ORLANDO, Fla. -- McLane Co. Inc. kicked off its annual National Trade Show (NTS) on Sept. 5 in Orlando, Fla., with the theme of “sun, sand and sales.”
The convenience-store distributor’s show brings retailers the latest in new technology and foodservice for more efficient inventory and ordering. Additionally, some of the industry’s leading manufacturers choose the event as their national launching pad for new product lines and extensions. This year, it will showcase nearly 200 exhibitors and play host to more than 1,200 attendees, the Temple, Texas-based company said.
Joe Theismann, entrepreneur and former Washington Redskins quarterback, was the keynote speaker.
The speaker lineup also includes:
- Deon Johnson, vice president of customer technology for McLane
- Nancy Todys, director of convenience and vending channel marketing for Tyson Foods
- Cassandra Matos, product director for McLane
- Kathy Sparrow, executive vice president of marketing and sales for ITG Brands
- Teresa Voelter, product director for McLane and general manager of Consumer Value Products
Attendees also will have an opportunity to meet former Dallas Cowboy and NFL Hall of Famer Randy White, as well as NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer.
For the third year, McLane will host an interactive foodservice booth experience under the banner McLane Kitchen. The booth will spotlight a fully functioning kitchen with multiple chefs and new menu offerings for retailers to experience throughout the show.
New offerings include baked chicken from Tyson Foods, Totino’s Foodservice pizza rolls and a stuffed waffle from General Mills. Also, McLane Kitchen and McLane’s private-label products subsidiary, Consumer Value Products (CVP), have joined forces for the debut of a new take-and-bake pizza program: Fly Guys Pizza.
CVP will offer trade-show-only deals, giveaways and new brand and product launches. New brand launches also include Beau Dacious, CVP’s line of dog treats and accessories, which will offer new products such as leashes and bowls, and the YumBees brand, which will debut assorted fruit snacks and dinosaur fruit snacks. CVP products are available to both McLane customers and non-McLane customers and are currently offered at retail locations nationwide.
At the technology booth, Johnson will be available to discuss new advancements in McLane’s technology offerings. The newest feature is the Mobile Virtual Trade Show (VTS) application for Apple and Android devices.
Temple, Texas-based McLane provides grocery and foodservice supply-chain solutions for convenience stores, mass merchants, drugstores and chain restaurants in the United States. McLane, through McLane Grocery and McLane Foodservice, operates more than 80 distribution centers across and one of the nation's largest private fleets. The company buys, sells and delivers more than 50,000 different consumer products to nearly 110,000 U.S. locations.
The event runs through Sept. 6 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel.
Photograph courtesy of McLane Co.
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