NEW YORK CITY — This year’s New York Restaurant Show, which was held March 8–10 at Javits Center, continued its upward trajectory with a 4% increase in attendance and a 9% increase in exhibitor square footage from last year.
This growth was bolstered by the word of mouth created after the previous show, as well as the ways in which Restaurant Events LLC leveraged the buzz by providing even more value.
Maximizing Exhibitor Return on Investment
Restaurant Events LLC created a new way for exhibitors to connect with the attendees they’re most likely to do business with — the ones in their own network.
The Exhibitor Invitation Program gives companies the opportunity to maximize ROI by bringing their own customers and prospects directly to the show. They are given access to customized invitations and promotional tools to share with their networks, making it more likely that they’ll have productive meetings.
“We created the program to strengthen the connection between exhibitors and qualified buyers on the show floor,” Andrea Tencza, Vice President of Marketing at Restaurant Events, said. “Exhibitors know their customers best and, by extension, the prospects they most want to see in person, so empowering them to personally invite operators helps ensure the right people are attending.”
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As a result, the contacts exhibitors bring to the event can be introduced to solutions that are relevant to their businesses — making it a win-win situation for attendees and exhibitors.
The Exhibitor Invitation Program was also a win for the show. In fact, 30% of verified attendees this year were registered through the program.
Satisfying the Hunger for Learning
To further reinforce its reputation as a key gathering place for restaurant and food-service professionals across the tri-state area and Northeastern U.S., the New York Restaurant Show also focused on enhancing its educational programming. These updates were designed to evolve the event alongside the industry and create more opportunities on the floor for learning and connection.
According to Tencza, the new education was another hit.
“Education is truly the crown jewel of the New York Restaurant Show. By introducing new programming and experiences — including a hands-on mocktail drink lab, fireside chat presentations and an interactive rum tasting — we aimed to create more energy throughout the event while helping attendees more easily discover products, trends and ideas they can bring back to their businesses,” she said. “The education programming has always been a cornerstone of the event, but this year we saw the highest level of engagement ever with standing room only at every event.”
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This is unsurprising considering the effort that the show — along with partners like the New York State Restaurant Association and the New York City Hospitality Alliance — put into creating education content.
“Together we curate sessions that are highly relevant, actionable and designed to help operators run stronger, more profitable businesses,” Tencza added. “The reception this year reinforces that restaurant professionals are eager for education that not only informs them about industry trends, but also provides practical solutions they can immediately apply in their operations.”
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