NY Int'l Fancy Food & Confection Show

New York, N.Y. -- In an economy where other trade shows are seeing drastic declines in participation and attendance, the Summer Fancy Food Show(TM.) once again expects to draw 24,000 attendees to New York City and has shown no decrease in the number of specialty food exhibitors.

Center continues to provide the largest and most diverse display of specialty foods in the U.S. More than 1,800 domestic exhibiting companies and 500 international companies, including 170 new exhibitors with products never before seen nationally, will temp retailers, chefs, restaurateurs and other specialty food buyers with more than 60,000 gourmet items, ranging from blueberry mustard from Michigan to chipotle double fudge chunk cookies from Texas, from smoked mussel salsa from Maine to dulce de leche chocolate sauce from California and margarita mix wine nuts from North Carolina. The Summer Show boasts the largest international presence of the three Fancy Food Shows, with exhibitors presenting products such as sea salts from Italy, double Devon cream butter from the U.K., sunflower honey from Bulgaria, and ready-to-drink green tea blended with Chinese white tea from Japan.

The International Wine & Spirits Pavilion, a section of the Fancy Food Show® where trade-only buyers can discover and taste distinctive vintages and brews, will make the Summer Fancy Food Show a one-stop shopping experience to stock store shelves or a restaurant wine cellar. Merlots from California, Pinotage from South Africa, Chardonnays from Australia, and beer and lemon liquors from Italy are just a few of the beverages that will interest buyers.

In addition to the tens of thousands of items to see and taste, other NASFT programs make attending the Show an educational and cost-effective experience:

Focused Tastings: A side-by-side tasting comparison of hundreds of Waters; Chocolates; and Marinades.

ChocolateTalk: An Audio-Guided Tasting that will provide attendees with the opportunity to taste premium chocolates while learning about their characteristics by using a hand-held audio-guide device from AcoustiGuide.

The Focused Exhibits: This display showcase area will feature 1,200 items in the What’s New?, Natural Foods, Gift Avenue, Foodservice Spoken Here, and Kosher Foods categories, as well as the winners and finalists of the NASFT Product Awards Competition.

The Educational Program: Five days of seminars, workshops and store tours will focus on topics pertinent to both manufacturers and buyers.

A highlight of this Show is the announcement of the Winners of the 31st Annual NASFT Product Awards Competition and the 2003 Retailer of the Year Awards. These prestigious competitions present the best specialty food products in 20 categories, and the most outstanding retailers in the specialty food industry today. Attendees will be able to view the Winners and Finalists of the Product Awards Competition at the Focused Exhibits Showcase and the Winners at the NASFT Resource Center, Booth 1420. The Winners of the Competitions will be announced at the Meet the Tastemakers Reception®, on Monday, June 30, from 5 p.m. — 6:30 p.m., a popular event where 23 renowned restaurants and 12 beverage purveyors will share their specialties.

Established in 1952, the NASFT is the only U.S. trade association representing all segments of the specialty food industry. Today, there are more than 2,400 members that produce nearly 100,000 specialty food products. For further information and to register for the Fancy Food Shows®, visit the NASFT website at www.fancyfoodshows.com.