Last year’s NRF show had a lot of new innovations in the area of data and analytics, digital experiences, and food retail.

Last year’s NRF show had a lot of new innovations in the area of data and analytics, digital experiences, and food retail.

These trends will continue to take shape this year, at this year’s NRF 2023 show.

Technology has always played a significant role in the business world, and it's certainly not slowing down. What are some of the more crucial benefits of technology we've seen lately?

At NRF 2023: Retail’s Big Show, the Food Service Technology Pavilion and Stage will showcase ideas, systems and solutions specific to retail professionals in the food beverage sectors

Located at the Expo, level one, the Food Service Technology Pavilion is where food service retailers and technology connect. At the event, you'll be able to see a number of innovative services on display. These include Point-of-Sale and back-office software, digital signage and menu boards, loyalty programs data analytics, among others. There will also be online ordering systems that can help your business grow at an accelerated rate.

Meanwhile, on the Food Service Tech Stage, industry leaders will share curated content focused on topics important to food and drink retailers. We have 11 sessions over 3 days with topics from data analytics, digital experiences in various industries (including food), and predictions for the future.

Here are some of the available sessions:

On Sunday, Rob Grimes, founder and CEO of the Food and Beverage Technology Association, kicks off the Food Service Technology Stage programming with an overview of "The state of food tech" and offers tips on how to identify where to invest.

Later in the day, attendees of the Microsoft Restaurant CIO Council included Bruce Hoffmeister, chief information officer with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and Chipotle Mexican Grill VP, Corporation Systems, Colin McGuire will talk about the ins and outs of digital transformation. They will equip the back-of-the house with technology that enhances the customer experience in "Where is restaurant technology headed in the next five years?"

Along the same lines, in Monday's fireside chat, chef Robert Irvine will talk about how blending digital in-person experiences can better please customers. He will be joined by Comcast Business, Emma Powers, executive director of marketing Comcast Business Services, and Russ Richardson of MachineQ.

For grocery retailers, three sessions will cover challenges in the fresh sector and how technology can alleviate those obstacles. On Sunday, Albertsons Companies GVP, Technology and Engineering Maria Latushkin and Matt Schwartz, CEO co-founder of Instacart will present, will make the case for why all teams need to work together to drive profit and meet customer demand in “The risks of operating in silos in fresh: How to unify operations, merchandising, IT and ecommerce.”

Restaurant tech sector pioneer Kelly MacPherson of Union Square Hospitality Group will share best practices on how to leverage analytics to make your “employee and guest experiences optimal” at a seminar on Tuesday.

Similarly, an executive from Pollo Campero will describe how they collect data and use it to improve their expansion strategy. Their plan is to open 200 US locations in the next 5 years.

James Boushka, Digital Experience Director at Aramark Corporation, will talk about “5 reasons automation will save your restaurant”. His talk is scheduled for 2:00pm PT on Wednesday the 27th, and you can register for it by clicking here.

Register for NRF 2023: Retail’s Big Show today to learn more about digital technology, operations and innovation in food and beverage retail from some of your favorite retailers.

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