CHICAGO -( ASIA TODAY )- Another year of strong growth for both attendee and exhibitor numbers at the NRA Show. The event offered everything needed to achieve success in the foodservice industry. From knowledge to hands-on implementation, to quantity to quality, from variety to value, from innovation to traditional well-proven solutions, the NRA Show had it all.
Spanning three Halls at McCormick Place, the NRA Show floor featured more than 2,900 established and emerging supplier brands showcasing more than 900 product categories. In the show floor it was evident the high energy created by the new exhibitors, which included 102 new tech and entertainment brands, 134 food producers, and 135 equipment manufacturers.
A quick glance at the exhibitor listings would guide you to booths that represent cuisines from Brazilian to Italian, Chinese to Middle Eastern. An international focus was one approach to the abundant input available in the exhibition halls—moving across borders without a passport. From the exhibitors showcasing their brands, innovations and new products, 45% of international brands were from Asia, representing the most important group of international exhibitors. Exhibiting companies from Asia included but were not limited to Ajinomoto North America INC., Autec INC., Kikkoman Sales USA INC, Suzumo Machinery CO. LTD., Beijing Zhonglian International Exhibition Co. Ltd., Guangdong Xingxing Refrigeration Equipment Co. Ltd., Guangzhou Elaboratex Western Kitchen Equipments Co. Ltd, Ningbo Chaoshun Eletric Appliance CO. LTD., Shandong Jedesen Commercial Kitchenware Co. Ltd, Shanghai Myle's International CO. LTD, Zhejiang Meisda Refrigeration Technology CO. LTD., Tangshan Burak Hotel Supplies Co. Ltd, Woosung Enterprise Co. Ltd., BARSKOREA and Takerng Pineapple Industrial.
NRA Show also made it easy for buyers and sellers of products and services to find one another through focused areas of the Show floor. These Pavilions were destinations showcasing suppliers and manufacturers addressing today’s key trends and interests. Prominent areas included:
• Alternative Bitestyle - dedicated to products operators need to address special dietary needs on their menus such as gluten-free, allergy-focused, low-sodium, vegetarian, low-sugar and beyond.
• Conserve Solutions Center - which showcased sustainability-related products and services that increase customer attraction and retention by reducing carbon footprints and demonstrating environmental responsibility.
• The Organic & Natural Pavilion - provided a central, dedicated exhibit area that helped buyers easily find certified organic and natural products.
Besides an impressive selection of exhibitors and specialty areas, NRA Show 2014 also showcased other key events that highlighted trends happening in our industry:
• Foodamental Studio- A brand new area of the show floor which translated into a hands-on, crash-course workshop where you could try out the processes and techniques behind the most talked-about culinary trends of the year! On May 17, for example, Malaysia’s Food Ambassador to the U.S. Christina Arokiasamy shared her personal story and demonstrated how spices and aromatics such as turmeric and tamarind qualify as “What’s Hot”.
• World Culinary Showcase – where world-class chefs demonstrated recipes, tips and techniques live on-stage. On May 18, live and in person, you could have watched how gluten sensitivity affects international cuisine and how celebrity chefs Maneet Chauhan, Jehangir Mehta & Maxime Bilet handled the challenge.
• McCormick Place Rooftop Garden Tour – where participants experienced a sustainability wonder first-hand. This event highlighted a prime example of urban agriculture at work with a visit to Midwest’s largest rooftop garden.
• More than 80 FREE education sessions – which brought together trending topics and industry leaders for the ultimate experience in education. On May 17 you could have learned how Chefs are changing the World or you could have also learned more about “Supply Chain Challenges”. On May 18 you could have gotten more knowledgeable about which “Restaurateurs to Watch”, a panel with leaders such as Nick Kokonas co-owner of Alinea, Next and the Aviary.
The show was also an unprecedented success in terms of attendance, with more visitors coming from abroad to connect with high-powered buyers and influencers interested in anything from ingredients and beverage to technology solutions and products. There were a lot of ways to extract useful, actionable information from the variety of experiences the NRA Show offered—maybe the cleverest was just to use the Show as a surrogate for world travel. NRA Show 2015 will be held May 16-19 at Chicago's McCormick Place. Save the date!!
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