cashido in retail asia

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S P E C I A L R E V I E W

being incorporated, bringing

something different to theshow, so that visitors will keepreturning, Hull continued. And to get the ball rollingwas renowned journalist andinterviewer, Charlie Rose, who delivered a rivetingpresentation in his keynote

address at the show, which was on how businesses canlearn to navigate throughtheir challenges by askingthe right kind of questions.

Bringing green backKeeping their ear to theground, the NRA introduced the Con-

serve Solutions Center, designed tohelp restaurateurs who were lookingfor ways to step up their efforts towardsa more environmentally friendly andsustainable business, as awareness oneco-friendly practices has grown amongconsumers. According to the latest

NRA survey, 56% of American

consumers stated that they aremore likely to visit an estab-lishment that utilises organicproducts and supports greeninitiatives; going green isnot only the right thing to dofor the environment, but alsoa smart way to do business in

todays market.The Conserve Solutions

Center was created specificallyto help participants [easily]find sustainability-related

products and services Together with the acclaimed

Organic and Natural Pavilion,participants could walk, for the firsttime, in an area completely dedicatedto green products and solutions, Hulladded. The pavilion, which showcaseda variety of eco-friendly products andideas for construction and remodelling

projects, also hosted presentations

and discussions to illustrate how best

to incorporate such ideas into their

operations.

First-time exhibitor at the show andsupplier of organic bulk ingredients to

food-service distributors, Multiple Or-

ganics director of sales, Peter Tortorici,

also noted that, increasingly, more

people have been educated as to the

benefits of organic growing, farming and

eating. Organically grown ingredients

lack the pesticides and chemicals that

are used in farming methods They

do not leach pesticides and chemicals

into soil, streams, oceans and drinking

water. These chemicals have been, and

are being linked to various forms of

cancer [and other ailments], as well as

adverse environmental effects.

While more studies are under way

on the benefits of organic produce, for

HELD from May22-25 this year at

McCormick Placein Chicago, Illinois,USA, the NRA showbuzzed with activityas over 42,000 trade

visitors from 120 countries trawled the482,000sqf exhibition space, looking

for some of the newest products in theindustry, as well as meeting suppliersand business associates.

At the IWSB event, which ran onMay 23 and 24, 3,500 registrants turnedup this year, a 17% jump from last year,to source for some of the newest brands

and labels in the wine, spirits and beerindustry. The event also had a rangeof educational sessions that looked atindustry trends and challenges.

Backed by industry forecasts re-leased by the NRA, which stated thatthis year could be a record year for the

restaurant industry in the US with salesincreasing 2.5% to US$580 billion, the

total number of registrants surged toalmost 58,000 over the four-day event.No other industry event [in the

western hemisphere] offers more vari-ety and range of products, services and

learning opportunities for the restaurantand food-service industry in the US,said Derrek Hull, marketing and com-munications manager of NRA.

Beyond statistics, the show has con-tinued to evolve, with great new features

NRA Show 2010 sees renewedgrowth as recession wanes

Backed by industry forecasts released by the NRA, which projected a 2.5% sales

growth to US$580 billion, the total number of registrants surged to almost 58,000 over

the four-day event.

Food-service and hospitality professionals from across theglobe turned up in renewed strength to the National Restaurant

Associations (NRA) 91st Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show 2010.Buoyed by improving consumer sentiment and with economicrecovery on the horizon, the 2010 NRA Show, together with theInternational Wine, Spirits and Beer Event (IWSB), saw a double-digit growth in attendance this year by 11.2% from 2009.

Jolene Klassen reports from Chicago.

NASDAs DeWitt

Ashby: Our

exhibitors are very

pleased the

audience is lively,

and there are a lot

more people here

this year.



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now, consumers who purchase organic

produce are also supporting a product

that is contributing to a cleaner, safer and

more sustainable world, he continued.

DeWitt Ashby, director of trade

shows at the National Association

of State Departments of Agriculture(NASDA), also noted that environ-

mental consciousness is one of the

trends that are starting to pick up in

the industry. People are beginning to

incorporate [eco-friendly practices] into

their business. Theres a certain segment

of clientele who are doing things that

are good for the environment so

by having a greener approach to their

quantity usage and other practices, they

know its also going to be good for their

business, he elaborated.

Markets look set for recovery newtrends emergeConfident that the economy will con-

tinue to improve, Ashby maintained

that things are starting to look up for a

number of exhibitors at the show.

