admin Continuing its support for members throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) has released a schedule adjustment for its 2022 Winter Fancy Food Show in response to member feedback.
What is the Specialty Food Association?
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) is the leading trade association and source of information about the $170.4 billion specialty food industry. Founded in 1952 in New York City, the SFA represents manufacturers, importers, retailers, distributors, brokers, and others in the trade. The SFA is known for its Fancy Food Shows; the sofi™ Awards, which honor excellence in specialty food and beverage; the Trendspotter Panel Show reports and annual predictions; the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report and Today’s Specialty Food Consumer research; the new ecommerce enabled SFA Product Marketplace, where members showcase products, tell their brand story, field meeting inquiries, and sell directly to qualified buyers; SFA Feed, the daily source for news, trends and new product information in the specialty food industry, and Spill & Dish: A Specialty Food Association Podcast.
Open only to the trade, the 2022 Winter Fancy Food Show is traditionally the largest West Coast B2B-only specialty food and beverage show. The SFA is working with Las Vegas to ensure that all show safety protocols meet the needs of the specialty food community. Safety protocols include proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID test (within 72 hours) from all attendees; mandatory masking (mandated by the State of Nevada, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear a mask in public indoor settings).
Details on the Adjustment
The Show, operating under SAFFE (Safe at Fancy Food Events) protocols, will continue to run February 6th-8th at the GBAC-certified Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Based on member feedback, hours have been shortened to 10 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Tuesday. Sampling of specialty food and beverages from domestic and international exhibitors, and educational programming, will still be featured.
“The SFA understands the excitement and the challenges of participating in the Winter Fancy Food Show during a pandemic,” said Bill Lynch, president of the SFA. “We are happy to be responsive to member input and can’t wait to safely gather with them in Las Vegas.”
The Show will feature the following:
- Hot trends from the SFA Trendspotter Panel 2022 Predictions
- Startup Pavilion – up and coming makers
- Incubator Village – incubators from around the country
- Category-focused pavilions including SFA partner American Cheese Society; chocolate; plant based
- International Pavilions – Spain, Greece, Singapore, Poland, Japan, Italy, Indonesia, France, Canada, Brazil, Morocco, India
- State pavilions – California, Minnesota, Mississippi, Virginia,
- sofi™ Awards winners from 2020 and 2021 (specialty outstanding food innovation Awards)
- Education programming including a free chocolate trends session with the Fine Chocolate Industry Association
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