SHFM Pushes National Conference to December

The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management has delayed its 2021 National Conference.

The organization shared the update this week, saying that it selected new dates of Dec. 6-8 “to allow for the best possible opportunity for a face-to-face conference.”

The event, to be held at Omni Amelia Island Resort in Amelia Island, Fla., was initially scheduled for Sept. 20-22. Conference registration will be available this fall.

In the meantime, as the country awaits widespread vaccinations, all eyes remain on one of the industry’s most prominent events—the National Restaurant Association’s 2021 show, as of press time still scheduled for May 22-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The National Restaurant Association’s show is expected to include more than 2,300 companies, including Amazon Business, contactless order pickup solutions provider Apex, foodservice packaging design company Inno-Pak and OilChef, the creator of an accessory for commercial deep fryers.

Another key event, The NAFEM Show 2021 has acknowledged the possibility that plans may change, but it states that the show is expected to take place as scheduled Aug. 26-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Last spring, the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers announced it had moved the show from February 2021 to August 2021 over concerns arising from COVID-19.

“The NAFEM Show is taking every precaution to ensure a safe and productive experience for our attendees, exhibitors and team,” NAFEM states on its site. “We are working closely with the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando hospitality leaders and all of our show partners to create a health and safety plan that meets all CDC, state, local and building guidelines.”

Editor’s Note: The National Restaurant Association announced the cancellation of its 2021 show after the publication of this story. Find out more here.