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LOOKING AHEAD Continued from page 15 2012 National Restaurant Associa- NRA Show tion Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show MAY 5-8 McCormick Place, Chicago, IL 25 on the TSE Gold 100 Moving the show dates up by two weeks to accommodate the big G8 and NATO conference in Chicago did not seem to discourage either attendees or exhibitors. Another big crowd is expected at McCor- mick Place as the economy continues to battle back and the National Restaurant Association (NRA) presents another varied and star-studded agenda. "We launched a fully integrated mar- keting program in print and online that we are seeing positive results from, plus we have added two evening events and President Clinton as the keynote speak- er," said Mary Pat Heſtman, NRA execu- tive vice president, convention. "It has created great pre-show buzz, and exhibit sales and pre-registration are tracking ahead of last year." Heſtman said exhibit space was expected to sell out. Last year, the show spanned 515,422 nsf, a 6.8% increase over 2010. Along with the presidential keynoter, NRA Show the show floor will also host some the rock stars of the culinary world. Celebrity chefs are a fixture at the NRA Show and this year will be no different. Te exhibit area will also feature a new pavilion for the exhibitors that win the show's annual Kitchen Innovations awards. Reach Mary Pat Heſtman at (312) 853- 2525 or mheſtman@restaurant.org Car Wash Show MAY 7-9 Sands Expo Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV Te International Carwash Association (ICA) expects about 5,500 attendees and 120,000 nsf of exhibit space at the show, which was formerly dubbed Car Care World Expo. About 80% of the booth space at the Sands Expo Convention Cen- ter was sold by February with the unsold space limited to 10'x10' booths around the perimeter of the exhibit hall. Te show includes the debut of the New Product Gallery on the exhibit floor to tie together everything that is new in soap- ing, rinsing and detailing. Hourly dem- onstrations will give attendees reasons to keep coming back to the exhibits over the course of the show. Te educational program has been revamped and the ICA is packing it with outside speakers from the business world and academia. "Te sharing of sophisticated business practic- es will have a positive impact on the entire industry," said ICA Trade Show Director Mary Mullin Smith. Car Wash Show 16 March 2012 | Trade Show Executive