CHICAGO — The 2024 National Restaurant Association Show returned to Chicago’s McCormick Place May 18-21, bringing the restaurant industry together for four days to see innovation and advancements in products and technology, as well as participate in educational opportunities.
With over 720,000 square feet and over 2,240 exhibitors, this year’s show was 10% larger than the 2023 edition. The total number of exhibitors included over 700 newcomers and over 600 international attendees, representing 28% of the total.
“On the exhibitor side, we’re really excited about the overall growth and all of our product categories,” said Tom Cindric, president of exhibits at Informa Connect Foodservice. “We’ve seen tremendous growth in our Global Food Expo area and other areas of the show where international exhibitors are exhibiting.”
The show also welcomed more than 58,000 visitors this year, an increase of 6% compared to the previous year. International visitors, representing 123 countries, accounted for 15% of this number, reflecting a 22% growth compared to 2023 in terms of international attendance.
The “power of ourselves”
This year marked the first edition under Informa Connect’s ownership, as it acquired Winsight in May 2023 and further expanded its restaurant services portfolio with the acquisition that included its National Restaurant Association Show, its data analytics and research arm, and its B2B media portfolio.
“We were able to really leverage what Informa Connect calls the ‘power of us,’ which is all of our restaurant events, all of our great media products,” Cindric said.
From various media to podcasts, with so many brands, Informa is the leading event company in the catering sector, which helps to continue to strengthen the show.
“From a social media perspective, it helps with awareness and dialogue with customers. People in the market know Informa because they’ve been to other events, and that helps us on a global scale, with an international audience,” Cindric said. “We were strong and united before, but now we’re even stronger because we have a broader reach, more products and more media coverage, especially on the digital side with customers.”
Cindric said the team continues to focus on promoting international participation and attendance and has been able to do so successfully because of “our strength.”
“It’s exciting and something I’ve always prided myself on: putting international first,” Cindric said. “And being able to leverage the scale, the media, and everything that happens when Informa comes in and has a lot of products in your space, it helps the show tremendously.”
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Expanded education
This year, the team has also expanded its educational offering. Attendees with an exhibit badge can access educational content offered on-site throughout the show, including keynotes and other featured sessions.
The all-new Expo + Education badge gave attendees access to educational programs outside of the show floor, as well as deeper dives into key industry topics.
“Most of the sessions are hosted by sponsors and exhibitors. We moved the training off the show floor and into a learning environment, like a classroom,” Cindric said. “We had over 2,700 people attend. The sessions were packed and it was fantastic. The speakers and attendees loved it. Our international audience really signed up for this training. When international visitors come to the show, they always look at the products and want to know more about what’s happening in the U.S. because the U.S. is truly the world leader in foodservice.”
The Expo + Education badge is a paid badge and also provides access to content after the event so attendees can rewatch sessions or check out something they may have missed. Educational content will also be available to those who did not earn the Expo + Education badge for an additional fee.
The Start-Up Alley, which usually focuses on technology in the industry, has been expanded to include new companies from all related sectors to showcase their services and products at the show.
The 2025 National Restaurant Association Show will be held May 17-20 at McCormick Place. Cindric also said the National Restaurant Association Show will be held in Chicago through 2032.
“We are thrilled that the show is coming to Chicago and staying,” said Cindric. “Chicago is a city that is close to our hearts and the restaurant community appreciates it. Some of the best restaurants in the country are in Chicago and our international visitors love coming to the city, especially at this time of year.”