The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York opens this Sunday, March 2nd at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York. Over 16,000 restaurant and foodservice industry professionals will gather to see and sample hundreds of new products, services, and equipment from more than 500 leading vendors, and participate in 40+ educational programs and many special events. The event is sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association and managed and produced by Urban Expositions. Following are a few of the event highlights:

Chef’s Challenges – A One-on-one session with Landmarc’s Chef Marc Murphy and Certified Master Chef Ferdinand Metz (Monday, March 3 at 3:00 pm): Today’s top chefs are ready to answer the toughest questions and reveal the secrets to success. What was their biggest kitchen disaster? What is their favorite dish to prepare? What is the chef’s secret problem solver? Is it effective to scream at your staff or is there a better way? Join Marc Murphy, Chef and Owner of 5 NYC restaurants: Landmarc (Tribeca + Time Warner Center), Ditch Plains (West Village + Upper West Side) and Kingside and Certified Master Chef Ferdinand Metz, former President of the Culinary Institute of America.

FINE DINING – IS IT DEAD? – A panel discussion with some of NYC’s finest chefs (Monday, March 3 at 12:00 pm). Join Chef Alfred Portale from the Gotham Bar & Grill, Chef Bill Telepan of Telepan and Telepan Local, Ed Brown, Premier Hospitality Division of Compass Group (Restaurant Associates, Flik International and Wolfgang Puck Catering); Kerry Heffernan, Eleven Madison Park, South Gate; and Certified Master Chef Ferdinand Metz. The definition of what makes a fine dining experience, beyond great food, which is almost expected these days has been debated for years. This outstanding panel of chefs will share with the audience their version, their prediction and their hopes for the future of fine dining.

Restaurant Trends, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Monday, March 3, 1:30 – 2:30): In his 27-year career as editor of Restaurant Hospitality, Stephen Michaelides wrote a monthly column that dealt with his perspective and, often, opinionated views of the hospitality industry: everything from service to food trends. This state of the industry panel gives you the opportunity to watch first-hand as Stephen revisits his early perceptions, opinions, and beliefs about restaurant owners, restaurant critics, writers, consultants, and food historians, while challenging our panelists to decide whether what he wrote years ago is valid or unfounded. Panelists include Certified Master Chef Ferdinand Metz; Tony May, SD26; John Mariani, Esquire & Bloomberg News, Virtual Gourmet Newsletter; Michael Whiteman, Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Company and Moderator Stephen Michaelides, Restaurant Hospitality.

Culinary Demonstration Theater – an educational, interactive and entertaining area featuring Marco Cherico, Marco Polo; Chef Oscar Martinez from Havana Central; Anton Testino, Food Network’s Chopped; Christopher Singlemann, Executive Chef, Watermill Caterers; Danielle Rimmer, Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen; David Binkle, Certified Executive Chef, Los Angeles Unified School District; Jules E.D. Shepard, Jules Gluten Free; and Marlissa Brown, Author of Gluten Free Hassle Free.

Annual Farm to City Expo will take place on Tuesday, March 4th from 12 – 4:30 pm and will focus on “Turning Local Purchasing into Profits for Farmers, Restaurateurs and Entrepreneurs”. Sponsored by Empire State Development, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets; College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Cornell University and Edible Magazine.

The Foodservice Council for Women will host Women Winning in Business on Sunday March 2nd from 10-11:30 am. This high energy – action packed – lineup of winning industry leaders sharing their insights, resources and “secrets” for winning in today’s competitive marketplace. Featuring Kathleen Wood, Kathleen Wood Partners; Betsy Craig, MenuTrinfo; Sandy Korem, The Catering Coach; Sally Minier, Sweet Sally’s and Marissa May, SD26.

Pride of New York/Taste NY Marketplace – “Locavore” and”Locapour”aretwo ofthehottest trends in food and beverage, reflectingthe surgein consumer demand for localproducts. And there’s nobetter placeto discover thoseproducts than at thePrideof NY/ Taste NY Marketplace where dozens of producers will showcasegreat local products-from wines, beers, and spirits, to cheeses, meats, breads,fruitsand vegetables, and much more.

The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum, the gold-standard, industry-leading educational conference for today’s foodservice professional will offer 40 complimentary education sessions focusing on hot trends, building customer loyalty, developing winning teams, maximizing profits and implementing operational excellence. Featuring Speakers from Technomic, The Restaurant Expert, SD26, The Lease Coach, Shake Shack, Magnolia Bakery, The Catering Coach, Green Restaurant Association, and many more!

Japan Pavilion – The 2014 Japan Pavilion will feature the ingredients ramen and koji, which have currently exploded in popularity in Japan. The Japan Pavilion will introduce shio koji for the first time and teach industry processionals all about this special type of koji and how to use it to enhance the flavor of any dish. Executive Chef Taku Sato from Nobu Restaurant will also be making his debut in the Japan Pavilion.

Food Trends Experience – A tasty adventure providing direct access to product, flavors and ingredients driving the most recent trends in the market – healthy, organic, sustainable, ethnic, artisanal, and more! Presented within the Show, the Food Trends Experience is the fastest and most convenient way to see, taste, discover and learn about the new culinary innovations that will inspire creative and fresh menu ideas, delight customers and drive profits.

US Pastry Competition – Paris Gourmet presents the 25th Annual U.S. Pastry Competition on Sunday, March 2, 2014, where 12 rising stars of the pastry world have been selected to compete for the coveted title, Pastry Chef of the Year. The theme for this year’s event is “Film Animation”.

The 2014 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York will be held Sunday, March 2 – Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The show is produced and managed by Urban Expositions, and sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association. For more information visit the official Show web-site at www.internationalrestaurantny.com.