FSMA Top2Top and The CRFA SHOW

March is an exciting month for those of us in the foodservice industry with plenty of trade shows to keep us busy. While we are still in the first half of the month, CHD Expert has been raking up the air miles with separate trips to Orlando, Florida and Toronto, Canada. In a quick 24hours we had to say good to our flip flops and hello to our snow boots!

The FSMA Top2Top conference is put on by the Foodservice Sales & Marketing Association. This national trade association works with food & equipment manufactures, vendors and sales agencies to help grow their businesses.  This year’s show was a little down in attendance, but there was still a lot of good information shared during the sessions and a lot of solid networking.

The CRFA Show or the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association Show is Canada’s Foodservice Event of the Year.  The show is held at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto and if you have not been in Toronto, it is worth a trip. The growth in the city is quite impressive, and down town Toronto skyline is full of cranes and promise for the future of the city.

Relationship building is critical in business, especially the foodservice industry. Food & Equipment Manufacturers use our data in a lot of different ways and we are always eager to introduce our products to businesses in different regions.  Below are some photos that we took at the two events. Check them out and consider joining us next year.

Lots of good exhibitors in attendance

Great Party In Toronto

10 Must-Attend Foodservice Industry Trade Shows for 2014

2014 is finally here and for foodservice industry professionals, that means another year full of foodservice trade shows. Every year there are a number of foodservice industry trade shows that we like to attend, but the hard part is determining which ones.

After much consideration, we’ve selected our 10 Must-Attend Foodservice Industry Trade Shows for 2014, which we’ve listed in chronologic order. Take a look:

1. Technomic Trends & Directions Conference
Newport Beach, CA (Jan 22 – 23)
Our partners’ at Technomic invite restaurant industry leaders to come together at their annual conference in Newport Beach California. Attendees will examine consumer foodservice attitude and usage—as well as demographic dynamics and marketing and social media trends, in order to position themselves for success today and into the future. Technomic executives will present proprietary consumer, menu and industry research, while consumer insight analysts and innovative operators will lend their knowledge and experience.

2. FSMA’s 20th Annual Top2Top Conference 2014
Orlando, FL (Feb 24 – 27)
The Foodservice Sales and Marketing Associations’ 20th Annual Top2Top Conference is the premier event for foodservice sales & marketing executives.

3. CRFA Show
Toronto, On (March 2 – 4)
The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association Show is the leading foodservice and hospitality event in Canada. A comprehensive forum of industry products, the CRFA Show, attracts 12,000 industry professionals and puts them face to face with exhibitors showcasing all their latest products.

4. Midwest Foodservice Expo 2014
Milwaukee, WI (March 10-12)
Produced by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, the Midwest Foodservice Expo (MFE) is the leading regional food, beverage and hospitality industry event in the Midwest. Since we are not too far away, this is one of the shows we enjoy bringing several members of the team to.

5. 30th Annual International Pizza Expo 2014
Las Vegas, NV (March 25 – 27)
The Pizza Expo is the world’s largest pizza-only trade show, and it’s now in its 30th year. This is one of our favorite shows to attend because of the passion and energy we see on the trade show floor. We also enjoy the competitions, the food and innovations This show is attended by pizzeria or pizza-concept restaurant owners, operators and managers, as well as distributors and food brokers to name a few.

6. SIAL The North American Food Marketplace
Montreal, QB (April 2 – 4)
SIAL Canada is an international trade show dedicated to North American food industry professionals. Every year, over 700 agrifood exhibitors and 14,500 professionals come together for this uniting event.

7. NRA Show 2014
Chicago, IL (May 17-20)
One of the biggest trade shows of the year is the National Restaurant Association’s show in Chicago (NRA). Every year, over the course of four days, more than 1,800 suppliers and tens of thousands of buyers come together to make lasting connections that drive business profitability and shape the future of the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry. This show is perfect for any business looking for new products, trends, and ideas that will make a difference in their business’ future. Let’s just say, May is one of our favorite months of the year!

8. AHF Healthcare Foodservice
Orlando, FL (June 3-6)
The Association for Healthcare Foodservice conference is the only conference of its kind, uniquely tailored to the needs of the healthcare foodservice self-operator and the business partners that support them. If you are interested in the healthcare foodservice industry, this is the show for you!

9. Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo
Anaheim, CA (Aug 7-8)
At the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, you’ll find everything needed to profit in the industry, from the latest trends to how to charm your guests, to ways to reduce cost and inspire your team. Plus it’s located in sunny California!

10. Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show
Orlando, FL (Sept 7 -9)
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show is the only all-encompassing event in the Southeastern United States for the restaurant and foodservice industry, making it THE one-stop source for everything you need to succeed in today’s restaurant market. We can’t wait to see what trends, innovations and other technology are launched at this show.

