NYC & COMPANY WELCOMES BACK SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW TO NEW YORK CITY FOR LARGEST SHOW IN ITS 60-YEAR HISTORY
NYC & COMPANY WELCOMES BACK SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW TO NEW YORK CITY FOR LARGEST SHOW IN ITS 60-YEAR HISTORY
— More than 38,000 Expected At Industry’s Largest Specialty Food and Beverage Trade Show from June 29 – July 1—
—Summer Fancy Food Show will Feature Taste NY Pavilion, Where 45 Purveyors From Across All Five Boroughs Will Exhibit Their Products—
New York City (June 27, 2014)– NYC & Company, the City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, and the Specialty Food Association today announced the kick-off of the 60th Summer Fancy Food Show which runs from June 29 – July 1. This year’s event is expected to be the largest ever, filling more than 369,000 square feet of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center with exhibitors from 49 countries, more than 180,000 products, and more than 38,000 attendees, exhibitors and staff members.
“We are thrilled to welcome back the Summer Fancy Food Show to New York City, where people travel from around the world to discover the newest trends and products of the culinary world,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. “Trade shows and conventions, like the Summer Fancy Food Show, are so important to New York City’s economy because they bring thousands of visitors to New York City who spend millions of dollars at our hotels, restaurants, theaters, retail stores, entertainment venues and other attractions while they are here.”
“The Specialty Food industry is thriving, and our Summer Fancy Food Show reflects that. It is the largest since we first presented the trade event in 1955,” said Ann Daw, president of the Specialty Food Association. “New York City is a great draw for our exhibitors and buyers alike from across the U.S. and around the world. The updated Javits Center is helping attract exhibitors, in addition to their interest in experiencing New York’s food scene and attractions.”
"The Javits Center is proud to welcome the Summer Fancy Food Show, one of our largest events of the year," said Alan Steel, president and CEO of the New York Convention Center Operating Corporation, which operates the Javits Center. "The Summer Fancy Food Show generates a tremendous amount of economic activity for NYC, and we are excited that the show's exhibitors and attendees will experience our newly renovated facility, which includes a new glass facade, new flooring, lighting and mechanical systems and a state-of-the-art WiFi system. The Javits Center looks and operates better than ever -- and the Summer Fancy Food Show is the perfect event to showcase all of what NYC has to offer."
The 60th Summer Fancy Food Show is expected to bring 38,000 visitors to the City, generating an estimated 18,000 total hotel room nights and providing approximately $35 million in direct spending to New York City’s economy, according to the Specialty Food Association. The trade-only event is the largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages in North America.
The Summer Fancy Food Show shapes the hottest trends in specialty foods and beverages from the U.S. and around the globe. In addition to 1,500 U.S. exhibitors selling the finest products from blue cheese from Oregon to spicy chocolate from Tennessee, there will be international pavilions from countries around the world, including Italy, Turkey, Israel, Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago and Peru.
Highlights of the 2014 Summer Fancy Food Show include:
Taste NY Pavilion, highlighting the tremendous products of New York’s culinary industry.
The launch of the Specialty Food Foundation.
Demonstration of the first-ever 3-D food printer for pastry chefs, professional bakers and mixologists.
Exhibitor donation of specialty food to City Harvest at show’s end.
The 42nd annual sofi™ Awards will also be hosted during the trade show by internationally-acclaimed Chef Dominique Ansel, who will deliver a keynote speech on innovation and announce the award winners. Ansel is best known as the creator of the treat sensation, the Cronut®, a croissant-donut hybrid. He was named one of Business Insider’s “Most Innovative People Under 40” in 2013 and has been a James Beard Award finalist for “Outstanding Pastry Chef” in 2013 and 2014.
Ansel is donating his speaking fee to City Harvest, the Summer Fancy Food Show’s longtime charity of choice, and one of New York’s leading anti-hunger organizations. At the end of the show, exhibitors will donate six tractor trailers full of chocolate, cheese, produce and more to City Harvest to help feed New Yorkers in need.
For the Summer Fancy Food Show, NYC & Company coordinated with its members to provide discounts on parking, restaurants, entertainment, and tours for Fancy Food attendees. In addition, the organization will provide NYC Visitors Guides for all exhibitors and will manage a welcome desk for Fancy Food delegates at the Javits Center.
The Summer Fancy Food Show is open to members of the specialty food trade and pre-registered journalists covering the event, but is not open to the general public. The Specialty Food Association provides complimentary press badges to qualified media. For more information visit the show’s website at fancyfoodshows.com.
About NYC & Company
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs who bring craft, care and joy to the distinctive foods they produce. Established in 1952 in New York, the not-for-profit trade association provides its 3,000 members in the U.S. and abroad the tools, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association (formerly the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.) owns and produces the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows, and presents the sofi Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com.
About Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York
Known as the “Marketplace for the World,” the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York was designed by I.M. Pei & Partners and opened in 1986. The iconic facility has since become New York City’s primary venue for large conventions, trade shows and special events and serves as home to many of the world’s top 250 trade shows, hosting millions of visitors a year. L These large-scale events generate up to $1.5 billion in annual economic activity for New York City and New York State, supporting as many as 14,000 jobs in and around the facility. Located on 11th Avenue between 34th and 40th sts., the Javits Center has 840,000 square feet of total exhibition space, 102 meeting rooms and four banquet halls, as well as a range of telecommunications services, including WiFi access. For more information, visit www.javitscenter.com.
About City Harvest
Serving New York City for more than 30 years, City Harvest is the world's first food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the city’s hungry men, women and children. This year, City Harvest will collect 46 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to more than 500 community food programs throughout New York City by a fleet of trucks and bikes. City Harvest helps feed the nearly two million New Yorkers who face hunger each year. cityharvest.org.
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Specialty Food Association / Louise Kramer 646-878-0130
NYC and Company / Chris Heywood 212-484-1270
NYC and Company / Britt Hijkoop 212-484-1270