55th Summer Fancy Food Show Underway in Big Apple

The 55th Summer Fancy Food Show, which runs through tomorrow, launched yesterday in New York. Filling 316,000 square feet of the Javits Center with 2,300 exhibitors from over 70 countries, the event features specialty cheeses, olive oil, spices, teas, chocolate and ethnic specialties. Over 600 companies are displaying natural and organic items, and the “What’s New, What’s Hot!” showcase feature 1,000 offerings. Additionally, winners of this the sofi™ Gold Awards will be revealed at the event on June 29, including Outstanding New Product of 2009 and Outstanding Classic. Celebrity chef Ming Tsai is hosting.

“New York City is the food capital of the world, and there could be no better place to host the Fancy Food Show,” said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. “New York City is not only a leading destination for leisure travel, but also is a draw for domestic and international conventions and trade shows.”

The trade show brings 36,000 visitors to the city, generating an estimated 20,000 total hotel room nights and providing $32.4 million in direct spending to New York’s economy, according to the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT).

“New York has been home to our show, and our trade association, for more than half a century,” noted NASFT president Ann Daw. “The city is a fabulous draw to exhibitors and buyers from across the country and around the world. No place else provides such a thriving marketplace for the creativity and innovation at the heart of the specialty food industry.”

For the 20th year, the Summer Fancy Food Show has joined forces with anti-hunger organization City Harvest to continue the tradition of donating food and beverages from the show. This year, the show expects to donate about 100,000 pounds of specialty foods to the charity. The donations will fill four tractor-trailers and be distributed by over 300 volunteers.

The Summer Fancy Food Show attracts buyers from food stores and supermarkets around the globe.
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