With its strong international following, the Show stands as a global hotspot, drawing foodservice pros from around the world to Chicago each year. With help from Show team members Tom Cindric and Andres Tovar, we peel back the curtain to take a closer look at the Show’s international reach, including its attendee acquisition strategies, resources for international pros and plans for expansion into new global markets

A global event

“Historically the Show’s been very international,” says Tom Cindric, President of Winsight Exhibitions. Despite its name, the “National” Restaurant Show has indeed garnered a significant following abroad, particularly in places like China and Latin America. Cindric attributes this to the fact that the “largest operators and manufacturers in foodservice” are U.S. based, making Show attendance appealing for global players seeking to gain a competitive edge. Pre-pandemic, international attendance comprised about 10 or 11% of the Show’s total audience. However, when travel restrictions were imposed, the Show team had to work hard to compensate for an expected dip from China—one of their largest international contingents. “During the pandemic, we really focused on South America, and we’ve seen tremendous expansion, particularly in Brazil. The Latin and South American audience really offset the Asian audience, but now we’re starting to see them come back,” explains Cindric. International marketing specialist Andres Tovar adds, “[The 2023 Show] experienced a 15.6% growth in international attendance compared to 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 3.3%. So, we are back on track.”