What benefit will I gain from exhibiting at the RC Show?
COVID-19 has fundamentally changed our behaviours and the way we do business. In order to do business in this new reality, you need to be active in online and digital initiatives so your company and your brands are where your customers are, and that’s online.
According to a major trade show organizer, 83% of their clientele have attended more than one virtual trade show and online shows are here to stay.
Thoughtful and strategic online activities, such as the RC Show, are an efficient way for potential customers to get exposed to and engaged with your company and brands and should be considered an important component of your marketing mix.
As a not-for-profit association, funds generated for Restaurants Canada through membership fees, trade show, and other initiatives, go directly into government advocacy and creating resources to make our industry stronger.
The RC Show has consistently grown attendance for the last 5 years. For 2021 we plan to attract attendees through a multi-pronged strategy all designed to attract quality buyers and industry professionals to the Show.
- Partnering with a leading-edge technology platform to enable rich online engagement experiences
- World-class content, sought after expert speakers, industry innovators and trail-blazers
- Robust national marketing and PR campaigns
- Dynamic competitions
- Experiential events
- RC Show Meeting & Conference Planner enables exhibitors and attendees to book meetings.
Many foodservice buyers come to the RC Show for lead generation that supports their efforts for the entire year. Don’t miss your chance to get in front of them.
Since online shows have no travel restrictions, customers can attend from across the country and around the globe. We are implementing strong marketing and PR campaigns and developing a 3 year Buyers Program to bring more buyers to the Show.
Yes, you will have an opportunity to login to the registration site one week prior to the Show and build your agenda using the RC Show Meeting & Conference Planner tool. At this time, you can view and request meetings with the current list of registered buyers.
How can I fit the cost of exhibiting into my budget?
The RC Show team believes there is a tremendous opportunity for businesses to connect in a meaningful way to support one another and rebuild our industry together. Exhibiting at RC Show ONLINE LIVE is a cost-efficient way to meet potential customers from across the country and around the globe.
It’s an extremely tough time right now but foodservice establishments are already adapting and pivoting to find creative ways to reinvent their business and generate an income. For every four restaurants that close, one opens and those will turn to the RC Show for support and to reconnect with the industry while they rebuild their business.
Participating in a virtual event is a cost-efficient way to reach an engaged and targeted audience. Ancillary trade show costs are eliminated. You no longer have to pay to create a physical booth, nor secure transportation or accommodation for your team. Additionally, sampling can be ultra-targeted to the companies you are looking to do business with post-show follow up.
These are uncertain times, indeed, however those who market themselves now will be noticed. They will be seen as a solution provider to the industry and win. Going silent now is not the way to stay relevant and top of mind with your customers.
Yes, this is a reality, but if you’re selling to the trade, you need to continue to market to the trade or be overshadowed by your competitors. The challenge will be to be creative and strategic with the budget you have. We are happy to discuss options with you.
What’s most important is how you position your company, and what content and special offers you can bring forward that will resonate with your target audiences and potential customers. These initiatives will bring visitors to your booth where you can book meetings and make sales.
How will I make sales at an online show?
Restaurants Canada and the RC Show are committed to supporting the growth of our industry, to ensure you put your best foot forward and that the money you spend with us delivers results. In addition, our technology partner NexTech AR Solutions will help us deliver an elevated experience that makes it easy for buyers and sellers to connect.
We have set up our registration process to allow attendees to identify the categories of products they are looking for and match those to the exhibitors that offer those product categories. The Show team will be sending these match-making lists to attendees in advance of the show. Further generate traffic to your booth with pre-show promotions to invite guests to your booth. During the Show you can host demonstrations in your booth, and draw in attendees with special show offers and relevant content.
Our platform will allow you to pre-book virtual meetings with registered attendees, and to also book live and post-show meetings with leads.
The “I was Here” booth feature captures all contact information for those who willingly drop their contact card at your booth. We also provide rich data analytics post-show.
You will have an opportunity to login to the Show platform one week prior to the start of the RC Show to view the list of registered buyers. At that point you can request meetings using the RC Show Meeting & Conference Planner tool.
You can send samples to qualified buyers who visit your booth during and after the Show. We can work with you on sponsorship opportunities in order to get samples into buyer kits that will be delivered to qualified Canadian and International buyers.
Technical & Platform questions
NexTechAR Solutions, RC Show’s leading edge platform provider, has a 12 year proven track record and has delivered more than 72,000 virtual events, connecting participants from over 100 countries with an impressive roster of clients.
Very similar to a website, you will be able to navigate from the homepage (the Lobby) as well as from the Menu bar. Exhibitors and Attendees alike can explore many features, including the Exhibit Hall, Pavilions, Special Features, Stages and more!
