It may have “restaurant” in its name, but the National Restaurant Association Show isn’t just for those on the commercial side of the foodservice spectrum. The Show, taking place May 21–24 at McCormick Place in Chicago, offers opportunities for operators across the food industry to connect with suppliers; check out the latest in culinary and health and wellness trends; get new ideas for addressing labor, technology and operational challenges; and more.
Check out some of the top reasons to attend.
1. Help with recruiting and retention
The Show’s schedule is packed with expert-led sessions aimed at providing insights, perspectives and strategies on the industry’s hottest topics. On Monday, May 23, operators will find two sessions focused on building a better workforce.
First up, attendees of “Accelerating Cultural Change in the Foodservice Industry” will hear from James Pogue, president and CEO of JP Enterprises; Chip Wade, president of Union Square Hospitality Group; and Kelli Valade, former CEO of Red Lobster, as they discuss the importance of an inclusive leadership and the value in accelerating change. Then, hear from Clinton Anderson, CEO of Fourth, a workforce management solutions provider, about best practices for attracting and retaining talent in 2022 during the session “3 Keys to Winning the Labor Battle.”
2. A look at industry disruption
Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and founder of venture-capital firm Seven Seven Six, is this year’s Show keynote speaker. In a conversation on Saturday, May 21, with Starr Marcello, deputy dean of MBA programs at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Ohanian will discuss how many of the disruptions—including cryptocurrency and historic social and cultural shifts—are changing the future of business and how those will translate to the foodservice industry.
3. A chance to connect in person
With more than 500 new exhibitors and 1,000 returning exhibitors set to fill the halls of Chicago’s McCormick Place, the Show floor will offer a chance for attendees to connect with suppliers that are addressing operators’ evolving needs and priorities in technology, workforce management, sustainability and more. The Show’s TECH Pavilion, specifically, offers a one-stop-snapshot of the latest products, tools and processes that can help make businesses more modern, efficient and profitable.
4. Sustainable strategies
Sustainability has come into sharper focus for operators of all sizes—and for good reason. For consumers sheltering at home during the pandemic, the amount of food and packaging waste they generated daily was on full display, and the experienced changed how they think about sustainability. On May 24, FMI–The Food Industry Association’s Andy Harig will lead a session on what this means for food businesses, including how environmentally conscious packaging practices can help attract and retain customers and how sustainable packaging can impact the bottom line.
5. See what culinary leaders are cooking up
The Show offers numerous opportunities to check out the latest in culinary trends that can help meet consumers' evolving taste preferences and dietary demands and build more-relevant retail foodservice programs. The Show’s Product Showcase offers an up-close look at innovative, efficiency-focused products, while the Kitchen Innovation Showroom feature cutting-edge equipment designed to improve the back-of-house. There are also live demonstrations, during which some of the nation’s most-respected chefs will showcase the flavors and foods resonating with consumers today.
The National Restaurant Association Show is owned and operated by FoodService Director parent company Winsight LLC in equity partnership with the National Restaurant Association.
A version of this story appeared on Winsight Grocery Business.