Robert Grimes is Chairman of Accuvia. Accuvia provides information technology services for the hospitality, foodservice and retail industries through its Consulting, Events and Publishing entities. Accuvia’s information and educational services are delivered through consulting, publishing, research services and the production of exhibitions, conferences and networking events internationally. The company is headquartered in Potomac, MD.

In 1996, Rob co-founded, with Nation’s Restaurant News, FS/TEC, the foodservice industry’s largest technology tradeshow and conference. In 2000, he launched HOSTEC, a technology-focused exhibition and conference for the hospitality and foodservice industries in the U.K, which in 2002 joined forces with the IH&RA and is now called the HOSTEC-Eurhotec Exhibition and Conference. Rob has been a regular technology columnist for Nation's Restaurant News and has contributed articles to many other industry publications in the U.S. and abroad as well as co-authored and contributed to a number of books. He has spoken at over 500 industry shows, conferences and events around the world.

In addition to Accuvia, Rob serves is a Partner and serves as Chairman of The Sergeant’s Program an internationally known military-style fitness program headquartered in the Washington, DC area. Rob also is the Founder and CEO of Capitol Fresh a multi-unit foodservice operator/franchisee of the Boston based Fresh City concept serving the Maryland, Virginia and DC region and prior to that served as the President of That’s Amore Restaurants, a Washington D.C. based operator of family-style Italian restaurants. Rob was also previously the Founder and Chairman of Cyntergy; a global technology services company in the hospitality, foodservice and retail industries which was sold in 2001.

Rob has received many industry and company awards over the years. In April 2000, Rob was honored with the Maryland Executive of the Year Award sponsored by the Maryland High Technology Council. His companies have been awarded the 1999 & 2000 Deloitte & Touche Maryland Technology Fast 50 Award and the 1999 FastTrack Revenue Growth Award, sponsored by Arthur Andersen. Other awards include The Joseph A. Sciulli Entrepreneur of the Year Award (1996), sponsored the Suburban Maryland High Technology Council; The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award (1994), World Young Business Achiever Award (1994), sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and presented by His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh; and The Penn State Alumnus of the Year Award (1994).

Rob is a Conti Professor in the Program of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management (“HR&IM”) at Penn State University and also serves on the Advisory Boards of the HR&IM Programs at the University of Delaware and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Rob has served on the Board of the National Restaurant Association as an Industry Representative and is an active member of the Global One Chapter of The Young Presidents Organization. Rob is a triathlete having completed the Ironman in Lake Placid in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 and Ironman World Championship in Kona in 2005.