by
Greg Hilton
Each May, professionals from all around the food industry make the annual pilgrimage to the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago. I have attended on and off for around 15 years or so and each year, I meet an incredibly fascinating group of individuals and learn a tremendous amount. I am also in awe of the shear magnitude of the planning process and what must go into putting on a show of that size. Kudos to all of the individuals involved.
It is not (fill in the blank) as it used to be
For each show I have attended over the years you always hear folks saying something like…. “It is not as big as it used to be.” Or, “The NRA show does not cater as much to manufacturers as it used to.” Or maybe, “The NRA has far too many people wearing purple shirts.” Or…. Something else that misses the point.
Yeah, maybe in a challenging economy the NRA show has had to adjust its agenda and perhaps its approach. It is a good thing they do. Keeping the exact same agenda regardless of the industry needs and conditions would be a recipe for failure.
IFMA, the National Restaurant Association, and others provide fantastic programs during the National Restaurant Association event--education, networking, relationship building--that aid foodservice trading partners. Wow, that is a hard goal to hit, and it is one that (regardless of the economic conditions), IFMA really does a great job at each year.
Where else, and at what other venue can you attract so many individuals from around our industry for one event? The
NRA show is a great place to come together and network, maybe promote a product or an idea and, ultimately, to educate yourself about the goings on in our industry.
Our team will have representatives visiting the show again this year. As always, I expect to learn a lot and to promote our products and services to an industry that desperately needs a contract and trade management solution.
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National Restaurant Association,
International Foodservice Manufacturer Association