Our exhibitors are very pleased

the audience is lively, and there are

a lot more people here this year, he

said, stating that, last year, attendance

was stumped by the downturn and the

H1N1 outbreak. This year, however, new

exhibitors have also joined the show,Ashby added. Buyer groups have also

grown to include visitors from Costa

Rica, China, Nigeria, the Caribbean,

Russia, Japan and the UAE, with the

strongest buyers from Mexico, Taiwan

and China.

Hull also noted that the buyer

groups from China remained as one

of the largest groups of international

exhibitors and participants that attend

the show annually. Japanese and Ko-

rean buyers and exhibitors have [also]been more active than ever. This year,

we [had] a big delegation of buyers

coming from both countries as well,

said Hull, adding that the show saw

great exhibitor representatives from

Asia with pavilions this year from Japan,

Korea, China and New Zealand, while

Australia sent a number of buyers to

the show too.

Speaking on the trends in the indus-

try, Ashby continued that over the past

few years, the biggest change to have im-

pacted the restaurant and food-serviceindustries, especially with the economic

downturn, is that the expenditure on

food has shifted to the retail segment.

Fewer people were eating out. But we

expect it to start shifting back gradually

as things improve, he maintained.

Kim Hamilton, international mar-

keting representative at the Illinois

Department of Agriculture, also pointed

out that another trend in the market was

the growing demand for private labels.

Private-label sales has really gone up

because people are really looking [to get]items at a cheaper price, said Hamilton.

She added that while the organic

industry is starting to grow, sales in the

industry are hurting because people

dont have the disposable income tobuy these items.

Over the last year, restaurants were

hurt bad, but retail was actually grow-

ing because more people were buying

from the stores and preparing at home,

instead of going out to eat. But gradu-

ally, there is an increase in the number

of people going out to eat again,

Hamilton noted.

Tortorici also added that his com-

pany has seen a tremendous demand

for gluten-free ingredients, especially

ancient grains like quinoa and ama-ranth, while for fruits, demand for

antioxidant-rich ingredients, like dried

blueberries, as well as exotic fruits, such

as mango, pineapple and papaya, are

also increasing.

And as the effects of the market

slump are beginning to wane, Hamilton

maintained that for the exhibitors from

Illinois, which had over 20 companies at

their state pavilion, showcasing every-

thing from meats to processed food

and beverages, the show was going

very well. At the Michigan pavilion, which

saw about 10 companies taking part,

Jamie Zmitko-Somers, manager of the

International Marketing Program at

Illinois Department of Agricultures Kim

Hamilton: Another trend in the market

was the growing demand for private

labels.

Do the foodie dance

Shaking things up at the 2010 NRA Show was the

first foodie flash mob dance, choreographed

by Chicago-based dancer, Christina Chen of

Cerqua Dance Theatre. Modelled after media

mogul Oprah Winfreys flash mob in Chicagos

Magnificent Mile last year, the NRAs flash mob

saw over 100 participants, ranging from attend-

ees to chefs, students and exhibitors, dancing

in unison to Lady Gagas debut hit,Just Dance.

Weeks before the scheduled mob

dance, the NRA posted a learning video on

YouTube, inviting everyone coming to the

show to learn the steps and join in. To watch

the 2010 NRA Shows first foodie flash

mob dance, visit http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=WxJx69FTe34. ra

The 2010 NRA Show which featured the first foodie flash mob dance, saw over 100

participants dancing in unison to Lady Gagas debut hit, Just Dance.


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the State of Michigans Department of

Agriculture, said that attendance has

been really good this year. Everyones

really busy. All the companies are very

happy with the contacts theyve made,

she stated, adding that production within

the state has grown, with local consump-tion steadily improving.

Platform for new productsOther exhibitors took the opportunity

to unveil their newest solutions for the

food-service and hospitality industries at

the NRA Show this year. The Coca-Cola

Companys pavilion drew a constant

stream of visitors forming long lines to

try out the companys latest high-tech

soda fountain that can mix up over 100

drinks to create new beverages accord-

ing to preference. The new Freestylemachine, encased in a Ferrari-designed

curved metal shell, featured a touch-

screen menu, with a selection of 104

drink flavours, both carbonated and

non-carbonated, which consumers can

choose from to create new flavours.

Coca-Cola is incorporating some

of the latest technologies into the

fountain, among them the companys

patent-pending Perfect Pour techno-

logy, that makes sure each drink tastes

like it should with just one nozzle. The

company said that it is planning to rollout another 500 machines in various

outlets across the US, where it is cur-

rently testing about 70 such fountains.

The show maintained its status as a

platform to break into the global market.

