Pavilion evolve in both size and focus. “In the early days, you’d see companies like ours alongside a new kind of toilet. We were all lumped together and it was a little bit all over the place,” he said. “Now, the whole industry is taking a more sophisticated approach to technology, and you see a lot more focus on it at the show.” In addition to the increased number of exhibitors, 11 of the
show’s 70 education sessions focused on technology. Because the Technology Pavilion this year included education space, as well as tables and chairs for networking, sessions were held right on the show floor — integrating education into the show experience more effectively. Patronski said: “It’s all about engaging the attendee.” Vendors used technology to engage attendees in both
fun and strategic ways. At the massive, 3,500-square-foot booth for Hobart–An ITW Food Equipment Group Com- pany, mounted iPads and a new show app allowed customers to print spec sheets on demand. “It’s putting information right at the customers’ fingertips,” explained Joyce Grooms, Hobart’s manager of trade marketing. “It’s all customized, so they print only what they need, and we provide a more per- sonalized experience.” At Louisiana-based Community Coffee’s booth, employees
offered attendees an iPad-based coffee and tea personality quiz. “This is our first show,” said Blair Broussard, marketing and communications manager, “and we thought it was a fun way to introduce ourselves to people.”
LIKE IT, TWEET IT, SHARE IT NRA itself relied heavily on technology to interact with attendees. A show app eliminated the need for bulky program guides and maps; and for the second year, the show ran NRA Show Daily Deals, similar to the online daily deals offered by Groupon and Living Social. For several days leading up to the show and every day during the show, registrants received an email promoting a deeply discounted Daily Deal on equip- ment, services, or technology offered by an exhibitor. Each Daily Deal represented a savings of 50 percent or greater; by the end of the show, 225 had been purchased. Social media is an increasingly powerful influence within
the restaurant industry — ask any restaurateur about the power of Yelp — and if attendees didn’t already get that, NRA made it hard to miss: A large monitor in the South Hall displayed a live Twitter feed of all show chatter (see it at #NRAShow). NRA staff was also busy posting on Facebook and the NRA Show blog, and tweeting throughout the event. But no matter how many unique experiences, social events,
and networking opportunities a show offers, it won’t get peo- ple to come back the following year if it doesn’t translate into sales. Against the quiet back wall of the North Hall — where it seemed attendees only ended up if they missed the turn into the Technology Pavilion — Chauncey Blaisdell manned
64 PCMA CONVENE JULY 2012 +
‘This is how we grew our company in the early days.’
the small JobApp Network booth. “We were late registering,” he said, gesturing to his less-than-ideal location, “but you have to start somewhere.” Blaisdell said the NRA Show had provided some good networking opportunities for first-time exhibitors, but he wasn’t yet sure if the event was a good fit, or if JobApp Network might be better suited to smaller, more focused shows, such as a franchise expo. Back in the South Hall, in a prime, high-visibility location,
sat the Carbon’s Golden Malted food truck, serving fresh, hot Belgian waffles. This year marked the company’s 54th consec- utive NRA Show; coming back each year is a bit like old home week, said Tim Howard, customer service and distribution manager for the pancake- and waffle-mix company. “We have a long history with the show,” he said. “This is how we grew our company in the early days.” Not only does the show give Carbon’s an opportunity to
thank its longtime customers in person, Howard said, but it’s also the best way to generate new leads. By day two, he had already reserved the same booth space for the 2013 NRA Show. “How much easier could it be than to come to the NRA Show, where people from all over the world come looking for ideas?” Howard asked. “It’s a lot easier than going out and knocking on doors. And that’s why it’s so important to us.”
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Contributing Editor Molly Brennan is a freelance writer and editor based in Highland Park, Ill.
ON THE WEB To learn more about the National Restaurant Association Show, visit restaurant.org/show.