National Restaurant Association Seeks Equipment Manufacturers to Apply for 2014 Kitchen Innovations Awards

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Sep 11, 2013, 01:39 ET

Award recipients to gain industry-wide visibility as most revolutionary commercial equipment available

CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association is now accepting applications for the prestigious Kitchen Innovations™ Awards for 2014. Now celebrating its 10 year anniversary, the awards program recognizes and celebrates cutting-edge equipment and technology that specifically improve the back of the house and benefit foodservice operators. The most progressive, ground-breaking submissions will be featured in the popular Kitchen Innovations Pavilion at NRA Show 2014, to be held May 17-20 at Chicago's McCormick Place.

"We are seeking new kitchen equipment and technology innovations that deliver the most significant benefits to operators," said Dan Bendall, Principal, FoodStrategy, Inc. and Kitchen Innovations Awards judge. "Our panel of judges believes continuous innovation is the life-blood of our industry growth and profitability. It's our mission to evaluate the latest innovations and select those which are major advances in kitchen efficiency, quality, safety, conservation, integration with front of the house, and of course improving the work environment."

Award recipients will have the exclusive benefit of exhibiting in the interactive, centrally located Kitchen Innovations Pavilion on the exhibit floor. Throughout the four-day event, there are countless opportunities to interact with dealers, distributors, chain, multi-unit and independent operators, corporate decision-makers, press and bloggers during one-on-one, interactive demonstrations.

All applications are judged by an independent panel of industry who's who, including Dan Bendall (Principal, FoodStrategy, Inc.), Martin Cowley (Senior Manager Design and Standards, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts), William Eaton (Chairman of the Board, Cini-Little International), Robert Forrester (Principal, Restaurant Industry Solutions), Foster F. Frable Jr. (Founding Partner, Clevenger Frable LaVallee), Jim Krueger, Jr. (Chief, Air Force F&B Research and Business Development), Aaron LaMotte (Director, Sodexo Performance Interiors), Robert Marshall (Vice President, U.S. Operations, McDonald's Corporation), and Kathleen H. Seelye (Managing Partner, Ricca Newmark Design).

The deadline to apply for the 2014 Kitchen Innovations Awards is December 6, 2013. To be considered, all equipment and technology innovations must be introduced within the 24 months prior to NRA Show 2014. Award recipients will be announced in February. Visit Restaurant.org/Show/KI for more details on the KI program and to see a list of previous award recipients, or contact Eric Rude at 312-853-2525 or [email protected].

Watch the KI video and visit Restaurant.org/Show/KI to view the online application.

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice, and lodging professionals. NRA Show 2014 will be held May 17-20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, and the 2014 International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event held in conjunction with the NRA Show will take place May 18-19. The events attract 62,000+ attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries, and the event showcases the latest products, services, innovative ideas, up-to-the-minute information about trends and issues, and more growth opportunities than any other industry event. For more information, visit the NRA Show and IWSB Websites at Restaurant.org/Show and WineSpiritsBeer.org, and find the NRA Show on Twitter @NRAShow, Facebook, Instagram @NRAShow, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest and its widely read NRA Show Blog.

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 980,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 13 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry's largest trade show (NRA Show May 17-20, 2014, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids' menu options. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.