Attendance Increases at the
51stSummer Fancy Food Show®
New York, NY (July 13, 2005) —Atthe end ofthesecond day of the 51st Summer Fancy Food Show®, held July 10 – 12 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, attendance had increased 5% over 2004, ultimately attracting an estimated 24,000 buyers over three days. “This Show is a win-win for exhibitors and for buyers,” said Jim Greenof Kettle FoodsinSalem, Ore., a first-time exhibitor. “It’s a great Show business-wise. We made a lot of new contactsand the quality of the buyers and press was excellent.”
“This is a very important Show for us,” said Jerry Turci, owner of Jerry’s Gourmet & More, a specialty food store in Englewood, N.J. “A lot of the exhibitors I spoke to said they felt Monday was an especially exciting day because of the turnout of large-scale buyers, such as Target and Costco.”
Timed to coincide with buyers’ need to look ahead to the busy holiday season, the Fancy Food Show attracted motivated retailers who were eager to sharpen their product selections with new items and flavors. TheSummer Show presented 2,300 exhibitors serving up 100,000 specialty foods and beverages. The much-awaited Meet the Tastemakers® Reception on Monday, July 11 was where hundreds of food industry colleagues gathered to enjoy signature dishes from 16 of New York’s leading restaurants, plus boutique wines and beverages. A highlight was the announcement of the Winners of the 33rd Annual NASFT Product Awards Competition and the presentation of the 2005 Outstanding Retailer Awards. These prestigious competitions present the best specialty food products in 20 categories and the most outstanding retailers in the specialty food industry today.
Alfred Zappala of All Things Sicilian, Lawrence, Mass., whichwon the Outstanding Jam, Preserve, Spread or Sweet Topping Award for its Pistachio Nut Cream, noted, “We are so proud of this award. It’s great for us and will also be a boost for Sicily. The unemployment rate there is at 22% and I think this will show other Sicilian food manufacturers that they can successfully introduce their products into the American market.”
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In addition to the tens of thousand of items to see and taste, other NASFT programs made attending the Show an informative and cost-effective experience. The Educational Program offered five days of seminars, workshops and special events and were so popular, there was a 34% increase in ticket sales. Focused Tastings offered side-by-side samplings featuring products including Dessert Sauces, Crackers, and Non-Alcoholic Beverages. Another program, Food Talk: Sauces and Seasonings of Asia…An Audio-Guided Tour, provided attendees with the opportunity to taste products from a variety of Asian countries whilelearning about their characteristics by using a hand-held audio-guide device. Meanwhile, the Focused Exhibits, a display showcase, featured 1,200 specialty food items in five popular categories.
Established in 1952, the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc. (NASFT) is the only U.S. trade association representing all segments of the specialty food industry. Today, there are 2,390 members that produce nearly 180,000 specialty food products. For further information on the Fancy Food Shows®, visit the NASFT’s website at
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nasft media contacts
ron tanner,vp, communications & education; 212.482.6440, ext. 115,
denise shoukas,communications director; 212.482.6440, ext. 251,