The National Restaurant Association kicks off it’s annual show in Chicago tomorrow. Two large companies are trimming expenses and another is forgoing the show all together. [ChicagoTribune]
Tyson Foods Inc. won’t be serving chicken because of the cost involved. “We’ve decided against serving food this year because of the increasing cost,” Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson. Tyson will still have a major presence at the restaurant show, with its 3,600-square-foot booth.
McCain Foods Ltd., a giant french fry manufacturer, told show organizers in March that it was pulling out entirely, said Derrek Hull, the restaurant association’s manager of marketing and communications.
Show organizer said they were able to fill floor space vacated by McCain. The show, which runs Saturday through Tuesday, is one Chicago’s largest and is sold out for the third consecutive year.
But Greg Kirrish, the restaurant show’s vice president of sales and marketing, cautions “because of the challenging economic climate we do have to sell the benefits of the show to exhibitors and attendees.” Show organizers have a tougher job in times like these.
Organizers expect 74,000 people to attend the show, which will feature more than 2,000 exhibitors spread out over 610,000 square feet.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Photo: Walter Scheib
