National Restaurant Association Show 2026 plan. How to get better leads in Chicago

The National Restaurant Association Show 2026 is built for operators who buy

The National Restaurant Association Show 2026 runs May 16 to May 19, 2026 at McCormick Place in Chicago. It is a trade show where foodservice operators and suppliers come to see what is new, compare options, and make buying decisions.

If you are exhibiting, your booth has one job. Create a fast proof moment, capture intent, and book a next step. If you are attending, your job is to leave Chicago with a short list of vendors you trust and a plan to test them.

This guide is a practical playbook. It covers timing, booth flow, staffing, lead capture, and a reporting plan leadership can trust.

If you want support with planning and execution, start with trade show experiences and experiential marketing.

Quick answers

When is the National Restaurant Association Show 2026

The National Restaurant Association Show 2026 is May 16 to May 19, 2026.

Where is the National Restaurant Association Show 2026

It takes place at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. The venue address listed by the show is 2301 S Martin Luther King Dr., Chicago, IL 60616.

What are the show floor hours

Saturday, May 16 to Monday, May 18 runs 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 runs 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Who is allowed to attend

The show is for trade only, not the general public. You must be affiliated with the restaurant, foodservice, or lodging industry. The show notes that a business card or a tax ID number is required to register.

How do you pay for registration

The show notes that registration is paid by credit card only. It says it does not accept checks, purchase orders, or wire transfers for attendee registration.

How much is an Expo badge

The show lists an Expo badge at $149 for qualified attendee categories, with an Expo plus Education add-on option shown on the registration page.

How big is the show

The show highlights 2,000 plus exhibitors and solutions across 900 plus product categories. It also notes the show floor spans more than 10 football fields.

What are the easiest areas to plan around

For first-time attendees, the show highlights key pavilions such as Kitchen Innovations and Organic and Natural in the South Hall, TECH Pavilion and Taste of the States in the North Hall, and The Beverage Room and Global Food Expo in Lakeside Center.

What is Show To Go

The show points to The Show To Go as its platform to find sessions and exhibitors, build your profile, and create a schedule.

The problem and the real world context

This show is big. A lot of teams arrive with a nice booth and a lot of hope, then leave with a spreadsheet full of weak leads. That happens for one reason. The booth did not make it easy for a busy operator to say yes to the next step.

Operators move fast on the floor. They are looking for products that solve real problems such as labor, speed, food cost, packaging, and guest experience. They do not want long pitches. They want proof.

Your plan should match how buyers behave. Give them a simple reason to stop. Show the product working. Ask one short question to qualify. Then capture intent in a way your sales team can act on.

This approach fits Makai work across food, beverage, and CPG and FMCG brands who need clear trial moments and clean reporting.

A step by step plan that works for exhibitors

Step 1. Pick one outcome and one number that means win

Write a single goal for the show. Pick one that your team can control.

• Qualified leads such as 200 leads tagged by role and timeline.
• Booked meetings such as 30 meetings set for the week after the show.
• Product trial such as 1,000 tastings or demos completed with a close question.

Then define “qualified” in plain terms. For example, operator with buying power, multi unit manager, distributor, dealer, or tech buyer. Your team should tag the same way every time.

Step 2. Choose your booth lane and your best proof moment

This show spans everything from equipment to ingredients to tech. Your booth needs a lane.

• Food and beverage. Win with taste, portion control, and a clear use case.
• Equipment. Win with speed, durability, and a live before and after demo.
• Tech. Win with a short workflow demo tied to labor or revenue.
• Packaging and supplies. Win with a clear cost story and a real handling test.

Your proof moment should take under 30 seconds to understand. If it takes longer, turn it into a timed demo every 10 minutes so the booth always feels active.

Step 3. Use the floor plan and pavilions to shape your traffic plan

The show points out pavilions that cluster specific buyers. Use them as a planning tool even if you are not inside the pavilion.

• TECH Pavilion and robotics themes can pull operators looking for labor relief.
• Organic and Natural can pull buyers focused on ingredients and menu claims.
• The Beverage Room can pull bar and beverage program buyers.
• Global Food Expo can pull operators hunting for new flavors.

Build your daily plan around when your best buyers are most likely to be in your zone. Then staff peaks with your strongest closers.

Step 4. Build a booth flow that keeps throughput high

A strong booth is a simple funnel in a small space. Use this five-step flow.

1. Stop. One clear visual cue, one clear offer.
2. Prove. Taste, touch, see it work, or see the result.
3. Qualify. Ask one short question tied to buying.
4. Capture. Collect contact info plus one tag plus one note.
5. Book. Set the next step while they are standing with you.

Keep the flow calm. A hard pitch can push serious buyers away.

Step 5. Staffing is roles, not headcount

The fastest way to lose leads is to have the same person demo, talk, scan, and restock. Split roles.

• Demo lead runs the proof moment on a timer.
• Conversation lead qualifies and closes.
• Support handles resets, samples, charging, and supplies.

