59th annual NASFT show, NYC, June 30-July 2
This year’s NASFT aka Fancy Food Show in NYC is major!
180,000 food products from over 50 countries will be on display in this 3-day event at the new Jacob Javits Convention Center, a multi-plex of over 300,000 sq’ housing 2500 exhibitors, 1500 of which are U.S. based.
A sidebar of the show is the so-called sofi awards. 32 food product categories will be entered in this year’s program. Marcus Samuelsson, noted chef and restaurateur of Harlem favorite, the Red Rooster, will host the program, Monday, July 1 at 5 p.m.
Italy is again the 2nd largest exhibitor with over 260 booths followed by China with more than 150. And there are 200 first time exhibitors. They can register for the My Story New York Ad Contest for some needed recognition during the show.
The 3-day event includes a number of burgeoning categories, i.e.,Organic, Vegetarian, Kosher, Gluten free and Sugar free.
Leading markets again include Candy and Confectionary products, and Beverages, including Wine and Liquor products which have become so popular of late. Oil products from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the U.S are once again dominating the show. They’re literally everywhere. So too a battery of new food products like Quinoa have taken root. And you’ll find a plethora of products with Frozen, Fresh Frozen, and Fresh labels throughout the show. There’s also plenty to choose from the Organic and Farm Grown producers, too. Even Baby Foods have a place here.
Are Americans eating better? You be the judge. Latest data from the the NASFT suggests a 14% overall increase by shoppers in 2012 according to Mike Silver, Chairman of the organization. According to Ann Daw, the president, this segment of the food industry has truly exploded in the last few years. Witness the more than 1200 who are expected to attend the show’s educational workshops during the 3-day run of the show.
For more info on the 2013 Specialty Food Association show go to: fancyfoodshows.com. The hash tag is: SFFS#13.
The show hours are 10-5 pm Sunday and Monday and 10-4 pm on Tuesday, the last day of the show. In 2014 the show goes to San Francisco, January 19-21 and back to NYC, June 29-July 1. For more up-to-date information on the news in the fancy food industry try also the association’s own publication, Specialty Food Magazine or specialtyfood.com. It’s a good read.
