May 27, 2025

Rising Tides Live: Looking Back At The National Restaurant Association Show

51 minutes

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef, the community reunited to reflect on the stories, lessons, and breakthroughs from the 2025 National Restaurant Show. Attendees shared tips on balancing content creation with human connection, leaning into both high-tech tools and handwritten takeaways. Whether filming with drones or just showing up with a phone, the message was clear: hospitality is still a people business—and the best innovation is rooted in real relationships.

Interview Takeaways:

Content Creation + In-Person Connection = Impact – Participants emphasized the power of combining digital storytelling with face-to-face interactions. Whether capturing smartphone footage on the expo floor or showing up in-person to build deeper relationships, the fusion of content and connection was a recurring theme.

Innovation Only Works if You Use It – Tech was everywhere—from smart lockers to AI-powered menu optimization—but the real conversation centered on action. Attendees asked: how do we actually implement what we saw, and how do we make it stick without losing focus on people and operations?

Community Over Competition – Whether it was a spin class led by Wow Bao’s Jeff Alexander or impromptu hallway interviews, the show revealed a shift in mindset. Leaders are dropping competitive barriers and showing up for one another—because in today’s hospitality landscape, shared stories and mutual support matter more than ever.

Episode Links:

National Restaurant Association Show: https://www.nationalrestaurantshow.com/

Restaurant Show App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-show-to-go-2025/id1492482397

Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/

Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/

Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

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