The National Restaurant Association Show (NRA) was back this year, May 21-24 at McCormick Place in Chicago, featuring education sessions, food and beverage demos, workshops, networking—and hundreds of supplier partners showcasing the latest products.

A few highlights from this year’s show included:

• The 600,000-plus-square-foot show floor featured over 900 product categories—food, beverage, equipment, technology, tableware, sanitation and more—thanks to over 500 new (and more than 1,200 returning) exhibitors.
• The largest Kitchen Innovations Showroom in the event’s 100-plus-year history featured equipment with a focus on automation, efficiency, safety improvements, sustainability, waste solutions and more.
• Chefs, culinary leaders, mixologists and beverage experts—from celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern to local restaurateurs like Angela Barnes and Renauda Riddle—demonstrated techniques, discuss industry’s issues and showcased trends and innovations in food and beverage.
• The education program featured nearly 100 sessions covering seven education tracks—Culinary Insights, Operations Solutions, Technology Strategies, The New Consumer, Trends in Adult Beverage, Wellness and Workforce Recruitment and Development.
• And, finally, this year’s show supported World Central Kitchen’s Chefs For Ukraine program, with a goal of raising $50,000 to support the efforts of providing fresh meals to Ukrainian families.

Check out a few photos from the event below (click to enlarge), and visit NRA’s site for more information and full list of exhibitors in attendance.