2008 Northwest Foodservice Show an Emerald City Jewel

Steve McCoid, president and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant Association, was thrilled with the show's success and is excited about its return to Portland in 2009.

Image from the world food show in Seattle. Courtesy: nwfoodserviceshow.com

(WILSONVILLE, Ore.) - On April 27th and 28th, thousands of people from the Pacific Northwest and beyond filled the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle for the 46th annual Northwest Foodservice Show, jointly produced by the Washington and Oregon Restaurant Associations.

Highlights of the 2008 Show included an exhibition hall with more than 480 booths of product and service providers, educational seminars, the SYSCO Chef Demonstration Stage featuring a range of appetizers, entrees and desserts from all over the world, the Washington Beer Commission Tasting Pavilion, and much, much more.

Some of the more popular features at this year's show were "The Flair Behind the Bar" presentation by Team Flairborne, a team of cocktail creation and customer satisfaction masters, and educational seminars with a customer service theme, including "Serving Customers We Don't Like" presented by Paul Paz, president of WaitersWorld.

"Most of our educational seminars were packed to standing room only and attendees had the opportunity to learn from some of the top chefs in the country at the chef demonstration stage," said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Restaurant Association. "We had phenomenal feedback on bringing the show back to Seattle this year."

Steve McCoid, president and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant Association, was thrilled with the show's success and is excited about its return to Portland in 2009.

"I've heard nothing but praise for this year's trade show," said McCoid. "The first trade show in Seattle in 10 years proved to be a great success as attendance was terrific, booth sales were up, and the exhibitors appreciated the improved exhibit halls offered by the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. We look forward to another successful show in Portland on March 29 and 30, 2009."

Thousands of attendees visit the Northwest Foodservice Show each year. For more information, visit the Show website: nwfoodserviceshow.com.

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The Oregon Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry in Oregon, which is comprised of over 9,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets, a work force of 120,000 employees, and a total economic impact of $9.7 billion. The Association works to represent, educate, and promote the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ora.org.