The new campaign seems to have tapped the right emo-

tion: Post-show numbers showed overall attendance was up 6 percent from 2011.

EASIER NAVIGATION As part of the 2012 makeover, the show floor was redesigned, resulting in 5 percent more square footage than in 2011. It was the first redesign for the show’s South Hall since 1997 and the first for the North Hall since the late ’80s. “Not only was the attendee experiencing a new vibe as they entered McCormick Place,” Patronski said, “but they saw different companies in different locations, some with new exhibit designs and layouts, creating a new and different feel for the show. If the floor had been exactly the same as past years, it would have just been the same old floor, and I think it would have been a letdown.” The floor redesign was both creative and strategic, Heft-

man said. For example, event spaces and stages were relo- cated to less-trafficked areas to direct more attendees to sections that didn’t get as much foot traffic in the past. “It’s all about driving value for exhibitors,” Heftman said, “and increasing the experience for attendees.” The new design also featured an expanded number of

“pavilions,” which grouped like exhibitors together. The pavilions provided a centralized showcase for niche products and solutions, and brought a sense of cohesion to the mam- moth floor. In the Organic and Natural Pavilion, companies promoted and provided samples of a variety of vegan, gluten- free, dairy-free, organic, and fair-trade products. And the new Healthier Kids Fare Pavilion featured companies that can help restaurants incorporate more healthy choices into children’s meals. “The show size was bigger this year, but the buzz on the

floor was very exciting and much more positive than prior years,” Patronski said. “The show looked alive and was vibrant with new ideas and new products.”

TECH IS KING In the North Hall, the bustle of the Technology Pavilion reflected the growing influence of social-media, digital, and mobile technology on the industry. Vendors of digital sched- uling systems, point-of-sale systems, digital menus, and e-everything vied for attendees’ attention in the crowded aisles. PeopleMatter, a Charleston, S.C.–based company that sells a paperless human-resources platform, commanded one of the larger booths and featured a swarm of employees in t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Paper is so 2011.” OpenTable, the San Francisco–based online and mobile

reservation-management system, is an NRA Show veteran (by technology-company standards), having exhibited for the past seven years. Brandon Bidlack, OpenTable’s senior direc- tor of restaurant marketing, said he’s seen the Technology

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Fine Dining “The show looked alive,” said GES’s John Patronski, “and was vibrant with new ideas and products.”