This might have been the unofficial motto of The NAFEM Show 2023, which took place Feb. 1-3 in Orlando, Fla.

Members of the foodservice equipment and supplies industry gathered for the first time in four years and let out a collective sigh of unmasked relief. The mood was ebullient and even the prospect of a Federal Reserve-prescribed recession in 2023, designed to dampen inflation without derailing the economy, was met with an overall shrug as most attendees continue to train their eyes on a future beyond that possibility.

Exhibitors highlighted innovations, including robotics and other new technologies, designed to increase efficiency and ease labor worries for an industry that clearly plans a return to pre-pandemic vitality. These advancements will continue to be an editorial priority for FE&S as the magazine moves through its editorial calendar over the remainder of 2023.

A special thanks goes out to the many readers who stopped by the Zoomba Group booth at The NAFEM Show. Your excitement around our 2023 award winners is confirmation that this year’s lineup continues the magazine’s time-honored tradition of recognizing some of the best and brightest people and organizations that continue to raise the industry’s professionalism. We can scarcely contain our excitement as we build toward the FE&S Dealer of the Year & All-Industry Awards Gala, which will take place May 20, 2023, at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago.

We are grateful for the continued support of our many industry sponsors who make the Dealer of the Year & All-Industry Awards Gala possible and allow us to tell these incredible success stories throughout the year on the pages of FE&S. Special thanks to our platinum sponsors: Ali Group, Alto-Shaam and Middleby.

All the best,

Maureen