Winter Fancy Food Show Opens in San Francisco with New Look, Sold-Out Exhibit Halls

Opening Sunday, January 19 in San Francisco, the Winter Fancy Food Show is the largest to date. Now in its 39th year, the show features a new design, sold-out exhibit halls, and positive momentum for the $86 billion specialty food industry. The show takes place Jan. 19 – 21, 2014, at Moscone Center. It covers a record 212,000 square feet of exhibit space that will be filled with more than 80,000 specialty foods and beverages from across the U.S. and 35 countries and regions. Registration remains open online throughout the show at fancyfoodshows.com and in person at Moscone Center. “The Winter Fancy Food Show is setting a confident tone for the year ahead,” says Ann Daw, president of the Specialty Food Association, the show’s owner and producer. “This year’s event has more exhibitors and products for buyers to discover than ever before.” The show’s new design brings to colorful life the Specialty Food Association’s new brand for the industry: Specialty Food. Craft. Care. Joy. The brand highlights the passionate people and distinctive products behind specialty food, show officials say. The design features bold graphics and larger-than-life portraits of association members that will be seen throughout the exhibit halls. Show events include a keynote conversation with Neil Grimmer, co-founder of Plum Organics, and Deb Nelson, executive director of the Social Venture Network. Grimmer will talk about how his passion to ensure healthy eating “from high chair to the lunch box” has helped Plum skyrocket from start-up to $93 million brand in just six years. Following Grimmer’s talk, the Specialty Food Association will present its second annual Leadership Awards honoring innovative entrepreneurs who are transforming the way the industry does business. Other show highlights include: