Madeleine Albright to Deliver Keynote Address at 2004 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show 3/18/2004
From: Katharine Kim of the National Restaurant Association, 202-331-5939 or media@dineout.org CHICAGO, March 18 -- The National Restaurant Association is pleased to announce that former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Korbel Albright will deliver the keynote address at the 2004 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel- Motel Show, held May 22-25. Albright's speech will take place Sunday, May 23, at 2 p.m. in McCormick Place. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. "Foreign affairs and national security issues are playing an increasingly important role in our lives and businesses. We are confident that Dr. Albright's insights will be both timely and relevant," said Association Board member and Convention Chairman Richard E.Rivera, FMP. "As the first woman to serve as secretary of state, Dr. Albright is sure to provide a unique perspective from her years of service as secretary of state. The association's show has the history of presenting talented, high- profile speakers that offer diverse points-of-view. Surely, all Show attendees will want to be in attendance for Dr. Albright's dynamic presentation." Madeleine Korbel Albright served as the 64th secretary of state of the United States under President Bill Clinton. She was the first female secretary of state and is the highest-ranking woman in the history of the United States government. She is the founder of the Albright Group LLC, a global strategy firm, and author of "Madam Secretary: A Memoir." As secretary of state, Dr. Albright reinforced America's alliances, advocated democracy and human rights, and promoted American trade and business, labor, and environmental standards abroad. Accomplishments included the expansion and modernization of NATO and NATO's successful campaign to reverse ethnic cleansing in Kosovo; the promotion of peace in the Balkans; the reduction of nuclear dangers from Russia; the expansion of democracy in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America; the expansion of America's multifaceted relationship with China, including trade as well as human rights; and the growth of trade in the Americas, in Africa through the African Growth Opportunity Act, and through the conclusion of hundreds of other agreements that facilitated American business overseas. In June 2000, she and representatives from every region of the world convened the first ever conference of democracies. From 1993 to 1997, Dr. Albright served as the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations and as a member of the President's Cabinet and National Security Council. In 1995, she led the United States delegation to the United Nation's Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. From 1989 to 1992, Dr. Albright was president of the Center for National Policy, a non-profit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., after being director of Women in Foreign Service Programs and a research professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University during nearly a decade of leave from public service. From 1978 to 1981, Dr. Albright was a member of President Carter's National Security Council and White House staff. From 1976 to 1978, she served as chief legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie. Dr. Albright's book, "Madam Secretary: A Memoir," features portraits of many of the world leaders she encountered, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, Vaclav Havel, Yasser Arafat, Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu, King Husein, Vladimir Putin, Slobodan Milosevic and North Korea's mysterious Kim Jong-il. The show is the industry's premier event for exploring solutions for the next year of business and current restaurant- industry trends, offering a host of seminars and special events and more new product introductions than any other industry trade show-many featuring innovative ways to help restaurants respond to consumer demand. One of the hottest trends this year focuses on nutrition and healthful living, including low-carbohydrate or low-fat alternatives and nutrition-planning technology and equipment, underscoring the industry's longtime commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles. To learn more on the industry's efforts on this issue, visit http://www.restaurant.org. Celebrating its 85th year, the association's annual Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals in North and South America. The show will be held May 22-25, 2004, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. Each year, the show attracts more than 1,950 exhibiting companies and 70,000 plus attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 90 plus countries. For the latest information, please visit the show Web site at http://www.restaurant.org/show. ------ The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 878,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 12 million employees -- making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. Along with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to represent, educate and promote the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit its Web site at http://www.restaurant.org. | |