Instore - July 2018 - 24

feature

SOLUTIONS
THAT MAKE YOU

STAND

OUT?

YEAH, WE'VE
GOT MORE
THAN A FEW.

There's a reason the
restaurant industry depends
on us for signature ﬂavors,
seasonings, sauces and
food coatings. We help drive
trafﬁc and loyalty with
custom-built solutions -
at no additional cost to
our customers.

Thousands of the top foodservice professionals and representatives from top
dealer/distributor, retail and contract management organizations attended the
2018 National Restaurant Association Show. Among those on hand:
*
*

94 of the top 100 restaurant brands
Contract management representation from Compass, Sodexo, Aramark,
Delaware North, Elior, Centerplate and Legends

Dealer/Distributor representation from Sysco, US Foods, Clark Associates,
Boelter, TriMark, Wasserstrom and Edward Don

Representation from the world's largest retail chains including Walmart,
Amazon, Kroger, Ahold, Publix, Target and H-E-B

Topper said. "There are more and more positive associations of foodservice and retail
now," she said. For an increasing number of
consumers, "it makes shopping more fun."

Bigger than ever
The 2018 version of the National Restaurant
Association Show was the association's 99th.
Once again, it was the foodservice industry's
largest and most comprehensive event -
worldwide, not just in the U.S.
The final numbers are in, and they're impressive. At more than 715,000 square feet, NRA '18
was the biggest show ever. More than 65,000
people from over 110 countries registered.

"This year's National Restaurant Association
Show represented a dynamic portrayal of
today's foodservice industry," says 2018 Show
Convention Chair Dickie Brennan, owner
and managing partner of Dickie Brennan &
Company. "Exhibitors showcased innovative products and services aimed at solving
the challenges facing operators today. With
Fortune 500 exhibitors and those as small as a
four-person start-up all delivering critical solutions, the excitement was palpable throughout
all four days."
In addition to restaurants, several food
companies oriented more toward retail took
advantage of NRA '18, as the line between
foodservice and retail continues to blur.

This year's show was the first for exhibitor
Mrs. Gerry's, which specializes in retail deli
salads and sides. Brenda Donahe-Stevens,
sales and marketing director for Albert
Lea, Minnesota-based Mrs. Gerry's, says
the company used the show to expand its
regional reach while also going after more
national accounts.
"There's so much crossover now between
retail and foodservice, it hits on all segments
of our business," Donahe-Stevens said at the
show. Mrs. Gerry's showcased three new deli
salads and a new side, mashed sweet potatoes, at the show.
Grocery and foodservice packaging specialist
Inno-Pak LLC highlighted its new line of
environmentally-responsible molded fiber
containers and lids at NRA '18. Brian Masi,
the company's vice president of sales for the
Northeast, reported "another great day" near
the end of the show's second day. He said NRA
offers Innopak advantages other shows don't.
"It's been wonderful -we get a much, much
higher level of quality leads at this show," Masi
said from the show floor.
NRA '18 added a number of features to
educate and inspire attendees, Brennan
says. "From opportunities for crowdsourced
discussion, sessions on personal wellness,
an insightful examination of the future of
the restaurant industry, to a stadium-sized

http://www.newlywedsfoods.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Instore - July 2018