The NAFEM Show 2023: Turning Up the Dial In Support

Left to right: Mike Kohler, Larry Levine, Elizabeth Gray, Audra Bildeaux, Amber Dzikowicz, Pedro Sancha, Jeanette Halliday and Sam Cole.

The first NAFEM Show since 2019 met our expectations and more. The world’s leading foodservice equipment show for anyone in foodservice — from management and operations to procurement and sales — attracted more than 20,000 attendees from all 50 states and approximately 80 countries. We joined more than 500 other exhibitors in showcasing ways for foodservice companies to do more.

This was an extra special show as Pedro Sancha, NSF’s President and CEO, spent time with the team, meeting customers and energizing the experience.

Industry Innovations (Including Yours)

Robotics were everywhere — so much so that it may be time to stop calling them “innovations”! Automated kitchens had a strong presence overall. This is the place where new ideas begin, and we talked to a few companies about how our equipment pre-evaluations are a proactive way to build in safety right from the start.

Data, Data, Data

Foodservice operators are looking for ways to use data to manage costs in these inflationary times and to better serve their patrons. Data mining was a hot topic, along with a range of data and analytics technology. Many attendees wanted to know more about TRAQTION, our cloud-based quality and compliance software for managing the supply chain.

Sanitation Advances

Health and safety are always top of mind in foodservice, and a vast array of new equipment and supplies offered more opportunities for improvement — along with our services. Standards for food equipment began with NSF, and we’ve been navigating the food safety and regulatory environment for more than 75 years. In particular, visitors were curious about the 2022 revisions to some of our biggest food equipment standards. (Learn about them in the resources below.)

Comprehensive Support

The foodservice industry is complex. That’s why many exhibitors featured services and products that cover the breadth of needs. NSF, for example, showcased electrical safety testing and our consulting, training, and technical services. Our leading management system solutions — certification of ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 through NSF-ISR — also caught the attention of attendees.