Snapshot: The National Restaurant Association Show 2018

This blog was written by William Lilly, Fishbowl Account Manager, about his experiences + eats + drinks of his time spent in Chicago at the National Restaurant Association Show. The original, unabridged post can be found on his blog titled “The YoPro Diet.”
By now, we’ve all followed along my food + family + friend filled trips from coast to coast…
This time around, the trip we’re talking today was a bit different because it was actually a work trip. This wasn’t just a run of the mill in-and-out work trip, but rather, I was fortunate to have five days in the Windy City ~ Chicago, Illinois. For those of you who aren’t clued in on my life outside of @the_yopro_diet, I work in digital marketing as an Account Manager at a company called Fishbowl. As one of the leaders in digital marketing + data + analytics exclusively for the restaurant industry, I was in Chicago attending the NRA show.. the National Restaurant Association Show.

Representing our Account Management and Sales teams || William + Emily + Taylor + Darren + Brian

NRA Show Snapshot

The NRA show is mecca. I’m not too versed in the trade show world, but holy moly this thing is massive. For context, this show is held at the largest convention center in North America. For more context, here’s the quick + dirty of the show:

• 99th annual Show
• 4 days long
• 2,406 exhibitors
• 43,000+ foodservice buyers
• exhibitors ranging from major food brands + restaurants to start ups + tech giants
• brands you’re likely familiar with:  Coca-Cola, Chobani, OpenTable, Yelp, Oracle, UberEats
• brands you need to be familiar with:  Fishbowl, Impossible Foods, Honey Smoked Fish Company, Fire Cider (more on this in a minute)
• why we were there: generate leads from new prospects, build brand awareness, industry interaction + much more

…Even a week+ after the trip, I’m feeling even more full of gratitude to have had this travel opportunity with my company to the main stage in the food world–an industry I’m passionate about both in and out of the office. Thanks to all who helped make this trip happen, and thanks to all along my side in Chicago who made it the trip of a lifetime!
Until next time, Chicago…
Read the full blog post which includes “Food Sample Superlatives” and “Out on the Town – Chicago Recommendations” here >>
Follow The YoPro Diet and William Lilly, Fishbowl Account Manager, on Instagram or connect via LinkedIn.