National Restaurant Association Launches First-ever "share Your NRA Show Story" Fan Contest

The National Restaurant Association invites past and present attendees at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) to share their best story, business success or memory in the first-ever "Only Here at NRA Show or IWSB" fan contest.

Using social media's viral potential, the National Restaurant Association encourages attendees to share their favorite NRA Show or IWSB story, providing real-life examples of how something during the NRA Show or IWSB helped to address and solve their toughest challenges.

"In its 90+ years of consecutive annual events, the NRA Show has created countless business successes, experiences and memories for millions of restaurant industry professionals," said Jack Crawford, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2012 and President and CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC (IOC). "The NRA Show and IWSB are inherently social events, so it's natural to extend the experience through social media. We are excited to share our history with our extended industry family."

Current and past attendees can enter the testimonial contest via the NRA Show Facebook page in the "Share Your Only Here Story" app under NRA Show profile picture, beginning Friday, November 18 at 9 a.m. (Central) and ending on Friday, December 16, 2011, at midnight Central. From the NRA Show's Facebook page, participants can post a story about their experience using the "Share Your Only Here Story" app where NRA Show Facebook page members can view and vote on their favorite story. The story with the most likes will be selected as the grand prize winner.

The social media contest will award one grand prize winner from Facebook an Amazon Kindle Fire and a $100 Amazon Kindle gift card. Second and third prize winners will receive autographed celebrity chef cookbooks. In addition, one lucky fan will be selected each week by a panel of judges to win a complimentary registration to NRA Show 2012. See the NRA Show's Facebook page for complete contest rules and details.

To enter, visit the Contest Application on the NRA Show Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NationalRestaurantAssociationShow between November 18 and December 16 and share a story on a personal experience you had while attending an NRA Show or IWSB.

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. NRA Show 2012 will be held at its new dates May 5-8, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The event attracts 58,000+ attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries, and showcases the latest products, services, innovative ideas, up-to-the-minute information about trends and issues and other growth opportunities than any other industry event. For more information, visit the Show Web site at www.restaurant.org/show.


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Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry's largest trade show (NRA Show May 5-8, 2012, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart, including the National ProStart Invitational April 27-29, 2012, in Baltimore, Md.) and college-level management program (ManageFirst); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids' menu options. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.