What to know before the Show

More than 2,000 suppliers of industry-related products and services and over 50,000 restaurant and hospitality representatives will attend this year’s National Restaurant Association Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place, May 16-18.

The annual trade show, one of North America’s largest gatherings for foodservice professionals, will offer them the opportunity to explore the latest innovations, learn about significant industry issues, and network with their peers.

One “Don’t Miss” event is National Restaurant Association President & CEO Michelle Korsmo’s sit-down conversation, May 17 at 1 p.m., with celebrated tennis great, business entrepreneur, and philanthropist Andre Agassi. She’ll deliver a strategic industry outlook based on our latest industry research and then engage in a lively Q&A discussion with the former Grand Slam champion. Location: Grand Ballroom, S100

Other Show highlights include:

• The Beverage Room Stage, where live mixology demos and interactive sessions bring the art, science and business of adult beverages to life. Showgoers will uncover cool, fresh ideas that elevate adult beverage programs, with a focus on beer, wine and spirits, no/low cocktails, functional beverages, and more. Location: Lakeside Center
• The Culinary Experience, where celebrated chefs and culinary leaders demonstrate techniques, share recipes, show off the latest trends, and discuss the big ideas that are shaping the industry. Location: Lakeside Center
• The TECH Pavilion, where the leading products, tools, and processes that make your business more modern, efficient, and profitable, will be on display. Location: North Hall

In addition, a series of education sessions and deep-dive workshops will offer critical industry insights.

At the Association’s booth…our own subject matter experts will give live presentations throughout the Show’s run. Location: 6600 North Hall

Here’s some of what you’ll see:

1. Every shift is different…closing the systems gap, May 16, 12:30 p.m.
2. What it means to be beyond compliant, May 16, 1:15 p.m.
3. Build a team that performs: Clear expectations…real accountability, May 16, 2 p.m.
4. Building future-ready talent through apprenticeships and training, May 16, 2:45 p.m.
5. Escape the owner bottleneck: Build a restaurant that runs without you, May 16, 3:15 p.m.
6. Profit protection: Fix the small leaks driving food and labor costs, May 17, 10 a.m.
7. How credit card swipe fees drive up costs for restaurants, May 17, 11 a.m.
8. 30-day operations jumpstart: Get control of shifts with a few high-impact systems, May 17, 12:15 p.m.
9. Alcohol regulations and trends to watch in 2026, May 17, 2:30 p.m.
10. Opening strong: The real-world systems and training blueprint for a confident launch, May 17, 3:15 p.m.
11. Building a future-ready workforce: Why ProStart matters now, May 18, 11 a.m.
12. Smart study modules: An innovative, adaptive learning tool in culinary and hospitality education, May 18, 12:15 p.m.
13. Guest service gold: Building foundational customer service skills, May 18, 1:45 p.m.

Featured presentations and workshops…

Several Association subject matter experts will headline educational sessions on topics including staffing and hiring, immigration, the state of the restaurant industry, and more. Operators will learn how to make their businesses run more efficiently and effectively. Here’s a sampling of our presentations:

• The 2026 State of the Industry: Position Yourself for Success in the Face of Uncertainty, May 16, 1 p.m. The restaurant industry is facing unprecedented challenges—from cautious consumer spending and rising operational costs to broader economic uncertainty. However, forward-thinking brands are turning these obstacles into opportunities through strategic innovation and operational excellence. Join Dr. Chad Moutray, Senior VP of Research and Chief Economist at the National Restaurant Association, Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chao, and Jeremy Tannehill, Chief Partner of Catering at DineAmic Hospitality Group, for an insightful discussion on how they’re successfully navigating this complex landscape. This session will explore critical findings from the National Restaurant Association's 2026 State of the Industry report and reveal practical strategies for thriving amid uncertainty. Location: Room S502
• Connecting Business with Policy to Tackle Our Industry’s Immigration Reality, May 16, 4:15 p.m. Immigration is not just a policy debate, it’s the backbone of the restaurant industry’s workforce, and a critical link in America’s food supply chain. From farms to kitchens to dining rooms, immigrants power every stage of getting food to the table. Top policy and industry experts from the National Restaurant Association and Texas Restaurant Association, plus Chicago restaurateur Kevin Vaughan, will discuss immigration as a business imperative, not a political talking point, focusing on a business’s operational needs. They will share lessons learned, highlight current workforce strategies, and explore practical solutions, including work visa pathways and career pipelines. Location: Innovation Theater-North Hall
• Smarter Staffing: How Technology Is Solving Today’s Restaurant Labor Challenges, May 17, 4 p.m. As the industry’s employee pool remains tight and wages continue to rise, restaurant operators are rethinking how they staff, schedule, train, and retain their teams. This panel, featuring Dr. Chad Moutray, Ph.D., the National Restaurant Association’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research, Amber Dunlap of Slatebridge Restaurants, and Damian Hanft of Taco John’s restaurants, will explore how emerging solutions are transforming workforce management and unlocking new efficiencies across the industry. Learn how tools such as AI-powered scheduling, automated hiring platforms, digital training programs, handheld ordering, and smart kitchen systems help restaurants do more with leaner teams—without compromising guest experience or profitability. Location: Innovation Theater-North Hall
• Cultural Intelligence as a Growth Strategy for Modern Restaurant Brands, May 18, 2:30 p.m. Today’s restaurant brands are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape shaped by changing guest expectations, evolving workforce dynamics, and increasingly complex operating environments. Erika Cospy Carr, leader of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, will explore how Cultural Intelligence (CQ) functions as a business imperative, helping leaders make better decisions in moments that directly affect growth, trust, and execution. She'll help restaurant leaders translate insight into action across guest-facing and team-facing decisions. Drawing on MFHA’s Four Intelligences —artificial, emotional, positive, and cultural—she’ll also introduce a practical way for leaders to identify where brand values are aligned, gaps exist, and growth opportunities may be missed. Location: Room S504ABC

Last, but not least, showgoers with a thirst for new and cool beverages can join Global Payments, who will host a front- and back-of-the-house booth experience at their coffee bar, which will display the company’s suite of Genius POS products. Stop by for a drink and discover what Genius can do. Location: 6427 North Hall
    
Learn more about and register for this year’s Show here