Restaurant Events, LLC, a new trade show management company formed by industry veterans Tim von Gal and Doug Miller have announced the purchase of The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show and the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo from Clarion Events. Tim and Doug are no strangers to the events or the industry they serve … in 2014 under the banner of Urban Expositions they purchased the events from Reed Exhibitions and grew the events until 2016, when they sold them to Clarion Events.
Restaurant Events, LLC Acquires Three Trade Shows from Clarion Events
“We are thrilled to be re-acquiring these events especially as the restaurant and hospitality industries are seeing exponential growth following the challenges during the pandemic,” said Tim von Gal, Partner in Restaurant Events. “The recent International Restaurant & Foodservice Show, which was held in March, reported a 50% increase in attendance bringing the audience nearly back up to pre-pandemic levels. The aisles were packed with solutions providers and qualified buyers and there was an excitement for the industry to be back together. We look forward to building on this momentum for the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo in August and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show in November.”
“The three restaurant and foodservice trade shows are among the most respected events in the industry, attracting thousands of attendees and exhibitors, and we are confident that Tim, Doug and the team at Restaurant Events will provide an unparalleled opportunity for industry professionals to network, learn about new products and services, and stay up to date on the latest trends and developments,” said Greg Topalian, CEO, Clarion Events North America.
“We have a great team in place to take these events to the next level and we are truly excited to be working together again with our industry partners Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association; Jot Condie, President and CEO of the California Restaurant Association and Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association,” added von Gal. “Partnering with these amazing associations, who have their finger on the pulse of their markets, will help us to create important gatherings for their members. Plans are already underway to enhance the attendee and exhibitor experience, with new features and activities planned for each event.”
The three trade shows and conferences offer access to the hottest menu trends, state-of-the-art design and decor, the best in business education, and hundreds of the leading vendors and purveyors dedicated to serving the restaurant & foodservice community — all under one roof. The trade show and conferences highlight hundreds of leading vendors demonstrating and sampling the newest food products, technology and equipment for the restaurant, foodservice, specialty beverage and hospitality markets. Attendees have access to a free education program offering How To Sessions, Business Solutions, Conversations with subject matter experts, culinary demonstrations, and competitions on Center Stage. More than fifty complimentary educational sessions are included with show admission focused on content for all segments of the industry from independent restaurant owners to chain operators to commercial and institutional foodservice operations. The three trade shows include:
- The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo taking place August 6-8, 2023, at the Anaheim Convention Center and co-located with Coffee Fest Anaheim. The trade show is sponsored by the California Restaurant Association (calrest.org).
- The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show taking place November 8-9, 2023, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The event is sponsored by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (frla.org) and will be co-located with the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, owned by Grand Slam Events, in partnership with Restaurant Events.
- Pizza Tomorrow Summit provides independent pizza operators with an immersive and fun experience, a wide range of products, a robust conference program, plus entertaining and informative pizza competitions, and demonstrations.
- The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York taking place March 3-5, 2024, at the Javits Center in New York City and co-located with Coffee Fest New York. The show is produced in partnership with the New York State Restaurant Association (nysra.org).
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Several members of the Clarion Events team have moved over to the new organization to keep consistency and continuity for sales, operations, marketing, and content development. For exhibitor and sponsorship information for any of the three events, contact Paul Pedrow at paul@therestaurantevents.com or LaShara Parham at lashara@therestaurantevents.com. For attendee or partnership information contact Andrea Tencza at andrea@therestaurantevents.com.
