Along side the very successful show and outstanding conference programme, the event was also the occasion for a number of internal NRA commitee meetings, including the International Relations Committee. In his report to this committee, NRA Director Emeritus and IH&RA Vice-President (Restaurants), Bruce C. Cotton reviewed IH&RA Activities in the area of Foodservice. He drew attention to the on-going dangers for the industry of international standards still under consideration at ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and of a new definition of "Food Advertising" being debated by Codex Alimentarius' Committee on Food Labelling at its recent annual meeting in Ottawa earlier this month. He also reported on related developments at the World Health Organization (WHO) calling for a Code on Marketing to Children of energy-dense foods and beverages.
To access the full report on IH&RA Activities to the NRA International Relations Committee, click here.
The Show also saw the election of new Officers and Directors to the NRA Board. Richard E. Rivera, FMP, Chairman and CEO of Rubicon Enterprises was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2007-2008, alongside Michael S. Kaufman, President of Pond Hill Ventures as Vice-Chairman, and Michael Gibbons, President & CEO of Mainstreet Ventures, as Treasurer.
At the close of the Show, NRA announced the formation of a new Green Task Force to lead its environmental initiatives.The Green Task Force will provide guidance on sustainable operations for restaurant and foodservice outlets throughout the USA. NRA launched its environmental initiative in the summer of 2006 and received a grant from the Turner Foundation in April 2007 to continue its efforts.
The 88th NRA Show ended Tuesday, May 22, wrapping up four days of educational sessions, celebrity book signings, ice-carving and culinary competitions, product demonstrations and other events. NRA Show 2007 featured nearly 74,000 attendees from all states and more than 110 countries, scouting out the products and services of 2,140 exhibiting companies in 608,000 square feet of exhibit space in Chicago's McCormick Place.
Click here to view press release: http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease.cfm?ID=1443
For a full wrap-up of the Show, see:
http://www.restaurant.org/show/2007/news/index.cfm
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