is brought to shape future strategies and inspire businesses to work harder, innovate smarter, and set themselves apart. It all happened over a few short days in Washington, D.C. Here’s what we were there to do, and the highlights we took away from it. 

About NAW

NAW, founded in 1946, is one of the U.S.’s leading trade associations. They represent the wholesale distribution industry, estimated at $8.2 trillion. The organization includes state, regional, and national employers at any scale, as well as stakeholders and trade associations across multiple sectors. 

The wholesale distribution industry employs approximately 6 million workers nationwide and accounts for roughly one-third of the U.S. GDP. The long-standing summit is a highlight for businesses big and small, and there’s no shortage of inspiration to go around the whole year. 

For Curri, it’s all about the people 

The Curri team entered the NAW summit with innovative technology and a people-first approach. Yes, technology continues to reshape speed, logistics, and visibility. At the end of the day, it’s about the people who get to reap the reward of delivering the real business impact. 

Curri’s platform was designed to augment human decision-making, not replace it. By combining drivers, dispatch teams, and customers with automation, live data, and AI, Curri helps distributors maintain client trust and move faster to meet supply chain demand. 

It’s no secret that many in the distribution sector face labor constraints, rising customer expectations, and tighter margins. So Curri’s people-plus-tech approach offers a practical way to forge ahead. It’s intuitive design, easy implementation, ultimate visibility, and AI that actually works, allowing distributors to scale on-demand delivery strategies without sacrificing the customer experience. At the summit, Curri demonstrated how pairing human expertise and creativity with tech makes a more resilient, responsive logistics solution for the next era of distributors. 

NAW highlights

NAW 2026 brought leaders of all kinds to panels and stages. Most notably, the convention featured an exclusive conversation with President George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States and founder of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. President Bush spoke on the challenges facing the U.S. today, and the power of freedom. 

The summit also featured events, including:

• Panels and strategic sessions: There were numerous high-level discussions by industry thought leaders on the future of distribution and emerging market trends. 
• Keynotes on innovation and technology: Talks covered digital optimization, AI advancements, and new technologies, including insights into e-commerce and PIM solutions.
• Presentations with actionable insights: Summit attendees sat in presentations designed to help leaders drive growth and improve operational efficiency. Some even included case studies of recent examples of digital transformation.

And of course, there were opportunities to connect and network. Speaking with industry peers, leaders, and new potential partners is what it’s all about. 

Bringing innovation to leaders in distribution

This year, Curri had a lot to showcase at NAW. We’re already known for offering full visibility for wholesale dispatchers and customers alike through live tracking and proof of delivery. But we were also there to show off:

1. Our advanced Route Planner: Curri’s Route Planner uses simple drag-and-drop functionality and advanced AI to optimize paths, save overhead costs, and meet customer expectations. The Route Planner in particular also recently won Gartner’s Best Ease of Use 2026. 
2. Our range of delivery types: What was once a source of reliable last-mile long-haul trucking is now a catch-all delivery app people in all industries can trust. Curri offers the right vehicle, from sedans to flatbed trucks, the right driver, and the optimized route for every leg of the journey. 
3. Our data-driven, accessible approach: Curri offers live traffic forecasting, opt-in notifications, and other intuitive features without the learning curve. We serve industries that are slow to adopt new tech, so making the app usable and accessible right from sign-up is a must. 

On top of that, Curri continues to offer Smart Match. Users can upload a competing quote, and we’ll match or beat it. We want smart logistics to deliver (no pun intended) without breaking the bank.

Put people first with Curri today

Curri has been a NAW member since 2022, and the team will be attending the September event in Nashville, as well as the Washington D.C. event next January. If your business is also attending, we’d be happy to say hi! 

And if you’re looking to revamp your delivery logistics, see a demo from Curri today. Our unified logistics platform supports FTL, LTL, dedicated, hotshot, and even parcel service. We’re here to deliver the tech you need to save money, boost efficiency, and enable your people to do more with less.