National Restaurant Association Show® Opens Submissions for 2025 FABI Awards, Highlighting Industry-Defining Food and Beverage Products

CHICAGO (October 23, 2024)— The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® invites the boldest innovators in food and beverage to submit their products for the 2025 Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards. Celebrating cutting-edge solutions that redefine culinary trends, the FABI Awards honor products leading the way in creativity, profitability, and meeting today’s evolving consumer demands.

Receiving a FABI Award places recipients in the spotlight at the industry’s premier event—the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show, May 17-20, 2025, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Attendees will experience these standout products firsthand, positioning awardees in front of thousands of industry leaders and decision-makers eager to discover the next big trend.

"The FABI Awards recognize the most forward-thinking products that are truly setting the stage for the future of food and beverage,” said Tom Cindric, President of Exhibitions for Informa Connect Foodservice. “Being selected as a FABI Award recipient is a significant achievement—placing products among an elite group recognized for creativity and impact across the entire foodservice industry. There’s no greater platform than the National Restaurant Association Show to gain visibility and celebrate those leading the way in culinary innovation.”

As operators navigate challenges such as sustainable sourcing and catering to health-conscious consumers, the FABI Awards highlight products that not only offer groundbreaking flavors but also drive profitability. Awardees are recognized for solutions that elevate the customer experience, streamline operations through improved speed of service, and ensure consistency across menus. These innovations are setting new standards for efficiency and profitability in foodservice, helping businesses stay competitive in a fast-evolving industry.

In addition to FABI Awardees, FABI Favorites spotlight a handpicked selection of products chosen by the judges for their ability to shape industry trends. Introduced in 2023, this distinction recognizes products that go beyond innovation, offering solutions that redefine what’s possible in foodservice. FABI Favorites receive expanded visibility through a dedicated tasting and demo, giving attendees direct engagement with the most influential products.

One example of a 2024 FABI Favorite is Agua Blanca Shrimp from Atarraya, Inc., which uses innovative Shrimpbox™ technology to offer operators sustainable, fresh, never-frozen shrimp produced locally in the U.S. This revolutionary approach to seafood production highlights the ability of FABI Favorites to address industry challenges with forward-thinking solutions.

All FABI Awardees benefit from extensive exposure before, during, and after the Show, with their products prominently featured and short-listed for additional press coverage. Exposure includes:

• Extensive media coverage and exclusive participation in media events, such as press releases, social media campaigns, and the Press Breakfast, offering direct connections with industry insiders and the press.
• Featured on The Show To Go, the Show’s digital marketplace connecting operators with suppliers.
• Participation in exclusive FABI Tasting sessions, offering direct engagement with attendees through tastings promoted in the online planner and mobile app.

FABI Award recipients have shared how this recognition has elevated their brands and opened new opportunities in the industry. Alberta Liao, Co-founder, Myterra, Inc. (Jinka), and 2024 FABI Awardee, said, “This [was] our first year at the Show, and the FABI Award has helped put us on the map. We’ve had many buyers and consumers visit our booth because of the award. Being so new in the industry, it’s been amazing to receive this recognition and connect with so many potential buyers.”

FABI Award submissions are evaluated by an independent panel of industry experts, who assess each product’s taste, profitability potential, market appeal, and creativity. The 2025 judging panel features some of the top names in the foodservice industry, including:

• Zia Ahmed (Senior Director, The Ohio State University)
• Katie Belflower (Manager, Menu Research & Insights , Technomic)
• Pat Cobe (Senior Editor, Informa Connect, Restaurant Business)
• Becky Davis (Director of Culinary Innovation, The Wendy’s Company)
• Marion Gibson (Culinary Development Director, Aramark)
• Farley Kaiser (Senior Director of Culinary Innovation, McLane Fresh)
• Robin Rosenberg (Vice President, Chef de Cuisine, Levy Restaurants)
• Bret Thorn (Senior Food & Beverage Editor, Informa Food & Restaurant Group)

Applications for the 2025 FABI Awards are open until January 22, 2025. Eligible products must have been introduced within 24 months prior to the 2025 Show. For more information and to apply, visit the 2025 FABI Awards Application Page. The FABI Favorites and Awardees will be announced in March 2025.

For more information about the Show and to register, visit nationalrestaurantshow.com. Connect with the Show online on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for event updates.

About The National Restaurant Association Show
Awarded by Trade Show Executive as the 2023 Gold 100 Grand winner of the largest trade show managed by an independent organizer, the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® is the Western Hemisphere's most influential foodservice event showcasing industry innovations and trends. Each year (starting in 1919), the Show brings together restaurant operators and foodservice professionals for four days of celebrity-led demos, exhibits, sampling, education, and networking. The Show unites a global community and enables exploration of the latest advancements in food, beverage, equipment, technology, and solutions driving the industry forward. The Show is owned and operated by Informa in partnership with the National Restaurant Association. Visit www.nationalrestaurantshow.com for more information.

About Informa
Informa is a leading international B2B markets, live and on-demand events and digital services group. They connect businesses and professionals in 30+ industries with the knowledge they need to learn more, know more, and do more. Informa has hundreds of global brands, products, and services and employs 11,000 employees in ~30 countries worldwide.

Informa Connect is a content-led, live and on-demand experiences business that connects professionals with knowledge, ideas, and opportunities. Informa Connect, a community of over 1,000 colleagues globally, offers connection through events, media, and research. They service a number of different industries including Foodservice, Finance, BioTech and Pharma, Pop Culture, Marketing, Law, Energy, HR, Sustainability, and Construction. Visit www.informaconnect.com for more information.