It's not just the National Restaurant Association celebrating its centennial this year. Also in 1919, about 200 members of the foodservice industry from across 14 U.S. states and Canada gathered to discuss key issues impacting the industry. That convention has since grown into the industry's largest trade show, with more than 60,000 attendees and about 2,300 exhibitors each year, providing operators, suppliers and others in the foodservice space the opportunity to learn, network and experience.
Whether it's a Flav-R-Pat representative dishing out samples, the Quadracon robot moving around or a representative promoting the Incredible Edible Egg, Show attendees in the 1960s - 1980s experienced a wide array to see and try.
Attendees have a lot to see. About 2,300 exhibitors are spread throughout the nearly 695,000 square feet at McCormick Place in Chicago during the Show.
A key benefit of attending the Show: The chance for in-person networking. Operators and others in the foodservice industry have used the Show as a gathering place to discuss ongoing issues and innovations since it launched 100 years ago.
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