2009 CRFA Show receives rave reviews
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2009
TORONTO -- The second annual CRFA Show (March 8 – 10, 2009) was an unqualified success for the foodservice and hospitality industry.
The three-day show attracted 11,949 visitors – up from the 11,7281 at last year’s show – who saw, sampled and purchased products, filled the seminar rooms to capacity, and watched some of Canada’s hottest chefs in action.
“The increase in attendance at this year’s show underscores that operators are hungry for new products and ideas to help them control costs and increase business in a very tough economic climate,” says Steve Barber, Vice President Expositions with the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association. “Business owners are looking to stand out from the competition, deliver more value to their customers, and control their costs. All those solutions were offered at the CRFA Show.”
Early feedback from some of the 675 exhibitors at the CRFA Show has been uniformly positive:
“The CRFA Show was a ray of sunshine in the middle of a tough winter. It generated significant business for us. We've had a lot of phone calls since the show, and hundreds of hits to our website.” -- Lorne Gaffe, Hamilton Store Fixtures
“We had the best turn-out that we have ever had. We judge our show by quantity and quality, and I will say it all surpassed our expectations.” -- Bruce Miller, Town and Country Uniforms
“"This was the best show for us in 15 years. All day, every day, we were meeting serious buyers. We had unbelievable sales of our floor models."
-- Ken Locke, Russell Food Equipment
“We’re grateful to all of our exhibitors and sponsors for helping CRFA create a memorable and productive event, and we look forward to an even stronger show in 2010,” says Barber.
The CRFA Show is one of four trade shows owned and operated by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association. The others are ApEx (April 5 and 6 in Halifax); Alberta Foodservice Show (Sept. 27 and 28 in Calgary); and the BC Foodservice Expo (April 29 and 30, 2010 in Vancouver). Proceeds from the show help fund CRFA’s government lobbying and research activities for the betterment of Canada’s $59-billion foodservice industry.
1. Correction made to original release issued March 18, 2009.
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