NFRA Convention Preview

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) Convention, the leading industry event for frozen and refrigerated foods, will take place from Oct. 17–20 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. This focused business conference is anticipated to draw more than 2,000 retailers, manufacturers, sales agents and supply chain partners, engaging in more than 7,500 scheduled meetings over three days.

According to the NFRA, American eating habits are evolving, with less emphasis on traditional meal structures and a growing preference for snacking. Consumers are looking for foods that provide flexibility, variety and value. The frozen food aisle is responding with a surge of innovation, featuring globally inspired flavors, air fryer-ready formats, and portion-conscious options to meet these changing preferences.

“Frozen foods have always been a trusted solution for busy households, but the aisle today reflects how much eating habits have evolved,” said Tricia Greyshock, President & CEO of NFRA. “Whether it’s new flavors, smarter formats or products that help reduce waste, frozen foods are designed for real life—offering flexibility, variety and meaningful value for modern routines.”

NFRA consumer research demonstrates the vital role of frozen foods in daily eating habits: 83 percent of consumers feel frozen foods simplify meal planning, roughly 75 percent agree they can prepare an affordable and delicious meal using freezer items, and more than 75 percent of adults say frozen foods provide them with more meal options.

According to the NFRA, the modern frozen aisle caters to the increasing demand for wellness and dietary diversity, offering a broader range of options such as high-protein meals, plant-based products, gluten-free choices and items suited to various lifestyles. Younger shoppers exploring new foods through social media and international trends see frozen as an easy and convenient entry point. Meanwhile, busy families and value-conscious consumers rely on frozen foods for consistent quality and versatile meal solutions.

Actual Veggies, a plant-based manufacturer of burgers, fries, tater tots and nuggets, is returning to the NFRA Convention for its fourth year. It’s also the third year the company is hosting an emerging brands happy hour alongside some of its favorite brands. “This show is hands down the most valuable because, unlike other shows, we have 30-minute meetings with every retailer that we are in, get quality time outside of meetings with our category managers to chat over food and drinks, and have the chance to pitch retailers that we have not started working with,” shared Hailey Swartz, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Actual Veggies.

The NFRA Convention presents plant-based milk manufacturer Elmhurst 1925 with a valuable opportunity to connect with retail partners and the industry as a whole. “Elmhurst participated in NFRA a couple of years ago,” commented Elmhurst 1925 President Dan Bukowski. “This is a great way for us to interact with our retail partners and the industry.”

“Simply So is an emerging organic frozen rice brand that launched a year ago, and this will be our second time bringing it to NFRA,” noted Preya Patel Bhakta, Head of Branded Business & Growth for Simply So. “I also bring previous experience attending the Convention numerous times in a prior role, so I understand firsthand what a great opportunity it is for brands to meet with top retailers and industry leaders all in one place, especially as we come in this year with new flavors and innovations to share, including the roll-out of our Regenerative Organic Certified SKUs.”

“Evergreen has participated in the NFRA Convention for the past two years, and it has quickly become one of our favorite industry events,” mentioned Emily Groden, Founder and CEO of Evergreen. “It’s always well-attended by our buyers, and its timing—about six months after EXPO—makes it the perfect opportunity to reconnect in person and continue conversations from earlier in the year. At EXPO in March, we unveiled our new Thick & Fluffy Pancakes, Protein Waffles, and Protein Pancakes. Those products are now rolling out at Whole Foods Market, Kroger, ShopRite, and other retailers nationwide, and we’re excited to share that momentum at this year’s NFRA Convention.”

“We value the NFRA Convention as an opportunity to connect with customers and industry peers, discuss the latest trends shaping the frozen food industry, and strengthen key business relationships,” shared Derek DeMuth, VP, CPG Sales at Ajinomoto Foods North America, which has participated in the Convention for 21 years. The Ajinomoto Group differentiates itself through its commitment to uncovering the health benefits of amino acids, strives to find solutions for food and health issues associated with dietary habits and aging, and promotes greater wellness for consumers. “This year, we are especially excited to participate in the First Penguin Next Generation Leadership Program, where our own Anthony Carnevale will be presenting.”

“Our vision is to connect the farm to the market through long-lasting relationships,” commented Ryan Cobb, Sales Manager for Westfield Egg Farm. “On the farm side, we develop long-standing relationships built on trust and quality eggs. On the market side, we develop long-standing relationships through excellent fulfillment, integrity, and quality eggs. NFRA is a valuable use of our time because it creates space to develop the market side of our vision. We get a chance to meet people face to face, and collaborate on partnerships that could lead to a long-standing market-facing relationship.” 

Ice cream, frozen novelties and desserts continue to hold a resilient spot in consumers’ routines by providing what shoppers increasingly seek: affordable indulgence with minimal planning. NFRA consumer research reveals nearly three-quarters of adults believe keeping frozen treats at home is more cost-effective than dining out for dessert. Additionally, a similar proportion see frozen desserts as a convenient, low-effort option. 

“This is our first year participating in the convention, and we’re excited to join the NFRA community,” shared Charlotte Dubois, Marketing Manager at Galaxy Desserts. “We recognize the important role the association plays in helping manufacturers and retailers grow the frozen and refrigerated categories, and we look forward to building lasting relationships with fellow industry members.”

BunnieCakes, which offers cakes and cupcakes and its recent Ready-to-Bake line, is excited to participate in the NFRA Convention for the first time. The opportunity to connect and hold meetings with key stakeholders made the decision to attend an easy one. “The opportunity to network and have quality meetings with key retailers and distributors all in one place is invaluable to us,” said Michael Marrotte, VP of Sales. “The speed meetings for first-time attendees can help ensure that we meet with our targeted retailers to share our story.”

