FESmag

Joseph Carbonara

Time for Foodservice Innovation and Education
May 15, 2008

The combination of the tulips being in full bloom on Michigan Avenue and a weekend forecast that calls for cooler than normal temperatures and rain can only mean one thing: It’s time for the National Restaurant Association’s annual tradeshow at Chicago’s McCormick Place. This is the one event I attend each year that requires little explanation to my friends and family that know little about the foodservice industry.

That’s because most everyone can relate to all the food that’s on display under the NRA’s big top. But this is much more than a four-day fried-food fest and over the past few years the NRA has gone to lengths to illustrate this point.

The association’s most significant step in this direction is its Kitchen Innovations Pavilion. This special area of the NRA Show floor features 25 products selected by an independent panel of foodservice pros from a number of industry segments. In the eyes of the NRA panel, these products represent the best from the pool of applications submitted by equipment and supplies manufacturers for consideration.

By no means is this pavilion an inclusive representation of all the innovative products on display at the show. But it is an impressive collection of items that can help operators address such needs as energy and water conservation, food safety and more. If nothing else, touring this area of the show floor should give dealer sales reps, consultants and operators some food for thought the next time they face a pressing issue.

Click here for a complete list of the companies exhibiting in the KI Pavilion. 

And if you attend the NRA Show and tour the KI Pavilion, I would welcome your thoughts on this venue.

Also, the NRA has scheduled a slate of industry educational opportunities that extend beyond the show floor. These sessions run Saturday through Sunday and offer a little something for everyone. In my years of attending this show, I have found this to be one of the more overlooked aspects of this event. It’s certainly worth a look and these sessions offer a chance for you to enrich your mind while giving your feet a much needed respite from the relentless nature of walking the show.

Click here for a schedule of the seminars. 

Warning … shameless self-promotion alert follows:

I would like to invite you to attend a panel discussion that I will moderate from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20. Entitled “Solve One: Attracting Tomorrow’s Leaders to the Foodservice Industry.” I get to share the stage with a trio of very talented and passionate foodservice professionals: Rod Collins, Crystal Duncan and Alexander Poulous. Sponsored by FIA, the session will discuss ways to make a career in foodservice more appealing to the next generation. I know all segments of the industry tend to discuss this topic, so hopefully there will be a little something for everyone.

Posted by Joseph Carbonara on May 15, 2008 | Comments (0)