Highlights from the 2023 NAFEM Show

For the first time since 2019, over 20,000 foodservice professionals gathered together February 1-3, 2023 in Orlando, Florida for The NAFEM Show: a biennial showcase of the latest and greatest foodservice equipment and supplies that the industry has to offer. Hosted by the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers, the NAFEM Show is an opportunity for operators, dealers, and consultants to meet with foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers, learn about new industry trends and breakthrough technology, as well as network with other professionals. With this being the first four-year gap between shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 NAFEM Show was an incredible event with so much to offer. If you couldn’t make it, here’s some of the top highlights from the show.

Automation Technology

With the rise and continuation of the industry’s labor challenges, equipment manufacturers have been looking for ways to give operators less headaches by developing solutions that incorporate automation and robotics. The Smart Drive-Thru Expansion from Antunes was one solution found at the show, allowing quick-service restaurants to add additional lanes in their drive-thru. Check out the footage our social media team captured of this in action:

TikTok – Make Your Day

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Middleby provided a different kind of solution with FryBot™ and PizzaBot™: robotic arms that automate frying foods and baking pizzas. Show attendees were able to not only see the robots in action, but also enjoy a bite of their cooking. Over the course of the show, FryBot™ and PizzaBot™ cooked over 1,000 servings of fries and tenders, and over 500 servings of pizza. Middleby also featured the Solstice Smart Fryer from Pitco at its Innovation Alley booth. This fryer automates tasks such as filtration, oil disposal, and oil top-off, and it has a sensor notifying operators when to change the oil.

If you were looking to try something sweet, Belshaw had one of their Donut Robot® systems in action, serving up delicious treats to show attendees.

Networking

The networking opportunities at the 2023 NAFEM Show were numerous. The evening before day 1, NAFEM hosted a kick-off party at Hilton Orlando. This was a fun and casual way for attendees and exhibitors to get together and connect before experiencing non-stop action for the next 3 days. After day 1, some of the biggest manufacturers held exclusive parties and events for customers and vendors.

After day 2, Parts Town hosted a PARTnership Appreciation Cocktail Hour at the Orange County Convention Center, complete with light-up cowboy hats and plushies of our innovation mascot, PARTner. After our event, show attendees enjoyed an incredible performance by country-music superstar Brad Paisley at The NAFEM Party.

Aside from the various planned networking events, the show itself was the most important venue for building connections. The NAFEM Show enabled foodservice professionals from across the globe to meet one another face-to-face, gather first-hand knowledge and information from manufacturers, and lay the groundwork for long-lasting partnerships.

For Parts Town, The NAFEM Show was an opportunity to meet with many of our 215+ master distribution partners in one place. Because of our master distribution programs, customers like you can enjoy access to even more real OEM parts, content about new equipment, troubleshooting, preventative maintenance and more, innovative parts ID and serial number look up capabilities, and enhanced technical support capabilities.

@CenterStage

Attendees also had access to multiple learning opportunities @CenterStage, The NAFEM Show’s “educational theater”. NAFEM president Rich Packer and The NAFEM Show chair Dave Rolston kicked things off with a discussion on how the industry is looking, providing some insight for attendees as to what to be paying attention to at the 2023 NAFEM Show. @CenterStage continued over the next three days with a variety of topics including what the economy may look like this year and beyond, foodservice innovations in institutional facilities, how to develop your workforce and company culture, strategies to prevail during supply chain disruptions, as well as what the future looks like for service technicians, consultants, manufacturers’ representatives, dealers, and manufacturers. Each day, attendees were also able to enjoy short, 15-minute discussions with Middleby Executive Advisor Dave Brewer. To bring things full circle, Packer and Rolston returned once again to provide some commentary on how The NAFEM Show continues to live up to its reputation as the crown jewel for exhibiting foodservice equipment and supplies.

2025 NAFEM Show

If you missed this NAFEM Show, make sure to mark your calendar for February 26-28, 2025. The NAFEM Show will return in 2025 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit www.thenafemshow.org for more information.