IFT FIRST 2026

Bell Flavors & Fragrances IFT Party

Ingredient buyers and R&D/product-development people who work with Bell — a classic flavor-supplier customer reception, the kind of after-hours hospitality exhibitors use to deepen relationships outside the booth.

Food Intelligence: The New Competitive Advantage (CFBN x Enterprise Ireland)

Falls squarely in IFT week and pulls the same CPG/food-safety/AI-in-food crowd, but it's a CFBN/Enterprise Ireland production, not an IFT program item — a sharper AI-in-food-industry focus than the show floor.

NC State FBNS IFT Social

Draws food-science academics and industry partners with NC State ties — an easy room to plug into given how many food-science programs cross-recruit from NC State.

Startup CPG: Founders & Formulators

Built specifically for CPG founders and food scientists/formulators — 1:1 access to product-development expertise the trade-show floor doesn't offer. Sales reps and brokers are explicitly excluded, keeping the room genuinely peer-to-peer.

UMass Amherst College of Natural Sciences Alumni & Friends Gathering

A smaller, alumni-network room — useful if you studied food science at UMass or want an easy in via a shared-school connection during the show.

Arc Bar (Hyatt Regency McCormick Place)

Zero commute — literally inside the convention hotel most exhibitors and attendees are booked in. Ideal for a quick decompress or an informal meeting between sessions.

Cindy's Rooftop

Named Time Out's #1 rooftop in Chicago; its group-friendly, scenic setting suits a larger informal happy hour of attendees after a show day.

Fatpour Tap Works – McCormick

A block from the exhibit halls — the go-to happy-hour spot for exhibitor teams and reps decompressing after the show floor closes.

Moody Tongue Brewing Company

A genuine destination in its own right — a CPG/food-science crowd will appreciate a brewery built explicitly around the craft of beer-and-food pairing, sitting right in Motor Row's brewery row.

The Aviary

Ranked among the World's 50 Best Bars; its science-forward, molecular-gastronomy drink program is a genuine conversation hook for a food-science crowd specifically — best for a smaller group.

VU Rooftop Bar

The default upscale after-hours option for conventioneers — comes up repeatedly in McCormick Place dining guides, good for a client dinner or unwinding after exhibit-hall hours.

Intelligentsia Coffee (Monadnock Coffeebar)

Repeatedly cited in "meet outside your office in the Loop" guides — ideal for a low-key 1:1 coffee meeting between a supplier and a buyer before or after the show.

The Spoke & Bird

The best-verified coffee option actually close to the venue — good for an early coffee run before the exhibit hall opens or a low-key one-on-one.

Apolonia

The "nicer dinner" pick that keeps coming up in South Loop guides — good for a food-science crowd that wants a real sit-down meal within walking distance instead of bar food.

Bavette's Bar & Boeuf

Michelin Guide-listed with a huge review base; the jazz-club vibe makes it a strong "unwind after the show floor" dinner for a smaller group.

Chicago Cut Steakhouse

Named one of Crain's Chicago Business's best places for a business meal — exactly the CPG-exec/supplier dinner setting this crowd recognizes and uses.

Girl & the Goat

One of the most consistently recommended West Loop restaurants nationally; the shareable format works well for a mixed-size dinner of colleagues or new conference contacts.

Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen

Repeatedly named as THE old-school convention lunch spot in Chicago — a fast, no-reservation option for a working lunch between sessions.

Monteverde

Named one of Eater's essential Chicago restaurants; a food-science/CPG crowd that cares about craft and ingredients will appreciate the pasta-program pedigree specifically.

Woven + Bound (Marriott Marquis Chicago)

The default "let's grab dinner without leaving campus" pick for badge-wearing attendees — the Marriott Marquis is the main headquarters hotel for the show.