3 Stops To Make at The NAFEM Show

If there’s one piece of advice Steve Spittle would offer operators attending The NAFEM Show, it would be to use all three days of the show.

“Take your time,” says Spittle, NAFEM president and chief commercial officer of Middleby Corp. “You can spend so much time in so many booths. Don’t cut yourself short. And make sure you’re hitting the networking opportunities along the way.”

Organizers expect as many as 600-plus exhibitors and about 20,000 attendees at The NAFEM Show, taking place Feb. 26-28, 2025. The biennial event has moved to the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta after a long run in Orlando, Fla.

Deirdre Flynn, NAFEM executive vice president, can’t think of a better way to start off the new year. “We’re excited to welcome everyone to Atlanta to a showcase of wow-worthy innovations for today’s foodservice operations,” she says.

Spittle points to three can’t-miss features for operators attending The NAFEM Show:

U.S. Culinary Open: USCO is locating its inaugural competition for professional chefs, aimed at showcasing and promoting culinary excellence, on The NAFEM Show floor. “Operators from any segment, restaurants to healthcare to schools, will enjoy watching phenomenal chefs in their element, being creative, using world-class equipment, which also helps showcase NAFEM members’ products,” Spittle says.

The two-day competition features 12 chefs, all vying for the title of U.S. Culinary Open Champion. The competition takes place Wednesday and Thursday, with two sessions per day. Winners are announced on Friday.

What’s Hot! What’s Cool! product gallery: Located at Booth 3520, “the area recognizes true innovation,” Spittle says. “The requirements were strict. An oven that changes its knobs from red to blue wouldn’t qualify. When you’re walking the area, you really are getting the best new products across NAFEM member companies.” To appear in the gallery, the product had to be new since the 2023 show and had to meet at least one of three key value propositions: design (aesthetic impact), cost reduction (labor/time, energy, footprint, automation) or revenue generation. Operators, dealers or consultants can register to take a guided show floor tour of WHWC products on Wednesday or Thursday. Tickets cost $50 and space is limited.

“When you’re walking the area, you really are getting the best new products across NAFEM member companies.”

– Steve Spittle 

The NAFEM Party: Traditionally held at the convention center, The NAFEM Party will be extra-special in 2025, Spittle says, as it takes place on the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to the Atlanta Falcons. The party will boast a live performance by the band OneRepublic and starts at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Operators also will want to attend the Kick-Off Party earlier in the week, on Tuesday. “It’s open to everyone and it’s a great opportunity to get together,” Spittle says. Tickets for both events are available through registration.

Additionally, educational opportunities abound at @CenterStage, the show’s educational theater, and in just about any exhibitor’s booth. Thinking of product trends overall, Spittle expects to see plenty of items that help operators address labor issues, from training to retention. “There isn’t a manufacturer in NAFEM that doesn’t have one or more products that help address some aspect of the labor challenges,” he says.

The NAFEM Show

Georgia World Congress Center
285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW,
Atlanta

Show Hours
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28

For more information, visit thenafemshow.org.