Chicago --(ASIA TODAY)-- The 97th annual NRA Show, recently held at Chicago’s McCormick Place on May 21-24, posted record exhibit space and an uptick in total registration of more than 6%.
As the most comprehensive event for the foodservice industry, NRA Show 2016 brought a diverse range of industry segments together under one roof. In addition to thousands of independent and chain restaurateurs, NRA Show attendance included:
• 100% of the top 50 restaurant brands in the world;
• 98 of the top 100 restaurant brands;
• Contract management representation from Aramark, Centerplate, Compass, Delaware North, Elior and Sodexo;
• Dealer and distributor representation from Sysco, US Foods, Gordon’s Foodservice, TriMark, Wasserstrom and Edward Don; and
• Retail representation from Mariano’s, Lowe’s Foods, Oasis Stop & Go, ShopRite, Whole Foods, Wawa and Sheetz.
“NRA Show 2016 really knocked it out of the park,” said Megan Tallman, VP, Customer and Trade Communications at The Coca-Cola Company. “From the caliber of attendees we met with to the number of leads generated to the overall buzz and energy, this was a blockbuster four days for our business.”
NRA Show Growth
• At more than 680,000 square feet, NRA Show was completely sold out and exceeded the previous NRA Show record of 638,424 by 7 percent.
• More than 67,000 total registrants hailed from more than 100 countries. The Retail registration category saw the highest annual growth with 21 percent, while the Dealer/Distributor and Restaurant/Foodservice Operator registration categories grew by 9 percent and 4 percent, respectively.
“NRA Show 2016 truly reflected the current state of the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry,” said Lisa Ingram, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2016 and President and CEO of White Castle System, Inc. “The sold-out exhibit floor represented major advancements in products and services that will solve a wide range of real-world operator challenges; the 80+ educational sessions and demonstrations focused on today’s most relevant topics; and the excitement and optimism of attendees and exhibitors alike was unmistakable.”
NRA Show Highlights
With a multitude of world-class speakers, celebrity chefs, and industry innovators, the NRA Show brought a new level of vibrancy to McCormick Place. National Restaurant Association CEO and President Dawn Sweeney led the brand new “Signature ’16: Turn the Tables” event in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Sweeney faced the future of local food with The Kitchen’s Kimbal Musk; talked the evolution of guest experience with Red Robin’s Denny Marie Post; and addressed the benefits of conveniently connecting diners and restaurants with Uber Everything’s Jason Droege.
Attendees raved about the “Reality Gets Real” session with Restaurant: Impossible’s Chef Robert Irvine and Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer. Designed to offer solutions to attendees for common operational pitfalls, the off-the-cuff conversation focused on effective leadership, accepting and embracing change, and the need to constantly evolve to keep ahead of competition.
New vertical conferences showcased the evolution of the industry with concentrated focuses on fast casual, retail, and the growth of non-commercial foodservice. The Fast Casual Industry Council Meeting brought together key executives serving up the most exciting and profitable concepts in the growing fast casual segment. Meanwhile the Foodservice at Retail Conference tackled key issues in the space, including recruiting and training culinary staff and developing a true culture of foodservice in a traditionally retail environment. The Non-Commercial Conference explored unique concepts being rolled out in educational and health care operations, tackling topics from local-sourcing to home meal delivery to operationalizing health and wellness, and innovative marketing and promotions.
For photos of the 2016 event, please visit https://show.restaurant.org/Attend/Press. NRA Show 2017 will be held May 20-23 at McCormick Place in Chicago. For more information, visit Restaurant.org/Show and find the NRA Show on Twitter @NRAShowIntl and our year-round content hub Brainfeed.
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Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises more than 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 14.4 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry’s largest trade show (NRA Show May 21-24, 2016, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids’ menu options. For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.
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