“We’ve built our trade show presence through UNFI, KeHE, and Newtopia Now, but this is the first time we’ve been in front of frozen and refrigerated buyers specifically, which is exactly our category,” explained Lindsay Singleton, a spokesperson for Love&Cookies, who is participating in the Convention for the first time. “It’s a chance to put Love&Cookies in front of retailers who’ve genuinely never seen us before.”

“Our main goal is to get everyone excited about our new dino veggie nuggets,” Swartz with Actual Veggies said. “Then it is to see all of our friends in the industry—both category managers and other brands. Last, it is to meet new retail partners that we have not started working with.”

Bukowski of Elmhurst 1925 said a primary goal during the Convention is to “further expand our business through the grocery and mass channels by offering our superior products.”

“As with prior years, the goal is to establish direct considerations for partnering with Jar Joy Desserts in stores at two key accounts,” explained Dan Taylor, President of Sales & Marketing, Jar Joy, which offers single-serving chilled desserts in a jar. “Also, seek dessert trend insights we can capitalize on as we look to launch into the frozen dessert space in 2027.”

“Galaxy Desserts is attending the convention to put our company on the radar of the industry’s leading players, showcase our brand and products, connect with influential professionals, exchange ideas, and lay the groundwork for future business partnerships,” Dubois shared. 

“We are attending to build Bunnie Cakes brand awareness across the country, to develop relationships with the retailer/distributor procurement and leadership teams that are attending and to have the ability to sample our products, which we know will have a positive impact on building out our national distribution plans,” Marrotte said. 

“Our goals for this year are pretty simple: make connections, build relationships, and get Love&Cookies in front of as many buyers as we can, especially in a category and region where we haven’t had much of a presence before,” Singleton offered. 

For Simply So, securing meetings and establishing meaningful connections are key priorities. “As a growing brand with real news to share this year, and all the ways we’re aligning with the biggest trends and consumer behaviors, we’re hopeful those conversations translate into new business relationships as well,” Simply So’s Bhakta remarked.

“Our primary objectives are to share the latest consumer insights, discuss category trends, and showcase upcoming innovation opportunities,” noted DeMuth with Ajinomoto Foods.

Cobb said, “We want to tell our story about how we support a large network of small family farms. The family owned farm produces high quality eggs that our customers expect when they shop at their favorite stores. Specifically, our Pasture Raised program is postured for growth and we are seeking the right partnerships to go to market with quality eggs.”

Business meetings with retail and distributor partners play a key role in the Convention.

Dubois of Galaxy Desserts expanded, “The convention attracts many key players from across the industry and offers numerous networking opportunities to exchange ideas and make meaningful connections. The combination of targeted business meetings and broader networking opportunities makes this event especially important to support our company’s growth.”

“As a first-time exhibitor, we wanted our introduction to NFRA to be hands-on, so we’re putting our energy into Café NFRA and letting retailers and buyers actually taste the product,” Singleton shared. 

Bhakta said, “We’re big fans of the speed-dating format—those quick, focused 6-minute meetings are a great way to introduce the brand to retailers with packed schedules. Beyond the formal meetings, the surrounding events are also a great opportunity to network and connect with fellow brands and industry professionals.”

“We plan to use our business meetings to deepen our partnerships with longtime buyers while getting to know newer retailer partners,” Evergreen’s Groden said. “NFRA is also an ideal opportunity to preview next year’s innovation ahead of its debut at EXPO West and gather early feedback.”

DeMuth explained, “The NFRA Convention provides a unique opportunity to meet with customers and industry partners over a concentrated three-day period. We look forward to discussing trends, sharing insights, and identifying opportunities to help grow our mutual businesses.”

In the dessert sector, Galaxy Desserts is steadily appealing to both everyday consumers and shoppers looking for ways to elevate their dessert occasions.

“We have built a strong and differentiated portfolio that brings authentic French baked offerings to consumers across multiple store sections,” Dubois of Galaxy Desserts said. “From our assortments of premium macarons and French Petits Fours in the Frozen Desserts category to our Frozen Croissants that deliver a true fresh-baked bakery experience at home, every product is designed to combine convenience with exceptional quality. In the in-store Bakery refrigerated aisle, our three 12-pack macaron assortments, Original, Fruit, and Gourmet, provide retailers with a versatile, retail-ready range that appeals to everyday shoppers as well as consumers looking to elevate special occasions.”

Love&Cookies plans to disrupt the cookie dough category and make a positive first impression during the Convention. 

Singleton elaborated, “We’ll be at Café NFRA baking straight from frozen and sampling all six of our flavors, four core and two seasonal, on rotation across the three days. For most of this crowd, it’ll be their first time tasting Love&Cookies at all. We’re really looking forward to putting Sweet Lemon & Vanilla and Hot Cocoa, our two newest flavors, in front of them.”

Key category trends fueling discussions at this year’s show include smaller portion sizes, guilt-free indulgence, clean labels, and flavor profiles that rival restaurant-quality dishes.

Within frozen Asian meals, DeMuth anticipates, “We expect conversations to focus on growing consumer demand for global and authentic flavors, convenient meal solutions that do not compromise on quality, and high-protein offerings that align with evolving consumer preferences.”

“Cookie Dough is one of the stronger-performing segments in the frozen aisle right now, and we think that momentum is going to be a big part of the conversation at NFRA,” Singleton said. “A lot of it comes down to shoppers wanting a cleaner ingredient list without giving up the indulgence, and frozen has a real edge over refrigerated here, there’s no short use-by window forcing you to bake right away. We’re glad to be part of that conversation as one of the newer names in the category.”

From plant-based meals to indulgent desserts, exhibitors are bringing plenty of innovation to this year’s NFRA Convention and demonstrating how frozen and refrigerated brands are adapting to consumer tastes while driving excitement across the aisle.