National Restaurant Association Show 2027

NRA Show by the numbers

Every figure links to where it came from. Attendance for an event that has not happened is a projection, and each row says so rather than presenting it as a count.

• Dates22 to 25 May

  Official show site. Four days at McCormick Place, Chicago, the largest convention centre in North America. National Restaurant Association Show

• RegistrationNot yet open

  The official page offered a get-notified signup rather than registration when checked on 30 August 2026. No pricing published. National Restaurant Association Show

• AttendanceNot published

  No exhibitor or attendee figures were carried on the official page checked, so none are stated here. National Restaurant Association Show

• VenueMcCormick Place

  North America's largest convention centre. The show has used it for decades, which makes the venue one of the few reliable facts this far ahead. National Restaurant Association Show

What is NRA Show?

The National Restaurant Association Show is the United States foodservice industry's annual trade show, held at McCormick Place in Chicago each May. The 2027 dates are 22 to 25 May. It covers the operating side of food rather than the product-sourcing side: equipment, kitchen technology, front-of-house systems, packaging and the supply chain behind restaurant operations, alongside food and beverage itself.

Who goes to NRA Show?

Restaurant operators and multi-unit franchise groups, foodservice distributors, hotel and institutional catering buyers, and the equipment, technology and supply vendors selling into them. It is the counterpart to the sourcing fairs elsewhere in this directory: Anuga and Gulfood sell you product, and this show sells you the operation around it.

NRA Show side events

Chicago fills with distributor receptions, franchise group meetings and vendor hospitality across the South Loop and downtown during the show. The National Restaurant Association also runs its own education and awards programming alongside the floor. None of the surrounding events are run by Aspire.

NRA Show tickets and costs

Registration had not opened when this page was last checked; the official site was offering a get-notified signup instead, so there is no price to quote. McCormick Place is enormous and the show uses a large share of it, so identify the halls you need before arriving. Chicago in late May is pleasant, though the lakefront wind is a genuine factor.

• RegistrationNot yet open

  The official site offered a get-notified signup rather than registration when checked on 30 August 2026. No tiers or prices published. National Restaurant Association Show

Getting to McCormick Place

McCormick Place is on the lakefront south of the Loop. O'Hare is about 45 minutes by road or an hour on the Blue Line plus a transfer; Midway is closer. The Metra Electric line stops at McCormick Place directly, and the venue runs shuttle services from downtown hotels during major shows.

Where to stay for NRA Show

The hotels attached to McCormick Place are the shortest commute. The South Loop is close and cheaper, and the Loop proper is a short ride with far more to do in the evening. Chicago has deep hotel supply, so rates are less punishing during trade shows than in constrained cities like Cannes or Munich.

What to know before booking NRA Show

This is an early entry: dates and venue are confirmed and very little else has been published. Treat third-party listings claiming attendance figures or registration prices for the 2027 show with caution. McCormick Place is also some distance from the Loop, and the walk between its buildings is long enough that people routinely underestimate it.

NRA Show: common questions