Posts filed under 'Industry News'
I’m registered to attend the Fancy Food Show in San Diego. I’ve received regular reminders from the show organizers about show events. I just received a planning guide that I think would be helpful to anyone attending this show or other trade shows.
See below for a copy of the email that I received. I like that it covers “things to do” before and during the show. It would be simple to adapt this list to cover events at other shows.
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January 13–15, 2008 |
The Winter Fancy Food Show
is Almost Here!
Use this checklist with final tips to get the most out of this record-breaking Show.
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Before you leave:
At the Show:
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Start at What’s New, What’s Hot! onsite in the 5300 aisle—the only area organized by category (What’s New?, Natural & Organic Foods, Gift & Holiday). sofi™ award Winners/Finalists and Focus on Diversity will also be displayed here.
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Don’t miss the Natural & Organic Pavilion with natural/organic food and beverages products from 250+ exhibitors starting in Aisle 4700.
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Cook-Off Corner—be inspired and entertained in this competition area spanning the 500–700 aisles. Events sponsored by American Culinary Federation and National Pork Board.
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Buy Educational Program and Meet the Tastemakers® tickets at any registration counter, or buy online before January 11 to save!
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Look out for electronic Product Locators to organize and print a personal shopping list.
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Getting to the Show
and around San Diego:
See you in San Diego!
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I would also recommend some things to do after the show:
- Organize all of the business cards and price lists you collected.
- Make notes about those vendors with whom you want to follow-up.
- Show the brochures that you collected to your employees. Point out the products you like and ask for their opinions.
- File all of your information for future reference. Since you probably have brochures from companies that you’ve never done business with, file by product categories: cookies, chocolates, beverages, etc. Six months later you may remember that you saw some really cute tea sachets, but if you’re like me, you won’t remember the name of vendor. By filing by category, you’ll be able to retrieve the information you want.
January 9th, 2008
Gourmet Retailer Magazine has launched a new Events Calendar that will keep you informed of industry happenings. “This new technology allows users to download calendar information into their own calendar system and even plan email reminders for events of interest”.
While you’re on the Gourmet Retailer Magazine web site, check out the Sales Support Materials Guide. This reference includes “vendors, contact information and a list of some of the support materials these companies have created to help you better promote their products”. Even if your favorite vendors are not included on this list, this is a terrific reminder that your suppliers can provide a wealth of information to help you sell their products. These days, many of your suppliers have web sites that you can reference. If not, give them a call. They’ll be anxious to help you sell their products.
January 1st, 2008
You still have time to register for the 33rd Winter Fancy Food Show. The show will be held Sunday, January 13 through Tuesday, January 15 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Here are some of the show highlights:
- 1,100 domestic exhibitors
- the debut of the Natural & Organic Pavilion, with nearly 200 exhibitors
- 17 seminars, workshops and special events
- 80,00 of the finest foods in the world!
Go to the NASFT web site for more facts about the show as well as registration and hotel information. While you’re on the NASFT web site, be sure to check out the list of Exhibitors that you’ll see at the show as well as “What’s New, What’s Hot”, a list of the newest products that will be featured at the show.
December 13th, 2007
If you don’t already have an on-line store to sell your gift baskets this holiday season, think seriously about building your store to be ready for Holidays, 2008. “Cyber Monday, the Monday immediately following Black Friday and the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season, saw $733 million in online spending, representing a 21 percent increase vs. last year and an 84 percent jump from the average daily online spending totals during the preceding four weeks.” Full Story
Last Spring, I posted an entry on this blog about creating an on-line store. Included are resources to help you get started. Set some time aside every week to learn how you might proceed.
Browse the web and look at other gift basket stores to help you identify “the look” you want. Take some time to navigate through your favorite stores and think about what makes shopping on that site easy or difficult. Talk to others who have on-line stores and ask for their recommendations and suggestions about what you might include in your store.
Building a beautiful on-line store does not automatically guarantee that you’ll sell your products through the web site. You will also need to learn how customers will find you on the web (search engine optimization). You’ll find many books in your local bookstore to help you understand this concept.
Unless you’re a computer wizard, I’d suggest talking to several web site designers to find out how they might help you. Get a written quote from each designer that lists exactly what they will do and what features the web site will include. Compare these quotes carefully and show them to someone else who already has a web site to find out if the work to be done and charges are competitive.
It’s a big job to build a web site. But don’t despair! Get some books, talk to others, and formulate a plan. Then just do one step at time! If you learn what you can and take advantage of resources available to you, you can create a successful on-line store.
November 29th, 2007
Apex Gift Foods has remodeled the web site! Many new features will make shopping easier for you.
Find what you want more quickly!
See suggestions for other products you might like!
Faster, more streamlined check-out! All information is on one page!
Featured Products: See what other customers are buying!
Easy shipment tracking!
Keep up with the trends: Connect to our blog from every page!
Three days only: October 16, 17, 18, 2007.
Save 15% when you make a purchase on the
new web site!
Write APEX15 in the coupon code on the new order form.
October 15th, 2007
Crispy Greens, a manufacturer of a new style of freeze dried fruit was a winner in the Outstanding Snacks category at the Fancy Food Show held earlier this year in Chicago.
Apex Gift Foods now has these fabulous snacks in three popular fruits: peaches, apricots, and apples. Attractively packaged in silver mylar bags, with colorful fruits displayed on the bag, these healthy snacks are now on sale!
These dried fruits are very different from other fruit products you may have tried. The manufacturer uses a “sophisticated freeze-drying process where water is removed from the fresh fruit in a cold (freezing) vacuum condition, leaving behind the true essence of the fruit in a light and crispy texture.” Be sure to check out these new items at Apex!
September 5th, 2007
Are you planning to attend the Fancy Food Show this summer in New York City? I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: It’s critical that we stay up to date on what’s happening in our industry. You’ll get to see and taste the newest products and find out about the hottest trends. If you can afford the travel costs and can make arrangements to be away from your business, make it a point to attend at one trade show each year!
As usual, a variety of educational seminars will be offered during the show. Of special interest to me is the class entitled “Ten Steps to Increase Web Sales and Profits”. Topics covered will include email marketing (how to get sales and develop customer loyalty), search engine marketing (how to get your business name listed near the top of the page when a customer does a computer search for gift basket businesses), plus some basics of inventory management and financial planning to improve profits.
If you’re thinking about attending, check out the Registration Information. You can register on-line or by phone. Also, see my blog posting: How to Make the Most of Your Time at Trade Shows.
If you can’t attend, make sure you keep checking the NASFT web site: Specialty Food.com. Before the show starts, you will find many articles and features highlighting new products that will be displayed at the show. After the show, there will be more information about new trends, popular items, summaries of seminars and more.
June 19th, 2007
May is National Barbecue Month. Go to the official web site of the National Barbecue Association for information about the history of barbecue, recipes, accessories and anything and everything you might want to know about barbecue!
In the meantime, design a Barbecue gift basket. Include chips, salsa, meats, cheeses, mustards: all the stuff your customers will want for their backyard barbecues. Check out your local Dollar Store and add barbecue mitts or grill accessories to your basket. Make copies of a few great barbecue recipes and include those in your basket. With Memorial Day coming up at the end of the month, add a red, white and blue bow to your basket and celebrate two holidays at once.
Please share your ideas for Barbecue Gift Baskets. Have fun with your basket creations!
April 23rd, 2007
Go to the NASFT Fancy Food web site for information about the upcoming trade show in Chicago, Illinois, May 6th - 8th as well as information about other Fancy Foods shows later in the year. Some highlights about these shows:
- Those who attend the shows are from a variety of types of businesses: specialty food, wine, gift and department stores, supermarkets, restaurants, mail-order and gift basket businesses.
- More than 1,800 exhibitors from around the world, present more than 150,000 specialty foods.
- In one place at one time, you can discover new lines and items to add to your product selection. Many of the exhibitors are entrepreneurs who developed the recipes for their products and started the company, so you can learn about the products and do business with decision-makers.
- Focused exhibits offer you a targeted area where you can find products that appeal to a certain segment of your business. Categories include: What’s New?, Gift Avenue, Natural & Organic Foods, & Kosher Foods.
- Seminars & Workshops. The NASFT presents up to a dozen seminars, four workshops and several events at each Fancy Food Show. One seminar at the Chicago show will be of special interest to gift basket businesses: “Profiting from Gift Basket Sales Year Round”. See the full list of seminars.
If you can’t attend the shows, go to the Focused Exhibits Showcase on the NASFT web site. You’ll be introduced to hundreds of new products that will be featured at the show. Links are provided to each company’s web site, so you can learn about “what’s new” right from your office!
April 4th, 2007
Salami has gone gourmet! According to an article in the Atlantic Journal Constitution, smoked meats are gaining in popularity in the most upscale restaurants and specialty food stores. Read the full story about how salamis and sausages are dried and cured, as well as information about the most popular dried meats that you might find in the market place. If you really want to learn more, go to the American Association of Meat Processors for information on food safety, regulations and more.
In the meantime, think about using salami and sausages in your gift baskets. Paired with crackers and cheeses, these are great for picnic baskets. Add a jar of mustard, along with some chips and your customers will have a full meal in their gourmet gift baskets. Keep these products in mind for Father’s Day baskets too!
March 28th, 2007
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