2012 NRA Show Shifts To Earlier Date: May 5-8

The City of Big Shoulders only has so much elbow room. And with thousands of bigwigs coming to town May 15-22, 2012, for the global G8 and NATO summits, the National Restaurant Association has moved the date of next May’s show in Chicago.

The 2012 NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show was originally scheduled for May 19-22 but will now be held May 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The concurrent International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event will move to May 6-7.

“The NRA’s primary goal is provide our exhibitors and attendees an environment that is conducive to business,” said NRA Pres. and CEO Dawn Sweeney. Security and logistics issues, not to mention demand for hotel rooms, for those attending the summits made it clear that movement within the city would be severely restricted.

The NRA Show has been held in Chicago for 51 years; it is contracted to remain at McCormick Place through `16. Negotiations are ongoing with the exhibit hall’s labor unions to cut down on exhibitor expenses.