2026 is chock-full of exciting restaurant industry events, so it’s time to mark your calendars and plan out your year.
Some shows have already posted their agendas and speaker lists, presenting opportunities to discuss a broad range of restaurant industry topics, including finance, tech, franchise strategy and consumer trends. Many feature showroom floors with established and up-and-coming vendors, where thousands of attendees can learn about new opportunities in equipment, digital technology and more firsthand.
To help you prioritize your travel budget, Restaurant Dive has selected eight of the buzziest restaurant events scheduled throughout 2026.
Top restaurant conferences in 2026
IFA Annual Convention
Feb. 23-25
Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
This International Franchise Association event is designed for franchisees to learn franchise-specific business development ideas, formulate plans for personal growth and network with other operators. The event also includes a vendor exhibit hall.
Featured speakers include Kat Cole, CEO of AG1; Andrew T. Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A; Codie Sanchez, co-owner of ResiBrands; Matt Haller, president and CEO of the IFA; and Sam Ballas, CEO and president of East Coast Wings + Grill.
MURTEC
March 9-11
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
The Multi-unit Restaurant Technology Conference includes education sessions that explore how restaurant technology can improve operations, marketing, consumer experience and other aspects of the business.
Attendees typically include growth-oriented restaurant companies, C-suite executives, CEOs and owners, restaurant groups, franchisees and independent operators across multiple restaurant segments.
Executives from Jack in the Box, Dog Haus, Dine Brands, Taco John’s, Flynn Group and Craveworthy Brands are expected to speak.
Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit
March 16-18
Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Coronado, California
The Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit is focused on the new technology, new marketing tactics and new menu strategies major restaurant brands, particularly franchised brands, are using to get ahead in a competitive market.
This year’s presenters included executives from Smoothie King, Nekter Juice Bar, Newk’s Eatery, Blaze Pizza, Potbelly, Church’s Texas Chicken, Little Caesars Pizza, Shipley Do-Nuts and Chicken Salad Chicken.
Curbivore
April 16-17
Downtown Los Angeles
Curbivore draws restaurants, retailers, startups, technologists and policy makers to discuss the intersection of transportation systems, small business, urban design and commerce.
The event’s 2025 speaker list included representatives from DoorDash, Sweetgreen and Serve Robotics. In 2025, the conference took place in April.
Restaurant Leadership Conference
April 19-22
JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, Phoenix
The Restaurant Leadership Conference serves as a place for leaders from established brands and up-and-coming concepts to connect and share strategies. More than 100 speakers typically attend the conference.
The RLC’s 2026 lineup currently includes events with Christine Barone, CEO and president at Dutch Bros Coffee; Dolf Berle, CEO of Nothing Bundt Cakes; and Troy Aikman, ESPN NFL game analyst.
National Restaurant Association Show
May 16-19
McCormick Place, Chicago
The National Restaurant Association Show features supplier exhibits, culinary demonstrations, discussions of major industry trends and learning sessions for attendees featuring major brands and startups.
Past attendees include industry leaders at companies ranging from small independents up to Yum Brands, according to the Show’s site.
FSTEC
Sept. 23-25
Location: Gaylord Texas, Grapevine, Texas
FS/TEC is a major foodservice technology conference showcasing innovations in the restaurant industry, with sessions on forward-looking trends and topics like artificial intelligence, the future of work and consumer relationship management tech. FS/TEC typically has more than 70 speakers and has featured C-suite leaders from national brands like The Habit Burger Grill, Church’s Texas Chicken, Denny’s, Panera Bread and Checkers and Rally’s.
Restaurant Finance & Development Conference
Nov. 9-11
Wynn, Las Vegas, Nevada
RFDC is a financial conference for restaurant owners, operators and finance executives. Attendees can learn about key trends in restaurant business and capital markets during educational sessions covering topics including capital-raising strategies, third-party delivery, and trends in investments, merger and acquisitions.
Past speakers include executives from Inspire Brands, Flynn Restaurant Group, Papa Johns, Texas Roadhouse, Qdoba, The Habit Burger and Dutch Bros.
ICR Conference
Jan. 11-13, 2027
JW Marriott, Orlando Grande Lakes, Orlando, Florida
This invite-only event brings together major public and private companies to share updates about their business models and discuss hot topics within the restaurant sector. Attendees typically include corporate management teams, private equity and institutional investors and sell-side analysts.
Past presenters included Darden, BJ’s Restaurants, El Pollo Loco, Fat Brands, The One Group, Shake Shack and Krispy Kreme.
Disclosure: The National Restaurant Association Show, FS/TEC and Restaurant Leadership Conference are run by Informa, which owns a controlling stake in Informa TechTarget, the publisher behind Restaurant Dive. Informa has no influence over Restaurant Dive’s coverage
