Largest Showcase of New Products for the Restaurant and Foodservice Industry in the Western US Opens Sunday, August 23rd in Los Angeles at the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Aug 18, 2015) - For three days -- this Sunday through Tuesday -- 8,000+ restaurant and foodservice professionals will come together to boost business profits, uncover the latest trends and source products at the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from August 23-25, 2015. Hundreds of new and returning companies will showcase new products on the expansive show floor in addition to the many educational programs, cooking demonstrations, and exciting special events. The trade show and conference is sponsored by the California Restaurant Association.

"This is a must-attend event for anyone involved in the restaurant, foodservice or hospitality industry. When you attend the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, you'll have access to the hottest menu trends, state of the art design and decor, the best in business education and 450 of the leading manufacturers and purveyors dedicated to serving the restaurant and foodservice community -- all under one roof," said Ron Mathews, Vice President, Foodservice Events Portfolio. "We have new exhibiting companies, new special events, and exciting new offers industry professionals will not want to miss." Event highlights include:

• Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Chefs and Owners of Border Grill & Truck and stars of the Food Network series "Too Hot Tamales" will receive the TORCH Award on Monday, August 24 at 1:00 pm, preceding their demonstration in the Culinary Theater on the Show floor. This new award, recognizes an individual or group of individuals whose achievements have enhanced and brought innovation to the restaurant and foodservice community. 
• Culinary Demonstration Theater - Attendees will have the opportunity to watch cooking demonstrations and taste incredible samples from leading chefs from Pink's Hot Dogs; Leoness Cellars; Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen; California State Fair Chef; SJ & Associates Food Sales Solutions; and Honey Smoked Fish Company. 
• Keynote Presentation - Rodney Eckerman, CEO of PizzaRev, one of CNBC's "10 Brands to Watch" and #15 in the FastCasual list of "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" will present "Leading the Restaurant Renaissance - How to Best Position Your Company to Thrive Amongst Change" on Sunday, August 23^rd at 1:00 p.m. 
• The Culinary Clash: Battle Los Angeles - This fun and interactive cooking competition, presented by Coca Cola, is a fundraiser benefiting the California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (CRAEF) pitting industry heavyweights against each other in an ultimate battle of skill and mettle, and the ultimate prize -- The Purse. Restaurant teams will be paired up with a ProStart® student or graduate as a sous chef. This event will take place on Monday, August 24th from 3:00 - 5:00 pm.
• Los Angeles Chefs Mystery Box Cooking Competition Los Angeles - On Sunday, August 23rd at 2pm, top Rising Star Chefs will battle it out with mystery ingredients in a fast paced cooking competition where they only have minutes to create a winning dish! The event will be moderated by Brad Metzger and judged by Jet Tila, Chef/Restaurateur, Cutthroat Kitchen; Richard Drapkin, Manhattan House, Duff's, Cakemix, Brentwood, BLD; and Mark Peel, Bombo.
• The California Craft Brewers Pavilion - The California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) is proud to represent the rich and diverse collection of artisans and entrepreneurs that make up the family of California's craft brewers. 
• Food Trends Experience - This tasting adventure provides direct access to products, flavors and ingredients driving the most recent trends in the market -- healthy, organic, sustainable, ethnic, artisanal, and more!
• International Showcase - will be anchored by the Latino Foods and Japan Pavilions. In the Japan Pavilion, discover umami flavors to give cuisine an edge with offerings created with Japanese ingredients. The Latino Foods Pavilion will focus on Hispanic and Latin American products specifically new and traditional, authentic ingredients, flavors, products, prepared foods and private label products. 
• The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum - Ferdinand Metz, Master Chef and Head of the Culinary Institute of America for more than 20 years, has handpicked industry experts to lead the education sessions, which will be held in the exhibit hall in classroom settings and in the Education Station. 

The 2015 Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo will be held Sunday, August 23 - Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The Show, the largest showcase of foodservice products in the Western United States, is produced and managed by Urban Expositions, and sponsored by the California Restaurant Association (www.calrest.org). For more information on exhibiting or attending visit the official Show website at www.westernfoodexpo.com.