They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that was certainly the case for Dot’s annual trade show. Innovations 2026 brought together a record 4,400 attendees, including 475 exhibitors and 1,120 customer companies across foodservice, retail, and c-store segments. Exclusive for Dot Foods partners, Innovations promotes one-on-one connection and real business opportunities.

 

What sets Innovations apart from other industry events is Dot’s commitment to adding value to our attendees’ businesses. “You’re making a big time investment and we’re going to do our best to give you a return on that investment,” shared Dot Foods CEO Dick Tracy to attendees. “We hope you meet some new friends, some new opportunities, and you leave Houston wanting to come back.”

 

Innovations 2026 fulfilled that promise with a range of insights, products, and entertainment.

 

Sessions

 

To make sure our show was valuable for everyone, we welcomed industry leaders to host sessions geared towards particular attendees and segments.

 

  • Dot Foods CEO Dick Tracy gave his annual Industry Update, sharing an overview of trends and data that demonstrate the current state of the supply chain, economy, transportation, and more areas impacting our industry.

 

  • Operators enjoyed curated sessions at Operator Insights. Celebrity chef Jet Tila and Flavor & The Menu’s Cathy Nash Holley explored areas of menu innovation. Datassential’s Megan Lynberg untangled contradictory consumer preferences.

 

  • Circana’s David Portalatin broke down the five emerging trends changing food and beverage preferences.

 

  • Marketoonist’s Tom Fishburne illustrated how businesses can embrace AI and new technology through his witty cartoons.

 

  • For the first time, we presented on Dot’s retail capabilities for brokers, retailers, and manufacturers in a session led by our Director of Retail, Ryan Jacobsen.

 

  • We also hosted our first event just for Dot Foods Canada partners, sharing our commitment to growing that area of our business over brunch.

 

  • Kevin Baum and Tim Loyd from Dot Foods presented on the importance and complexity of managing product content and introduced Connect, a new solution from Dot Data Services.

 

  • Datassential’s Renee Lee Wege gave us a taste of the future, sharing samples and data about up-and-coming food trends.

 

Entertainment

 

To show our appreciation to our business partners, we gave them the V.I.P. experience with state-of-the-art entertainment. Innovations concluded with an exclusive concert from country superstar Cole Swindell, who performed several of his number one songs. 

 

To welcome everyone to our first show in Houston, we spotlighted the area’s best cuisine. Operators kicked off Innovations with lunch from four of Houston’s most decorated chefs. At our Welcome Street Party, all attendees got a taste of Houston’s best food trucks and James Beard Award finalist, Gatlin’s BBQ. Attendees were then treated to more flavors of Houston at our pre-concert party.

 

Even celebrity chefs wanted to get in on the fun. Maneet Chauhan and Jet Tila hit the show floor to sign books and provide cooking demos. 

 

Product Discovery

 

At Innovations, every product from our exhibitors is available through Dot Foods, making it the best industry event for discovering products you can add to your offering. Around every corner, we had samples from our exhibitors. 

 

During our Culinary Experience Lunch, 30 exhibitors presented quality, lunch-sized tastings to everyone on the show floor at interactive booths. Operators enjoyed their own tasting event, trying more than 80 innovative small bites inspired by Datassential trends at Trend Explorer. Exhibitors also served samples throughout meals and events.

 

We’ll be back in Houston next year for Innovations 2027. Get ready to join us April 21-23, 2027. In the meantime, visit the Dot Foods Shop website to explore products from the show.