Australian-based bar tools company,

Uber Bar Tools, which designs and

markets equipment for the hospitality

industry and has a strong presence in

Asia, namely Hong Kong, Singapore and

China, said that it is looking to launch its

brand and introduce its products in the

US. It exhibited at the NRA show this

year for the first time. Michael Silvers,

the companys CEO and founder, said:The NRA is the perfect platform to con-

nect with leaders of the hospitality world.

Brands looking to either break into or

better secure their future on the world

stage cannot go past the NRA Show.

Chris Daniel, assistant manager

of sales and marketing at Taiwanese

water-purification company, Cashido

Corporation, also revealed that this is

the companys first participation at the

show. Since our products conception,

we have been aggressively marketing

this product in Taiwan, and this year,

we decided to take it to the American

market, he quipped.

Daniel explained that with the

growing concern over food safety andits impact on the industry, the company

chose to feature its Ozone Antibacterial

Sanitizer, a system that helps ensure food

safety in restaurants, by killing over 99%

of bacteria and removing more than

70% of pesticides found in fresh foods.

A number of restaurants in Taiwan use

reverse osmosis (RO) water to cook and

wash with. However, it was found that

their food contained traces of E.coli

(Escherichia coli). This is due to the fact

that RO water cannot kill bacteria, he

elaborated, adding that the system alsoremoves odours, keeps food fresh and

easily connects to a faucet, making it

more user-friendly.

The product is ideal for all aspects

of the food industry. Daniel continued:

The restaurant professionals we spoke

with proclaimed their need for cleanli-

ness in the kitchen. They were very

surprised at how easy it is to install and

maintain as well as how small the product

is. It was very different from other ozone

products they have seen.

Over 70 free education sessionsNRAs Hull noted that another key

feature was the impressive line-up of

education sessions at both shows. At the

NRA show alone, over 70 free education

sessions were held to keep hospitality

and trade professionals in-the-know.

These [sessions] addressed industry

The new Coca-Cola Freestyle machine,

encased in a Ferrari-designed curved

metal shell, features a touch-screen

menu, with a selection of 104 drinkflavours.

World-renowned chefs turn up for the inaugural

NRA World Culinary Showcase

Aside from cooking demonstrationsat the various booths and pavilions,

the NRA Show 2010 also hosted

the inaugural World Culinary

Showcase, which featured a range of

chefs from around the world, show-

casing their cooking techniques and

recipes, each featuring products that

were native to their own countries.

Top chefs from across the US, as

well as from Europe, Canada and

Mexico, took to the stage, pre-

senting dishes that ranged from

Medilatino (Latin-Mediterranean)

cuisine to Mayan flavours.Among the culinary celebri-

ties featured was Chef Graham

Brown of Cervena, New Zealand,

Culinary Olympics Gold Medal win-

ner, highlighting the benefits of NewZealand farmed venison. Turkeys

founding director of the Istanbul

Culinary Institute, Hande Bozdogan,

also demonstrated how to whip up

simple recipes of Turkish cuisine

with easily accessible ingredients.

Another award-winning chef, Rick

Bayless, who won the Julia Childs

IACP (International Association

of Culinary Professionals) and the

James Beard Best International

Cookbook of the Year awards, also

hosted a cooking demonstration on

Mexican cuisine, which saw an over-whelming turnout at the showcase.

The showcase also held edu-

cational sessions to share ideas

for cooking sustainable seafood as

well as to discuss the various uses

of different spices and ingredients,

how to enhance the natural flavours

in fruits and vegetables, and how to

introduce good food to children in

kid-friendly meals. ra

Award-winning chef, Rick Bayless, received an overwhelming turnout

at a cooking demonstration on Mexican cuisine.


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A new spin on the International

Back-of-the-House Restaurant Tour

Further enriching the experience for interna-

tional participants at the NRA Show 2010, was

the Back-of-the House Restaurant Tour, which

has become a popular favourite for overseas at-tendees. Organised in collaboration with some

of the best restaurants in Chicago, this year,

the tour took a different spin with a brewery

and two dining establishments: one in a hotel

and the other featuring international cuisine.

Attendees were introduced to the

C-House Fish and Chops, housed within the

Affinia Hotel Chicago, allowing them to learn

the synergies involved in setting up a restaurant

within a hotel. One benefit of doing so is that

the hotel ensures a certain amount of diners to

the restaurant, which helps when business slows

down, said Gian Garofalo, general manager of

C-House Fish and Chops.

