With the addition of its new World Culinary Showcase, The Conserve Solutions Centre and a substantial line up of educational sessions, the 2010 NRA (National Restaurant Association) Show attracted more than 58,000 registrants from 120 different countries. Attendees arrived to Chicago’s McCormick for the inaugural four-day event on May 22nd to be met with nearly 1,700 exhibitors ready to demonstrate some of the best, most innovative products in the industry to date. IWSB (International Wine, Spirits and Beer Event) was also held in partnership with NRA from May 23-24. “NRA Show 2010 was a tremendous success, and we have received excellent feedback from both exhibitors and attendees about the high energy and wide array of easily accessible business solutions showcased on the trade show floor,” said Ira Cohn, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2010 and President of ARAMARK Business and Industry Group. The World Culinary Showcase was also a success with top chefs from across the world giving high-energy public demonstrations to highlight both their cooking techniques as well as their regional preferences. These chefs included: David Arnold and Nils Noren from the French Culinary Institute, Celebrity Chef Frederico Lopez from Mexico, Graham Brown from New Zealand, Hande Bozdogan from the Istanbul Culinary Institute and American chef Rick Bayless. With this showcase, attendees could compare and contrast various cooking styles, techniques and recipes from all over industry, and the world. After studies began to show that customers are beginning to take into consideration what sustainable or “green” practices their restaurants have adopted, the NRA decided to introduce a brand-new pavilion, The Conserve Solutions Centre. The addition was placed in conjunction with the group’s Organic and Natural Pavilion. Other popular pavilions from past shows were also featured from the American Food Fair and Smart Design Pavilion to the Technology and International Cuisine Pavilion. Within the Asian sector, the Korean Pavilion featured notable American Korean chefs who prepared dishes with specific Korean technique and let guests try samples. The pavilion also featured a Kimchi Museum to introduce the realm of Asian and Korean cuisine to those unfamiliar with the techniques and traditions. Within the Japanese Pavilion, the large company Ajinomoto presented “Hon Dashi”, an extremely popular brand of soup stock. The China Pavilion was also present, nearly tripling in exhibit size from 2009. In the French Pavilion, innovation was high and two esteemed chefs from France provided attendees with instructions on the art of enhancing the natural flavours of both fruits and vegetables with methods that only appear difficult. The Spanish Pavilion also featured instructional help with various companies from Durplastics to Sammic offering tried solutions to common problems dealing with ice cube makers and vacuum packaging machines. Chile powerhouse Agrosuper was present for the Latin America sect with a booth highlighting their range of products from meat (chicken, pork, turkey, salmon) to the wine brand Ventisquero. Also present were companies from Chile that sell gourmet foods as well as specialized fat and oil products. The Middle East and Africa were present and are expected to have an even greater impact next year. With over 70 free education sessions available, attendees had a large variety to choose from as topics ranged from “jobs and careers” to “sustainability and social responsibility”. The sessions also covered a few fairly new topics, such as how to benefit from social media networking and word-of-mouth marketing and the United States infatuation with the mobile-food market. IWSB drew in 3,500 registrants, an overall increase of 17% from the attendance in 2009. The event also introduced something new, a competition called ‘Star of the Bar’ to reward creativity within the bar realm. The competition, sponsored by Bacardi, took place in Rockit Bar & Grill Nathan Greene, Las Vegas, Nev., won the event with his fruity cocktail, the Bacardi Kiwi Berry Serenita. Greene was awarded 5,000 dollars and his recipe and photograph will also be featured in an upcoming issue of American Airlines American Way magazine. To add an additional twist, the NRA arranged for a flash mob on the last day of the show made up of chefs, registrants, culinary students and workers. The mob choreographed by local Chicago dancer Christina Chen was set to Lady GaGa’s “Just Dance” and was the first-ever flash mob within the restaurant industry. With several new additions, as well as pre-existing pavilions and trainings that have proven beneficial for thousands of restaurant owners and chefs, the Show sees progress and momentum in its growth. With a 6% increase in attendance from 2009, next year’s NRA Show for 2011 back at the Chicago McCormick promises an even bigger turnout. “The Show provides a valuable efficient and cost-effective opportunity to interact, under one roof, with all aspects of the foodservice industry from throughout the world. I’m sure that all attendees will return home energized, optimistic, and ready to implement the solutions they discovered,” Cohn said.
Kaytlyn Sanders
© 2010 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
