The main goal of the CR&B Show is no secret: create the most unique and interactive trade show for Canadian foodservice industry professionals. And while launching a new trade show is a challenge, the first year always has one saving grace: there’s nothing to directly compare it to. There’s no getting better, but there’s no getting worse, either.
That changes for year two, though. The bar has been set, and leading up to the day of the show, everyone — show staff included — wonders whether the lessons they learned will have been put to good use and whether attendees will walk away with better things to say. Everything might look good on paper the day before, but you don’t really know.
Now, with the second CR&B Show finished, we do.
By every metric, the 2019 CR&B Show was bigger and better. Over 2018, there was a 33 per cent increase in delegates registered, 40 per cent more attendees and a 52 per cent increase in exhibitors and sponsors. The trade show floor was bigger too, with 35 per cent more space dedicated to commerce, culinary competitions, bartending demonstrations and education sessions. Even with that added space, the floor was still packed.
And what a difference a year makes in the industry! Since our inaugural show, it has become clear that plant-based proteins are no passing fad. Beyond Meat was a notable addition to the exhibitor lineup, and it was joined by several other plant-based start-ups, including Chic Peas Veg, Choose Life Foods and NONA Vegan, amongst others, showing just how much this segment has grown. New challengers to old industries were everywhere, from tonic water by small-batch producers like Double Dutch and Fever Tree, to tech start-ups like Lightspeed, which is upending the POS game.
It took some adjusting to push the show in the right direction. In 2018, education sessions were held in a separate space, while this year, they were right on the floor in the thick of the action. On day one, the show kicked off early with the Canadian Women in Food’s Full Tilt Conference, a peer-led discussion about the advancement of women in the foodservice industry. And at the end, exhibitors donated excess food to Second Harvest, a food rescue nonprofit and show sponsor.
There were countless other adjustments as well, many the result of conversations with industry partners. For their help, the CR&B Show wants to thank the Culinary Federation, Foodservice Consultants’ Society International, Manufacturers’ Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry, Nightclub & Bar Show, Ontario Independent Meat Processors, Ontario Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Association and the aforementioned Canadian Women in Food.
The CR&B Show sponsors were also a huge help, as well, so special thanks goes including Heritage Parts, Kraft Heinz, Rational, American Beverage Marketers, Flanagan Foodservice, and too many others to mention here. The 2019 show was a big improvement over 2018, but it was only possible with their help.
There is some bad news, though: it’s going to be a tough show to top for 2020, but if history is any indication, the CR&B Show team is up to the task.
