BC Foodservice Expo opens on Sunday

BC's $10-billion restaurant industry gathers Jan. 29 - 30 at Vancouver Convention Centre

VANCOUVER, Jan. 26, 2012 /CNW/ - British Columbia's restaurant owners and operators will be seeking new ideas, products and services at the 2012 BC Foodservice Expo starting this weekend. The show runs Jan.29-30, 2012 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Many new elements have been added to the BC Foodservice Expo this year to respond to changes in the marketplace that are affecting BC's $10-billion restaurant and foodservice industry. Attendees will learn how to build business success in the show aisles and through special features such as:

• Dale Willerton, The Lease Coach, offers up leasing tips for restaurant operators
• Young chefs demonstrate their culinary skills under pressure in the Hot Competition
• New energy and water saving technologies on tap at the Centre for Sustainability
• New low-alcohol and no-alcohol beverages being stirred up in the Mocktails area.

In addition, the Trends Breakfast on Monday morning offers a glimpse into the best and worst of what is to come in 2012 from two of the pre-eminent experts in food and dining: Michael Whiteman of Baum + Whiteman and Robert Carter of The NPD Group. Attendees will gain insight into how to interpret food, flavour and consumer trends and apply them to their business. Tickets are $69 and include show registration.

Knowledgeable staff from go2 -- B.C.'s tourism human resource association responsible for coordinating the Tourism Labour Market Strategy and providing industry resources for recruitment, retention and training -- will provide owner/operators with  information to better manage the people side of their business and improve the bottom line, including Serving it Right, apprenticeship programs and WorkSafe incentives.

"We know the industry is looking for innovation, and we believe that the BC Foodservice Expo is the place to find it," says go2 CEO Arlene Keis. "We feel that the expo offers unique perspective for business owners looking for new ideas."

With over 250 exhibit booths featuring new products, foods, ideas and services, the BC Foodservice Expo is British Columbia's largest hospitality trade show. Over 5,000 attendees travel from the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan to attend both days of focused trade show, seminars and chef competitions.

Registration (trade only) is open now at www.bcfoodexpo.ca or 1-866-300-7675.

The BC Foodservice Expo is owned and operated by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, one of the country's leading business associations with more than 30,000 members. CRFA also owns and operates the CRFA Show (www.crfashow.ca) and is the title sponsor of the ApEx show in Halifax (www.apextradeshow.ca) and the Alberta Foodservice Expo (www.albertafoodserviceexpo.ca). Proceeds from the shows fund CRFA's advocacy, research and member services in support of a growing and prosperous Canadian restaurant industry.

Media contact:
Samantha Scholefield, BC Foodservice Expo Show Manager 
Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Office: 604-685-9655 x2 Cell 604-838-7956
[email protected]