National Restaurant Association Show

What National Restaurant Association Show does

The National Restaurant Association Show is an annual B2B trade show for the foodservice industry, held each May at McCormick Place in Chicago since 1919, and owned and operated by Informa Connect Foodservice (a division of publicly listed Informa plc) in partnership with the National Restaurant Association. The four-day on-site event brings together more than 2,200 exhibitor companies and roughly 60,000 attendees per cycle — primarily restaurant operators, equipment dealers, broadline and specialty foodservice distributors, and international buyers — for product launches, education sessions, celebrity chef demonstrations, and networking.

The Show's underlying technology stack combines a physical exhibition footprint inside North America's largest convention center with a set of supporting digital platforms: the Show To Go digital marketplace (a year-round exhibitor directory with Silver and Gold branding packages), an interactive floor plan and exhibitor directory powered by MapYourShow, a mobile event app for attendee navigation, and a Maritz-operated registration and badge processing system. Two proprietary awards programs (FABI Awards for food and beverage innovation since 2011, and Kitchen Innovations Awards since ~2004) provide curated product validation that exhibitors use for marketing and operators use for procurement shortlisting.

The business model is a hybrid of exhibition space rental (the dominant revenue stream, with booth pricing varying by size, building, and hall location and a 70% rebook rate), sponsorship packages (multi-tier brand visibility before, during, and after the Show), attendee registration badges (with a paid Expo+Education upgrade for sessions and keynotes), paid awards participation (e.g., $1,550 per FABI entry), and ancillary fee-for-service programs including a Marketing Resource Center for exhibitors and ticketed networking events such as the Show After Party ($75/ticket). Customer segments are horizontal — restaurant operators (independent and chain), equipment dealers, foodservice distributors, educational institutions, hospitality students, and international attendees — with go-to-market executed through a multi-channel mix including industry media partnerships (Restaurant Business, Nation's Restaurant News, FoodService Director), organic social, email campaigns, public relations, celebrity chef activations, and the parent Informa media network.

Name

National Restaurant Association Show

Legal name

National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show

Website

https://nationalrestaurantshow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The National Restaurant Association Show is an annual four-day foodservice trade show held each May at McCormick Place in Chicago since 1919, owned by Informa Connect Foodservice in partnership with the National Restaurant Association. It hosts 2,200+ exhibitors and tens of thousands of restaurant operators, equipment dealers, distributors, and international buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Space Rental: Companies pay to exhibit at the show with booth space ranging in size and location premium. 70% of exhibitors return annually indicating strong recurring revenue.
2. FABI Awards Participation: Food and Beverage Innovation Awards with $1,550 total participation fee ($300 application + $1,250 award participation fee) for exhibitors seeking product recognition
3. Sponsorship Packages: Various sponsorship tiers offering brand visibility before, during, and after the Show including booth branding, digital advertising, and event naming rights
4. Registration Fees: Attendee registration badges with Expo + Education upgrade option providing access to sessions and keynote presentations
5. Marketing Resource Center Services: Marketing services for exhibitors to promote their presence before, during, and after the Show

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The National Restaurant Association Show is an annual four-day trade show held at McCormick Place in Chicago, bringing together 2,200+ exhibitors and foodservice professionals for exhibits, education, sampling, networking, and product discovery. The Show operates a year-round digital marketplace called Show To Go, runs major awards programs (FABI Awards and Kitchen Innovations Awards), and offers exhibitor booth space rental, sponsorship packages, registration badges, and education sessions.

Product overview

The National Restaurant Association Show is the Western Hemisphere's most influential foodservice trade show, held annually at McCormick Place in Chicago since 1919. The Show operates as an event platform combining physical trade show exhibits with digital tools including The Show To Go marketplace, Exhibitor Directory & Floor Plan, and Exhibitor Dashboard. The Show features two major awards programs: FABI Awards (Food and Beverage Innovation) recognizing 28-39 products annually for menu innovation, and Kitchen Innovations Awards honoring 20-24 equipment and technology solutions. Educational programming includes Expo + Education sessions, culinary demos, and keynote presentations. Supporting programs include the Young Professionals Scholarship Program and networking events. The Show is owned and operated by Informa in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, attracting over 2,200 exhibitors and 60,000+ attendees annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FABI Awards: Food and Beverage Innovation Awards celebrating outstanding food and beverage products in foodservice
• Kitchen Innovations Awards
• The Show To Go
• Young Professionals Scholarship Program

