The NAFEM Show 2027: 574 Exhibitors Head to Orlando Feb. 11-13

The NAFEM Show 2027 will run Feb. 11-13 at the Orange County Convention Center's North/South Building in Orlando, Fla., with 574 exhibitors signed up as of press time and total attendance expected to hit 20,000 — half of them affiliated with exhibiting companies.

The biennial trade show, the foodservice equipment and supplies industry's flagship U.S. event, keeps its familiar Central Florida home. What does this change for operators planning around it? Mainly the calendar and the badge math: registration pricing steps up three times before the doors open.

What does registration cost?

The current $75 rate holds until Jan. 20. From Jan. 21 through Feb. 10, the price rises to $125. On-site registration costs $175. Badge pricing varies by registration category, per NAFEM. Details are at thenafemshow.org.

Show hours run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11, and Friday, Feb. 12, then 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13.

What's new on the show floor?

This year brings a new partnership with Fiera Milano, organizer of Italy's Host Milano. The collaboration will bring Host America to the show floor, highlighting:

• Coffee equipment and vending technologies
• Gelato equipment
• Refrigeration

Beyond the booths, the What's Hot! What's Cool! program returns, letting attendees examine select products new to market since The NAFEM Show 2025, plus working prototypes. Education sessions and The U.S. Culinary Open competition will also run during the show.

What about networking and surrounding events?

Ticketed events frame the show on both ends:

• The Kick-Off Party — 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 10, $50
• The NAFEM Party — 7 p.m. on Feb. 12, $175 for concert and dinner or $125 for concert only; the musical artist announcement was pending as of press time

Ahead of the show itself, FCSI will host FCSI The Americas Symposium on Feb. 9-10, opening with a Feb. 9 party at LIVE! at Pointe Orlando.

For operators and dealers budgeting travel, the pricing clock is the immediate variable: registering before Jan. 20 saves $100 per badge versus the on-site rate, and the two ticketed parties add $50 to $225 per person depending on choices. With 574 exhibitors and the new Host America footprint adding European coffee, gelato and refrigeration technology to the floor, the 2027 edition gives buyers a wider single-trip sourcing window than the 2025 show did.