NRA Centennial Show
The National Restaurant Association held their first meeting in 1919. One hundred years later, Chicago hosts the NRA Show Centennial celebration. Over 11,000 booths filled three complete buildings of the McCormick Place events center in Chicago. Waving banners and shining lanyards covered the floors. With some of the biggest players in the game in attendance, no one missed out on the opportunity to put their best foot forward.
We had to opportunity to meet up with some major players in the food and beverage industry. Celebrities like world renown chef Thomas Keller, with over 20 years of accolades and accomplishments, filled the halls to see the innovations that the future holds.
Experiences make memories, and Edrington’s Mac and Cheese event was a delightful memory paired with equally delightful appetizers. National Accounts Manager for Edrington, Keiron Elliott introduced us to the unique flavors of Macallan while participators enjoyed a flavorful pairing of cheese that backed up every sip. Following the delectable appetizers, we got to listen to our good friend Tony Abou-Ganim speak about the hidden intricacies of a highball drink.
However, some of the most influential moments we had were sitting and listening to speakers from all around the industry show how they are progressing their companies. Dominoes gave thoughtful insight into the successful impact their honest ad campaigns from 2010 to now and how they are taking their success and refusing to stagnate while the technology around them allows for so much more. In the Kitchens of the Future seminar, Allison Page, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of SevenRooms brought technology we’d only seen on the big screen to a personal level. Her company’s technology outlined on the impact of individualized and personalized customer care.
Events like the NRA Show lend the opportunity to showcase the greatest technology, innovations and ideas across the breadth of the food and beverage industry. In turn it creates a space for new relationships to bloom, established relationships to grow and new ideas to become reality. Thanks NRA, see you next year!
