TRADE SHOW PREVIEW nra combines training and Education Military Presents Hennessy and Hill Foodservice Excellence Awards With military chefs eager to exercise their culinary skills, whether preparing meals in field kitchens or being judged for awards by certified professionals, the National Restaurant Association s Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show becomes a valuable opportunity for training as well as education. Challenged to expand variety and committed to improving quality, military food service is responding by revising menus as well as staying current with the latest trends. Keeping up with the latest trends, success strategies and innovations is crucial to building profits and controlling costs in any restaurant, and the NRA Show offers unparalleled opportunities to learn from recognized industry experts, said Ira Cohn, Convention chair for NRA 2010 and president of Aramark Business and Industry Group. Once again, winners of the Air Force John L. Hennessy Awards and the Marine Corps Maj. Gen. W.P.T. Hill Memorial Awards are being recognized at this year s 91st National Restaurant Association. This marks the third year that the Hennessy and Hill winners receive awards during a joint breakfast, which is May 22 from 7:45 a.m. 10:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. The Hennessey Awards were established in 1956 to promote excellence in customer service and foodservice support within the Air Force through quality improvements, recommendations and information exchange with military partners as well as to inspire high morale, motivation, mission support and a professional image through annual competition. The W.P.T. Hill awards were established in 1985 to improve foodservice operations 24 Government Food Service May 2010
TRADE SHOW PREVIEW as well as to encourage excellence in the garrison and field foodservice programs, while improving the quality of life for the Marine Corps and Navy personnel. 91 st Annual National Restaurant Association Hotel-Motel Show AT A GLANCE Show Location: McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. nra overview The National Restaurant Association s Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show ranks as the largest foodservice and hospitality industry trade event in the United States, and includes culinary demonstrations by trendsetting chefs, celebrity book signings and panel discussions. Over four days, May 22 25 at Chicago s McCormick Place, the association focuses on the key issues identified in its strategic plan: profitability and entrepreneurship, food and healthy living, jobs and careers, and sustainability and social responsibility. Last year s show attracted 1,810 exhibiting companies and more than 53,000 registrants from all 50 states and 107 countries. It also featured a record 82 educational sessions plus 16 to 20 culinary demonstrations. Military attendance to NRA totaled 550 last year, down from 600 in 2008. We try to provide the products and services you need to improve your business, said Greg Kirrish, vice president of marketing for the NRA. We try to be everything to everybody. Dates: Saturday, May 22 Tuesday, May 25, 2010 Hours: Saturday through Monday 9:30 a.m. 5 p.m. Tuesday 9:30 a.m. 3 p.m. Attendance 2009: 1,810 exhibiting companies More than 53,000 registrants 550 Military NRA Convention Office: 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2000 Chicago, Ill., 60601-7569 312-853-2525 Fax 312-853-2548 www.restaurant.org/show A popular feature is the Hot New Products Guide, which is a resource for attendees to find new items and services on the trade show floor and is compiled by the association from information provided by exhibiting companies. For more ideas to inspire creativity and stronger skills, NRA 2010 features more than 65 education sessions plus dozens of expert-led professional development opportunities this spring. Kitchen Innovation is a special pavilion featuring a panel of equipment experts who scout the world and 15 to 20 companies exhibiting next-generation gear that is expected to improve food service down the road. From staff motivation to word-of-mouth marketing, choosing greener solutions to menu development, our 65+ education sessions will cover how to succeed in all aspects of restaurant operations, said Cohn. Session topics identify current trends within the areas of jobs and careers, sustainability and social responsibility, profitability and entrepreneurship, and food and healthy living. In addition, the Technology session track focuses on the latest foodser- 26 Government Food Service May 2010
TRADE SHOW PREVIEW vice technology solutions. Education HigHligHts Greener is Better! features tools and resources to choose a more sustainable future from leading restaurateurs and the NRA Conserve s green recognition program. In Menus 2010: Turn Trends into Money Makers, Nancy Kruse, menu and trends expert and president of the Kruse Company, reviews flavor, freshness and other menu essentials to help operators thrive. Enhancing the Safety of Fresh Produce features leaders of the Center for Produce Safety and the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement focusing on recent scientist and regulator collaborations to help understand the latest fresh fruit and vegetable findings, then apply the lessons to the produce supply chain. Education sessions are all four days of the show in the Mc- Cormick Place South Hall on level 4, and in the Technology Pavilion on level 3 in the North Hall. NRA Show education sessions may be accepted as continuing education credits (CEUs) by certifying bodies of several associations, including the School Nutrition Association, the American Dietetic Association, Foodservice Consultants Society International and the American Culinary Federation. Check with the respective associations for the documentation needed to validate participation and credit. nra 2009 The NRA Show and IWSB provided operators from across all industry segments with a stream of innovative products, services and ideas. NRA Show 2009 was a great success and in many ways an industry tipping point. We have received incredibly positive feedback from both exhibiting companies and attendees from around the world, said Lorna Donatone, convention chair for NRA 2009 and president of school services at Sodexo Inc. Optimism is higher among attendees and exhibitors coming to NRA 2010 compared with a year ago as the economy is showing signs of recovery. For attendees, NRA 2009 was a resource for solutions and inspiration in a dark economic environment. Now more than ever is the time to get busy on our business. We can t shut our doors. At this point, it s all about the competition and staying ahead and this [the NRA Show] is a great resource, said David Starr, operating vice president of restaurants, Bloomingdale s. Exhibiting companies also recognized the energy among attendees. We ve gotten more leads. We ve actually doubled the amount of leads this year than we had last year, Brent Mague, director of marketing, Rubbermaid Foodservice. Globalization is a growing influence on food service with ethnic trends gaining popularity beyond native areas. The signs were clear last year as NRA 2009 featured more country pavilions than ever before, including Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan and Thailand. Globalization remains critical as exhibitors seek to export from the U.S., while distributors and operators from across the country look to import into the U.S. Consequently, the NRA show continues to engage the industry and evolve to meet its needs. The NRA Show has provided the most valuable opportunity to interact with all aspects of the foodservice industry in the U.S. and has helped us position the Canadian beef advantage successfully, Marty Carpenter, director U.S. market development, Beef Information Centre of Canada. Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of nearly 13 million employees. NRA made Chicago its home more than 60 years ago. A five-year agreement to keep NRA in Chicago was reached in 2006 and ends May 21 24, 2011. GFS 28 Government Food Service May 2010