The Summer Fancy Food Show, which will begin later this month, will be the largest since it was first presented in 1955. The sold-out exhibit halls will be filled with 2,730 specialty food makers, importers and entrepreneurs representing the latest new products and trends from across the U.S. and around the globe.
The show takes place June 29-July 1 at Javits Center in New York. Amid record demand for specialty food, the show is expected to attract 28,000 buyers, including delegations from Uruguay, Paraguay, Albania and China, as well as thousands of buyers from top names in U.S. retailing and restaurants, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Dean & DeLuca, Gourmet Garage, Mollie Stone’s Markets and more.
Show highlights include a keynote address by Dominique Ansel, the acclaimed pastry chef and creator of treat sensation the Cronut, a croissant-donut hybrid. He also will announce the winners of the 42nd sofi Awards for the outstanding specialty foods of the year. Chef Ansel is donating his speaking fee to City Harvest, the Summer Fancy Food Show’s longtime anti-hunger charity.
“The specialty food industry is thriving as consumers look for top-quality food made by people who bring craft, care and joy to the products they create,” says Ann Daw, president of the Specialty Food Association. “Our show provides a unique forum for buyers seeking foods that appeal to today’s more adventuresome, curious and sophisticated shoppers.”
Other show highlights include:
• Demonstration of a 3-D food printer for pastry chefs, professional bakers and mixologists;
• Seminars on non-GMOs, sustainable packaging, food labeling, responsive social media for restaurants and 11 more important topics;
• More than 1,500 exhibitors from the U.S.;
• Pavilions and booths representing 49 countries, including Italy, Turkey, Israel, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago and Peru ;
• The Basics—one-day workshop on fundamentals of specialty food;
• Inaugural Lifetime Achievement awards honoring pioneers in specialty food;
• News & Solution Center featuring mentoring sessions, live interviews with industry thought leaders and tastemakers on trends and new products; and
• Exhibitor donation of 200,000-plus pounds of specialty food to City Harvest at show’s end.
The trade-only event is the largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages in North America. Registration is at fancyfoodshows.com. A special pre-show attendee price is available through June 27.