If you want a simple sizing model, use trade show staffing plan as your base and adjust for your demo style.

Step 6. Lead capture that produces follow ups, not a list

Most teams scan badges and move on. The problem is that the scan has no meaning. Fix it with a two-part capture.

1. Fast capture. Badge scan or a short form, name, company, email, role.
2. Fast tag. One tag plus one note, for example “multi unit”, “new store build”, “distributor”, “needs pricing”, “needs samples”, plus a timeline like “30 days” or “this quarter”.

This is the core idea in trade show lead capture. Better leads come from better tagging.

Step 7. Pre show outreach using the official planning tools

The show pushes The Show To Go as the place to build your schedule and find exhibitors and sessions. Use the same idea on the exhibitor side.

• Decide your top 50 target accounts, chains, independents, groups, dealers, distributors.
• Write one short invite per segment with a reason to meet.
• Offer meeting slots that match show hours, plus one early morning slot for serious buyers.

Keep invites simple. Your goal is a short booth visit that ends with a booked follow up.

A step by step plan that works for attendees

If you are attending, your biggest risk is trying to see everything. The show itself warns first-time attendees not to try to see it all. Build a plan that matches your job.

Step 1. Pick your buying priorities

Write a short list of problems you need to solve in the next 90 days. Examples, staffing, speed of service, new menu items, packaging, beverage program, tech stack.

Step 2. Divide the floor with your team

If you attend with two or more people, split zones. One person covers tech and equipment. One person covers ingredients. One person covers packaging and supplies. Then compare notes at lunch.

Step 3. Use pavilions as shortcuts

The first-time attendee guide highlights pavilions in each hall. Use them as your shortcut list for focused discovery. Spend your first hours in the pavilion that matches your biggest problem.

Step 4. Capture vendor notes in a repeatable way

Every booth should end with one clear note. What problem does this solve, what is the price shape, what is the next step, and who owns it internally. This keeps your post-show follow up clean.

Mistakes to avoid

• Too many messages at the booth. Pick one hero offer for the show.
• No timed demo. A booth that looks quiet gets ignored.
• No tags on leads. Your sales team will guess and waste time.
• No plan for Tuesday. The floor closes earlier on Tuesday, so treat it as a high focus day, not a leftover day.
• Over collecting and under following up. A smaller list with clear intent is worth more.
• Skipping the basics. Power, charging, signage clarity, and resets matter.

Measurement and reporting

Leadership does not want a recap full of photos and feelings. They want numbers and a clear next step plan.

Track these numbers each day

• Qualified leads captured
• Meetings booked for the week after the show
• Demo completions, tastings served, or workflow demos run
• Top three buyer segments you spoke with

Track these notes each day

• Top five questions buyers asked
• Top three objections, written in buyer words
• What made people stop, demo, taste, price cue, story cue

Use a clean follow up cadence

• Day 1 after the show. Contact top leads with a personal note and one proof asset.
• Day 3 after the show. Offer two meeting slots and a clear agenda.
• Day 10 after the show. Send leadership a short report with totals, patterns, and what you will change next time.

If you want a reporting structure that works across programs, use experiential marketing reporting as your template.

A section for decision makers

If you are a CMO, brand lead, or head of sales, ask for these items before you approve spend for the National Restaurant Association Show 2026.

• The one goal and the one number that means win
• The proof moment that can be shown in under 30 seconds
• The staffing plan with roles and peak coverage
• The lead tags and what makes a lead qualified
• The follow up plan with owners and deadlines
• The report format you will receive within 10 business days

This keeps the show focused. It turns a booth into a repeatable growth channel.

Practical checklist

Eight to ten weeks before

• Lock your goal and define what “qualified” means
• Choose your hero offer and proof moment
• Map your target accounts and write your invite list
• Confirm travel and badge plan, and remember badges are picked up onsite

Four to six weeks before

• Build your booth flow, stop, prove, qualify, capture, book
• Train your team on one talk track and three common objections
• Set your lead capture tags and build your follow up templates
• Plan which pavilions and halls matter most for your category

Two weeks before

• Run a full demo rehearsal with timing
• Print your one-page booth guide for staff
• Test your QR form, scanner, and data exports
• Send a final meeting reminder to booked accounts

During show days

• Run demos on a timer so the booth stays active
• Log leads with tags, not just scans
• Hold a 10 minute daily reset, what worked, what broke, what changes tomorrow
• Protect Tuesday. The show floor closes earlier that day

The week after

• Contact top leads within one business day
• Book follow up calls while the memory is fresh
• Send leadership a short report with totals and patterns
• Write one change you will test next year

Next step

If the National Restaurant Association Show 2026 is on your calendar and you want a booth plan that drives real outcomes, Makai can help with strategy, staffing, and reporting. Start at Request a proposal. If you are building a broader field plan around the show, see where we work and coverage for Illinois.