100th NRA Show Promises Both New And Familiar

Registration has opened for the 100th annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show, May 18-21, 2019, and registering now mean 50% savings on a badge.

Well over 65,000 foodservice professionals are expected to come to Chicago’s McCormick Place and see the products and service offered by more than 2,300 exhibitors in 900+ product categories.

In addition to new products, services and information, returning favorites will be back as well, including Startup Alley, highlighting the work of emerging, tech-savvy start-ups; the Water Cooler, a place for networking and idea sharing; and the Restaurant Revenue Growth Conference, a separate, concurrent event that offers strategic ideas on increasing revenues.

Of particular interest and value to the E&S industry, there are the Kitchen Innovations Awards, highlighting the best, most creative products designed to improve back-of-the-house operations. The deadline to apply is December 5. To be considered, all equipment and technology innovations must be introduced within the 24 months prior to the 2019 NRA Show

And FER will again honor venerated and high-achieving E&S professionals with its 2019 Industry Awards on May 19 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.

In addition to some returning favorites at the show, comes a new twist. On October 1, it was announced that the NRA and Winsight LLC had formed an equity partnership, through which Winsight, owners of Technomic Inc., will assume operational ownership and execution of the show.

The NRA Show will continue to be branded under the name of the association as part of an exclusive 45-year branding, content, and promotion sponsorship agreement.  Mary Pat Heftman will become President of the Restaurant Show Group at Winsight, and the current Convention team will move to Winsight as well. The NRA says the partnership will serve the emerging and changing needs of the foodservice industry; it will have an advisory seat on Winsight’s board of directors.