Each year, CHD Expert attends several trade shows. Trade shows give us the opportunity to meet other foodservice professionals, listen to new ideas, network and share our solutions with other professionals in the foodservice industry. Today, so much business is done over the phone or via the Internet, so it’s really a pleasure when we have the opportunity to talk face-to-face with clients, partners, and influencers in the business.

If you don’t typically attend trade shows, or haven’t in the past few years, consider attending one or two of the shows from the list above. Remember, this isn’t our entire list of trade shows we will be attending in 2014, but these are a few of our favorites. Throughout the year, as we confirm our attendance to other shows, we will keep you updated.

Happy New Year and we hope to see you at the next show!

For the Southwest Foodservice Expo, CHD Expert Releases New Texas Foodservice Data Packages Identifying Operators By Menu Type, Size, Revenue And Other Vital Data Points

Leading food service data and analytics company CHD Expert, evaluates the state of Texas and creates data packages focusing on the states largest cities and the state as a whole.

Everything is bigger in Texas, especially the BBQ and Burritos, and with the Southwest Foodservice Expo just a few weeks away, leading foodservice data and analytics company CHD Expert, releases new counts on the number of restaurants in the host state of Texas and its largest cities.

As Texas has been growing in population in recent years, this has also resulted in an increase in the number of restaurants operating within the state. During 2012, Texas had a 3.11 percent net growth of new restaurants, whereas 4,283 restaurants had a grand opening, and 2,691 closing their doors for business. In relation to the overall US landscape, Texas had the fourth largest net growth in 2012. For comparison, Connecticut had the largest net growth at 3.99 percent, and Illinois was at the bottom with a decline of 3.16 percent.

While in the Lone Star State, whether you are in the mood for a fine dining experience or a quick delivery service, with over 53,000 eating establishments, there are a lot of places in Texas to satisfy your growling belly. Home to some of the nations best BBQ, in 2012 Texas had a state wide net growth of 5.34 percent in the BBQ Menu Type, with 220 new BBQ restaurants opening over the year. Additionally, this border state has some of the nations most authentic Mexican food, and the Mexican Menu Type saw a 10.04 percent growth over 2012.

And while this abundance is a blessing for the more than 26 million residents of Texas, and tourists who visit the state, keeping tabs on these restaurants can be a daunting task for businesses who aim to sell their products and services to restaurants that operate in Texas.

CHD Expert has made the process of obtaining restaurant information much easier and has produced three unique Foodservice Data Packages, providing data and counts for restaurants in the state of Texas. The first data package focuses on the host Metro area of Dallas/Fort Worth, which has 14,262 unique operators; the second package couples Dallas/Forth Worth with the state’s two largest metropolitan areas, Houston and San Antonio for a total of 30,428 operators; and the third package identifies 53,798 operators across the entire state of Texas.

Some of the information in the data packages includes: Menu Type, Years in Business, Annual Sales, Average Check, Annual Food & Beverages Purchases and Contact Information.

“These data packages are especially valuable to tradeshow exhibitors,” stated Brad T. Bloom, Director of Sales for CHD Expert North America. “It is not cheap to exhibit at a tradeshow and it becomes vital for exhibitors to get the most out of their attendance. Foodservice manufactures and distributers use our data to market their presence at the show and drive foot traffic to their booths. These data packages focus on the state of Texas, but we have the ability to consolidate the same type of information for any state, and many international countries. With the foodservice industry being so dynamic and volatile, having the right information becomes critical to generating sales.”

To obtain more information about what is included in the Texas Data Packages or to receive pricing, please contact Brad T. Bloom at bbloom@chd-expert.com

The Southwest Foodservice Expo: Why we are looking forward to going to Texas

Much more than a tradeshow, the Southwest Foodservice Expo is the largest foodservice event of its kind in the region. With local foodservice sales projected to reach $55 billion in 2013, this foodservice expo provides an excellent opportunity to network with the decision makers of the Southwest foodservice industry, as well as check out the latest and greatest in the market.

Held in the Dallas Convention Center on June 23th and 24^th, the Southwest Foodservice Expo will host culinary showcases with the likes of chef Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s Restaurant:Impossible and chef Tyler Stone. There will also be chef competitions, an Education Idea Center, and the opportunity to check out the most innovative products and services in the country.

One of the things that we find the most interesting about the Southwest Foodservice Expo is its Experts Forum. These one-on-one, or small group chats with some of the foodservice industry leading experts, will provide restauanteurs tips on how to make their restaurants more profitable.  Another interesting happening this year is the Northwest Wine Expo, co-located with the Expo, which will showcase a diversity of wines, trends and leading voices from the rapidly growing wine region.

And as every year, the event not to be missed during the Expo will be the Texas Restaurant Association’s President’s Gala. In the iconic celebration, the the who’s who of the Texas foodservice industry celebrates its yearly achievements and induct Texas restaurateurs into the Hall of Honor, the TRA’s most prestigious award.

For easy navigation of the Southwest Foodservice Expo, download their free app and for more details, visit their website.