- Yes. Keep in mind that the RC Show ONLINE LIVE platform is being custom built to suit the specific needs of our exhibitors and attendees. We have a demonstration video using images from other events that our partner NexTech AR Solutions has created and that are most relevant to what we are building. View Online Demo
- We also have a shorter sneak peak video to enable you to see an overview of how the navigation could look and how the trade show will come to life. Watch Video
- Our online booth guide provides a visual of the online booth and identifies the inclusions and features. Download Booth Guide
The RC Show team will build your online booth for you. We require specific booth assets for this step. The files and file sizes that are needed to build your booth can be found in the Exhibitor Services Kit page on our website.
You will need a stable internet connection, a computer, as well as access to your own Zoom, Teams, Webex, or Google Hangouts account to host Live Meetings within your booth. Your unique link will be embedded in your booth and not be password protected to allow attendees to enter.
Only one live meeting can take place at the same time within your booth however, there is a chat feature as well as a lead retrieval feature that allows the attendee to drop their contact details into an “I was Here” for you to follow up with. At any time, attendees can book meetings with the booth contact by clicking Meeting Calendar to see availability and ensure they can have that meeting.
There is one video link per booth, regardless of the booth size.
Your online booth has a Live Meeting feature and this is where you can host demonstrations as well as conduct video calls to do business. You can use Zoom, Teams, Webex, or Google Hangouts for this feature within your booth. We encourage you to plan your daily show itinerary for your online booth. Promote it to your customers and invite potential customers in advance of the Show.
Yes, you can add video. We recommend videos to be under three minutes long to avoid delays in downloading and viewing for the attendees.
The small 2D booth has one video display, and the large 2D booth has two videos that can be displayed. The online booth menu bar button for Company Resources can include more downloadable files such as images (jpg, png), PDFs, Presentations (ppt), and media files (mp4). Therefore, more than one video can be included and accessed to download.
The Online Booth resources vary based on booth size; small, medium or large. Please review our Online Booth Guide (PDF) to see the assets available for each one.
You can have multiple people working the booth to manage the booth chat and live meeting features, however only up to three contact cards will be included in the menu bar button for company contact.
Duties should be assigned to staff in advance of the Show. Exhibiting staff are encouraged to make the most of the Show by proactively doing the following activities:
- Managing the booth chat
- Managing your meeting calendar
- Managing activity taking place on the live meeting URL
- Actively connecting with attendees to invite them to their booth for a meeting or demonstration
Yes, you can reach out to anyone on the platform in real-time. The attendee dropdown list will live on each page (top right corner)
They are not clickable. They are for brand awareness and booth messaging and can include images such as your company logo or your Live Meeting & Booth Demonstration schedule.
In order to change the pixels of your image, you will need a photo editing program (Photoshop, Windows Paint, Picnik, Canva, PhotoScape, etc).
A VCard, also known as VCF (Virtual Contact File), is a file format standard for electronic business cards.
Online Booth assets will be common file types such as JPEG, PNG, MP4, etc. Our detailed checklist outlines all that is needed for you to prepare. You can access this in the Exhibitor Services Kit page on our website.
We recommend keeping true to your company’s brand guidelines when it comes to selecting colours. Then, match your brand colours to advise us of the HEX colour code you would like us to use when creating your booth.
A HEX colour is a colour expressed as a six-digit combination of numbers and letters. Find tools to find your HEX colour here: https://www.color-hex.com/ or https://htmlcolorcodes.com/
Custom upgrades can take 30-60 days from the time NexTech AR Solutions receives your files.
Additional FAQs
RC Show 2021 ONLINE LIVE will provide opportunities to highlight your presence to the foodservice and hospitality industry, maximize your company’s exposure, as well as deliver a return on your investment. View our sponsorship opportunities page for more details.
Contact us to set up a meeting to discuss custom and a-la-carte opportunities.
No, however you need to update your own insurance to include the following:
- Coverage dates: February 28 – March 3, 2021
- Comprehensive General Liability of $2,000,000
- Personal Injury and Property Damage Liability subject to a maximum $1,000 Deductible.
- Products and Completed Operations Liability
- Contingent Employers Liability
- Broad form Property Damage
- Cross Liability clause
- Severability of Interest Clause
- RC Show and Restaurants Canada to be added as an additional insured but only with respect to its interest in the operations of the named insured
- Also include: Full legal name, and full address including postal code, to be shown on the certificate.
RC Show 2021 ONLINE LIVE Event/Restaurant Canada
1155 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1J4If required, contact name and phone #: Rose Turchio, Head Office, Restaurants Canada - Phone # 416-649-4236
The pandemic has changed the way we do business forever, and everyone must learn the new way forward to safeguard themselves for the future and take advantage of new business opportunities in this new normal. Waiting on the sidelines puts you at a distinct risk of losing market share to competitors who are taking action.