Jan 20, 2013

Winter Fancy Food Show Opens in San Francisco

The 38th Winter Fancy Food Show opens today in San Francisco with sold-out exhibit halls filled with the latest in specialty foods and beverages from across the U.S. and around the world. It runs Jan. 20-22, 2013, at Moscone Center.

This year’s event features a keynote address by John Mackey, co-CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods Market, and the inaugural Leadership Awards from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc., (NASFT), the show’s owner and operator. Mackey will discuss his new book, “Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business.”

“Our show is on track to exceed last year’s record-setting event amid unprecedented interest in specialty food and the passionate artisans and entrepreneurs who bring these great products to market,” says NASFT President Ann Daw.

The Winter Fancy Food Show is the largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages on the West Coast, with 80,000 specialty foods and beverages from 35+ countries and regions. It is a must-attend event for buyers looking for new products and ideas to present to consumers for the year to come. Registration remains open throughout the show online at www.fancyfoodshows.com and in person at Moscone Center.

More than 18,000 buyers from top names in retailing and foodservice are expected to attend from industry mainstays like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, The Fresh Market and Starbucks, as well as from companies including Jet Blue Airways, Sodexo Senior Living, and the Eldorado Hotel Casino.

Among the 1,300 exhibitors are more than 365 food companies from California and 25 emerging food entrepreneurs in a special pavilion called New Brands on the Shelf. Italy, Japan and Peru are among the 14 international pavilions.

The education program began on Friday, January 18 with the Super Retailer Summit, and runs throughout the show with 15+ seminars led by industry experts that are targeted to all levels of the specialty food profession.

Other show highlights include:

Television food personalities Melissa d’Arabian, Sara Moulton and Joanne Weir in a workshop on connecting with your audience presented by Cooking Channel
A Visual Feast, an exhibit tracing the history of specialty food in America
sofi ™Awards Showcase featuring winners of NASFT’s annual food awards
What’s New, What’s Hot! Display with new products, gift ideas, natural and organic products, and the latest from participants in NASFT’s Diversity Program
Business Builders 1-to-1, a customized match-making program for buyers and suppliers.
Signature Seminar: The Basics: The Business of Specialty Foods
Exhibitor food donation to Bay Area anti-hunger programs

About the NASFT
The NASFT celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2012. It is a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 to foster commerce and interest in the specialty food industry. Today there are more than 3,075 members in the U.S. and abroad. The NASFT’s website for consumers, foodspring.com, provides an insider’s look at specialty foods and the companies, food entrepreneurs and artisans behind them. For more information on the NASFT and its Fancy Food Shows, go to specialtyfood.com.

Fancy Food Show Press Registration
The Fancy Food Show is a trade-only event. The NASFT provides press badges to qualified media. Press may register at the on-site press office, Room 122 North.

Fancy Food Show News: www.specialtyfood.com/winternews