Fro-yo girl here. Since the frozen yogurt industry doesn’t have a large scale tradeshow devoted to frozen yogurt, the National Restaurant Association (NRA Show) is the best place to learn about new trends, new technologies and new products in frozen yogurt (and the foodservice industry in general). This year was my first time attending the NRA Show, the nation’s largest foodservice show, and I went with several goals in mind: (1) to serve as an expert judge for Revel Systems’ inaugural Swirl of Excellence Frozen Yogurt taste competition, (2) to meet others in the frozen yogurt industry and learn about new trends, products, and technologies, (3) to sample frozen yogurt, (4) to have fun and see a few chefs that I admire.
Because there’s so much to report, I’m planning multiple posts that cover the NRA Show. These posts will be on the IFYA blog (internationalfrozenyogurt.com/news):
- Swirl of Excellence Frozen Yogurt Competition Sponsored by Revel Systems
- New Frozen Yogurt Trends, Products & Technology: Frozen Yogurt Mixes
- New Frozen Yogurt Trends, Products & Technology: Frozen Yogurt Machines, Packaging, POS, Franchises
General NRA Show Observations and Tips
If you do attend the NRA Show, don’t bother to make lunch plans. There’s so much free food being handed out and you’ll be so tired that you won’t have room or energy to get lunch elsewhere. They had pizza, flatbread, burgers, Chicago dogs, seafood, mini tacos, hummus, gyros, bagels, pastries, noodles, and of course desserts – frozen yogurt, ice cream, gelato and cookies. You can also buy food at the pizza place, Starbucks and Mc Donald’s but why bother when you’re surrounded by free food?
Wear comfortable shoes and grab a map/download the NRA app so that you can find your way around. You’re going to be doing a lot of walking – or you can rent a motorized wheelchair.
I attended several chef demonstrations (Art Smith, Ming Tsai, Marc Forgione – none of them made froyo) and those are worth going to. You can watch the chef in action and hear personal stories. Few people in the audience want to ask questions, so if you’re a fan of a chef, do attend and ask a question. You can also meet them one on one at the book signings.
Tomorrow’s post on Revel Systems’ Swirl of Excellence Frozen Yogurt Competition will appear on the IFYA blog.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. I’m bringing my froyo spoon and years of froyo tasting experience to the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago. I’ve been invited to be an expert judge for Revel Systems’ Swirl of Excellence Frozen Yogurt Competition. Thank you Revel Systems!
A panel of expert judges, including yours truly, will select the best vanilla and original tart frozen yogurt flavors in a blind taste test. The vendor with the highest overall score for those two flavors will receive the honor of best frozen yogurt at NRA. The results will be announced Tuesday, May 20th at 11am, at booth 4181.
NRA attendees are also invited to visit the participating vendors and choose their favorite frozen yogurt. The winner of the popular vote will also be announced on Tuesday, May 20th at 11am. Ballots will be available at the participating vendors' booths and the Revel Systems boot (#4181).
I plan on sampling all the yogurt and frozen yogurt at the show. I hope Stonyfield brings their new frozen yogurt pearls. I’m also excited to try new food products and see chefs like Marc Forgione, Graham Elliot, Rick Bayless, Ming Tsai, Robert Irvine, Duff Goldman, Maneet Chauhan, Pat Neely, Anne Burrell, Rocco Disprito, Art Smith and Barbara Lynch.
Expect to see plenty of updates from the NRA Show on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram accounts and this blog.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
About the NRA Show
The National Restaurant Association Show is the largest gathering of the international foodservice community, bringing manufacturers, dealers, distributors, service providers and operators from all 50 states and more than 100 countries together under one roof. With 62,000+ attendees, 2,000+ exhibiting companies and 80+ education sessions, NRA Show creates the opportunity for foodservice businesses of every size and scope to find the latest products, services, ideas, information and contacts to grow their business.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
