Top 100 Events in the United States 2018 - Food, Beverage & Restaurant Industry Events

Miami
#1 Food Industry Event
The Food Network and Cooking Channel-sponsored festival’s 17th annual edition drew more than 60,000 attendees for nearly 100 events, which took place at venues throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The five-day event honored Bobby Flay at its annual tribute dinner and also incorporated musical performances by Smash Mouth, Action Bronson, DJ Hannah Bronfman, and more at various events. Sponsors, including Bacardi, Absolut, King’s Hawaiian, and Illy, had buzzy activations. Next: February 20-24, 2019

Chicago
#2 Food Industry Event
The James Beard Foundation’s annual awards were once again held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, hosting more than 2,000 attendees. The event, which was emceed by Carla Hall, had the theme of “Rise,” celebrating the culinary community and power of food. Chefs and attendees wore pins saying what they “rise” for, and nearly 30 of the gala’s chefs were former James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change participants. Eleven of the 15 winning chefs were a woman or person of color. Next: May 6, 2019

New York
#3 Food Industry Event
The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary last fall with more than 70 events across the city. New events included a Smorgasburg event hosted by the cast of Chopped; a mixology event for women hosted by Food Network’s Anne Burrell and the women of cocktail competition Speed Rack; and Broadway Tastes, a brunch event with stars of the stage, hosted by actress Kristin Chenoweth. The festival drew 45,000 attendees. Next: October 11-14, 2018

Las Vegas
#4 Food Industry Event
The four-day festival drew more than 6,000 people to Las Vegas, with favorites such as the Grand Tasting, which featured more than 50 chefs and 100 wine and spirit brands. The Picnic at the Park event also returned, offering dishes from MGM Resorts chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the Voltaggio brothers, and Michael Mina at the area between Park MGM and New York-New York. New programming included the debut of Gordan Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at Caesars Palace and women’s power lunch with chefs Susan Feniger and Christina Tosi and restaurateur Elizabeth Blau. Next: May 2019

New Orleans
#5 Food Industry Event
The first iteration of the bar industry event took place under the new ownership of Gary Solomon Jr., after founder Ann Tuennerman stepped down last fall following a string of racially charged incidents. One of the most striking changes was the event’s first-ever booze-free party, held by William Grant & Sons—the brand’s goal was to show they could present the brand to bartenders without having to serve alcohol. This year, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation provided $250,000 in grants to 11 organizations and also introduced a series of free seminars on topics such as diversity, inclusion, and harassment in the bar industry. Next: July 16-21, 2019

Chicago
#6 Food Industry Event (up from #7)
Presented by Bon Appétit magazine, the event celebrated its 10th anniversary with 10 unique ancillary events that accompanied the main event in Millennium Park. Events included a cocktail party at Tribune Tower, a design dinner at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, and an Italian food feast on the Chicago Riverwalk. The event drew 14,551 attendees. Next: September 26-30, 2018

Aspen, Colorado
#7 Food Industry Event
Food & Wine’s 36th annual mountaintop food festival drew 5,000 attendees for events that included a kick-off celebration that highlighted Peruvian cuisine, in partnership with the Trade Commission of Peru. The festival showcased the 10 honorees of the magazine’s Best New Chefs—a list that featured seven women, the most ever—at an area at the Grand Tasting. The chefs were also honored at the 30th anniversary Food & Wine Best New Chefs Dinner, which invited six past recipients to create a five-course meal. Next: June 14-16, 2019

New York
#8 Food Industry Event
The annual hot dog-eating competition attracts more than 20,000 people to Coney Island on July 4, and also draws more than one million viewers to its live broadcast on ESPN. This year, Joey Chestnut won his 11th title and set a contest record by eating 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Miki Sudo won the women’s competition, eating 37 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Next: July 4, 2019