Products and services

• National Restaurant Association Show (Annual Trade Show Event) Four-day annual trade show at McCormick Place Chicago bringing together 2,200+ exhibitors and foodservice professionals for exhibits, education, sampling, networking, and product discovery. Targets restaurant operators, equipment dealers, distributors, and hospitality professionals.
• The Show To Go (Digital Marketplace)

Quantifiable outcome

• 156,500 pounds of food and supplies donated to local communities (2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability20 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fight2FeedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Food donation partnership that redirected 156,500 pounds of food, supplies, and materials to local communities during the 2026 Show. Fight2Feed collaboration enables surplus food redistribution rather than waste disposal.
• Power KnotminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025On-site food waste processing partnership through Power Knot's food waste biodigester technology, part of sustainability initiative at 2025 Show.
• National Restaurant AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership where the Show is owned and operated by Informa in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, leveraging the Association's industry authority and membership reach.
• Informa Connect FoodservicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Show is owned and operated by Informa Connect Foodservice, a content-led, live and on-demand experiences business connecting professionals with knowledge, ideas, and opportunities.
• Maritz (Badge Registration)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCustomer service and badge registration partner handling attendee inquiries and registration processing.
• onPeak (Official Housing Provider)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnly official service provider for housing, offering hotel options with flexible change and cancellation policies and 'book now, pay later' policy.
• TechnomicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured Session partner providing industry research and trend insights, with representatives involved in education programming.
• MDG Agency (Press Relations)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic relations agency handling press inquiries and media relations, contact: Julie Franks ([email protected]).
• Choose ChicagominorGTM or Marketing PartnerChicago tourism partner providing local recommendations and visitor information for attendees traveling to the Show.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Pizza Expo: Largest pizza-focused foodservice trade show in North America, also operated by Informa Connect Foodservice. Competes for overlapping exhibitor and operator attendee base within the broader foodservice category.
• International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE): Triennial U.S. trade show for the baking and grain-based foods industry. Pulls from the same bakery equipment and ingredient exhibitors that exhibit at the NRA Show's bakery categories.
• NAFEM (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers): Operates a biennial foodservice equipment trade show targeting the same operator and equipment dealer audience as the NRA Show. Directly competes for the same exhibitor and attendee wallets in the U.S. foodservice market.
• Nightclub & Bar Show: U.S. trade show for the nightlife, bar, and restaurant beverage industry. Operates in an adjacent foodservice vertical with overlapping exhibitors (beverage brands, POS, kitchen equipment).
• Anuga FoodTec: Leading international trade fair for food and beverage technology, held in Germany. Targets the same global food technology and equipment exhibitor base as the NRA Show's Kitchen Innovations category.
• HOSTMilano: Major international hospitality and foodservice equipment trade show held biennially in Milan. Draws many of the same international equipment exhibitors that participate in the NRA Show.

Broad incumbents

• Emerald Holding (now EmeraldX): U.S.-based B2B trade show organizer operating events across multiple industries including some foodservice and hospitality-adjacent shows. Comparable as a mid-sized independent event organizer competing for the same exhibitor marketing dollars.
• RX Global (Reed Exhibitions): Global B2B exhibition organizer with food and hospitality events in its portfolio (e.g., IBIE for baking). Directly comparable as a large, diversified event operator with foodservice-adjacent shows.
• Informa Markets (parent events division): Operates hundreds of B2B trade shows globally including the NRA Show's parent. Comparable in business model and operational structure, but with vastly broader category and geographic coverage.

Regional players

• FHC China (Food & Hotel China): Major foodservice and hospitality trade show in Shanghai serving the China market. Comparable in vertical and exhibitor profile but does not directly compete in North America; relevant for tracking global exhibitor overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NatlRestShow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiCSuD4_RirLe0CBg3CduiA
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalRestaurantShow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nationalrestaurantassocationshow
• Instagraminstagram.com/NationalRestaurantShow
• TikToktiktok.com/@nationalrestaurantshow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Restaurant Association Show