Having a restaurant within a hotel has

been very helpful to us because when things get

slower, we always have a population that is in

the hotel. As opposed to being a free-standing

restaurant, with times as they are right now,

I feel much better about being attached to a

hotel, he noted.

Garofalo walked guests through the 90-

seat nautical-themed restaurant, opened by

renowned Swedish chef, Marcus Samuelsson,

candidly sharing their experience of setting up

the restaurant and how they overcame the

problems they encountered. He added that

the trick with opening a restaurant in a hotel

was to create an atmosphere that is not too

fine dining, so that people will walk in without

being intimidated. To do this, the design of

the restaurant needed to convey a warm and

inviting ambience.

The restaurant, which has a banquet on

the second floor and a rooftop lounge area,

also provides for an interesting dining experi-

ence, with features such as the C Bar, which

serves a wide selection of fresh and sustainable

seafood, a long communal table in the middle

of the restaurant that seats about 12 guests,

providing for an interactive dining experience,

and a candy bar, which Garofalo maintained is

a great idea when customers dont want to

have desserts.I think that making sure that you have

the right concept and that youre aware of

the market youre in is very important in this

business. You have to be aware of whats going

on in the city and what your competitors are

doing to make sure that you come up with

something that there [isnt too much] of or

creating something there really isnt a need

for, Garofalo stated.

Introducing participants to a perspec-

tive on international cuisine was a visit to Le

Colonial, an upscale French-Vietnamese res-

taurant located in the heart of Chicago, which

combined flavours of South-east Asian cuisine

with a French faade and dcor. Split into two

areas, dining on the ground floor and the main

bar, lounge and terrace on the second level,

the restaurants cosy ambience has deemed it

the citys most romantic restaurant, said a

spokesperson. Opened about two decades ago,

he shared that the secret to the restaurants

success and longevity is providing its custom-

ers with an experience, not just serving up

drinks and food.

Another first on the Back-of-the-House

tour this year was a brewery trip to the Cly-

bourn Brewpub and the Fulton Street Brewery,

which served hand-crafted beers made by

Chicagos Goose Island Beer Co. The tour took

visitors to experience the brewing process of

some of the 50 beers that the company pro-

duces. At the Clybourn Brewpub, customers

can sample some 20 different brews, alongside a

range of beer food, salads and its famous Stilton

burger. The brewpub also features a weekly

Farmers Market beer series, which infuses

with different herbs and spices in a style of beer,

and has a Chef Collaboration Series, which

was brewed in collaboration with C-House

chef Nicole Pederson. ra

C-House Fish and Chops provides for an interesting dining experience, with features such

as a wide selection fresh and sustainable seafood at the C Bar, and an interactive dining

experience at a long communal table in the middle of the restaurant that seats about 12

guests.

imperatives such as jobs and careers,

food and healthy living, sustainability

and social responsibility, and profitabil-ity and entrepreneurship, Hull added.

Among the topics discussed was the

growing use of social networking to get

the word out to consumers on the vari-ous restaurant promotions and activi-

ties. Sessions included how to leverage

word-of-mouth marketing to generateinterest using social media tools, such

as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, how

best to skew these to improve business

and bring more customers through thedoor, and a presentation on statistical

data to support why businesses should

be using these platforms if they want to

make it in todays competitive businessenvironment.

The NRA also held impromptu ses-sions, which tackled issues in real time.When news of the oil spill in the Gulf of

Mexico broke out, a panel of association

leaders and local restaurateurs came

together to discuss the repercussionsof the situation, updating attendees on

the various actions taken to control and

monitor the impact of the spill on the

seafood business.Jim Funk, president and CEO of the

Louisiana Restaurant Association, said

that despite the spill, it was business as

usual in Louisiana, where seafood makesup US$2.4 billion in revenue, with about

70% of its production of seafood coming

from the Gulf coast.While the spill has yet to affect the

industry, which is worth US$77 billion,

according to the NRA, the smallest

percentage decline would have a heftyimpact on the industry, because of its

sheer size, the Louisiana official said.

Hull concluded that the NRA will

continue developing more and more al-liances to bring more newcomers to the

show. We are always working actively via the National Association of State

Departments of Agriculture to promoteshow awareness of and motivate new-

comers to experience the NRA Show. In

some cases, we have also been workingwith Trade Offices that some countries

have in the US.

And we [are] developing special

education [sessions] with key industryleaders from different countries. All

these efforts together will certainly

influence international food-service

professionals to attend the NRA Show,he maintained.

The 92nd NRA Restaurant, Hotel-

Motel Show will return to McCormick

Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA, from May21-24, next year. ra

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