WASHINGTON, DC (July 20, 2023) – The International Food and Beverage Technology Association (IFBTA) and Digital Restaurant Association (DRA) announced a new strategic partnership that will align and combine power of the two associations to benefit their respective members and advance conversations surrounding technology within the foodservice industry.
The DRA, which advocates for fair and sustainable restaurant technology and delivery ecosystems, will offer their online ordering and delivery-focused education and offerings to IFBTA members. In turn the IFBTA, which provides technology-based resources, education, networking, and representation globally across all segments in the food and beverage industry, will extend its benefits and offerings to DRA members.
The partnership kicks off with a digital offering from each organization; a virtual IFBTA chapter meeting on Tuesday, July 25th, focusing on “ChatGPT and AI for the Restaurant Industry,” followed by the DRA’s two-day Restaurant Marketing Summit on July 26-27th.
The new agreement includes the following areas of collaboration:
- IFBTA and DRA will become association partners, wherein support and promotion of each organization’s initiatives and offerings become available to their respective memberships.
- IFBTA and DRA will support relationships with key food and beverage thought leaders, innovators, and suppliers to the industry.
- IFBTA membership will be provided as an included benefit of DRA membership, to include access to IFBTA Networking and Events, Communities, Education, and Resources.
“The foodservice industry and the technology that enables it continues to evolve. Through partnerships with organizations such as the Digital Restaurant Association, we can offer a deep-dive into digital-focused online ordering and delivery technologies that the DRA specializes in while simultaneously supporting their advocacy efforts on behalf of the industry at large,” said Rob Grimes, IFBTA CEO.
“On behalf of the DRA we are incredibly excited to officially announce our partnership with the IFBTA. Our organizations’ natural synergy will greatly advance and expedite the benefits of technological integration for all sectors within our industry. We are proud to be joining forces with the IFBTA to make a real difference for our beloved restaurant community today and for years to come,” said Joe Reinstein, Executive Director of the DRA and former Global Growth Officer for one of the world’s biggest digital performance media agencies and former Obama Administration White House Deputy Social Secretary.
About The International Food and Beverage Technology Association (IFBTA)
The International Food and Beverage Technology Association (IFBTA) is a nonprofit trade association that promotes the use of technology within the global food and beverage industries with a specific focus on education, networking, certification, research, and events, while aligning with other industry associations and groups in support of their technology-related initiatives. Learn more at iftba.org.
About The Digital Restaurant Association (DRA)
The Digital Restaurant Association is a non-profit 501(c)6 membership organization dedicated to helping restaurants thrive in the digital world. The DRA strives to be the premiere restaurant industry resource for profitable online revenue generation, innovation, public policy and growth. Led by an advisory board of leading restaurateurs and a staff with expertise in digital operations, the DRA leverages the power of the collective voice of the restaurant industry to advance policies that will protect and promote the digital restaurant business. Learn more at digitalrestaurants.org.
