2002 Spring Fancy Food Show & FMI Show Preview

It's, as they say, showtime! And what a showtime it will be as gourmet retailers and supermarketers comingle at the first annual colocated Food Marketing Institute and NASFT event. The 4th Spring/Midwest Fancy Food Show and the FMI Show (25th Annual Supermarket Industry Convention & Educational Exposition) will occur simultaneously at Chicago's McCormick Place from Sunday, May 5 through Tuesday, May 7, 2002.

Though each show will operate independently, an elevated pedestrian overpass will make both easily accessible to attendees. On Tuesday, May 7, 2002, exhibitors and attendees of both shows who are wearing their badges will be allowed to "cross-over"; however, the badges will not be valid for entry to educational programs.

Changing Channels

Both NASFT and FMI believe it will be beneficial to capitalize on the success of their individual shows — serving two different, yet complementary industry segments — by "colocating."

Ron Tanner, NASFT communications & education vice president, said Fancy Food Show attendees will reap twofold benefits from the colocation.

"There is a tremendous amount of equipment and technology at the FMI Show. Retailers who are interested in scanners or energy-efficient equipment will have access to FMI exhibitors," Tanner explained. "FMI also has the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). Similar to our state pavilions, this includes many interesting companies. I believe our attendees will discover new products there, as well as at the Fancy Food Show pavilions."

NASDA's offering of a redesigned area for this show will provide food buyers with greater access to the expected 350 exhibitors. For the first time, every state member will be represented in a state pavilion.

The FMI Show attracts 30,000 attendees, including 6,000 international guests and 1,500 exhibitors covering 1.3 million square feet. Tanner said the colocation will also benefit exhibitors as they will gain exposure to additional supermarket buyers, as well as international buyers.

"This will help our members who are trying to increase exports," he said.

Both NASFT and FMI show organizers are excited to offer their exhibitors and attendees access to each other's distinct and substantial attendee bases. FMI hopes to attract specialty/gourmet food buyers to its exhibits, especially to state pavilions and equipment suppliers, while NASFT hopes to attract more supermarket buyers, especially from independent supermarkets where specialty foods play an ever-increasing role.

Fancy Food

The concurrent shows will cover every retail food distribution channel from mass to specialty, to grocery. The Spring Fancy Food Show, held in the Lakeside Center, will bring the largest display of specialty foods to the Midwest, as well as the successful International Wine & Spirits Pavilion.

A business-building part of this show, the International Wine & Spirits Pavilion provides a location where trade-only buyers can discover and taste distinctive vintages and brews.

More than 800 companies will be exhibiting at Fancy Food — which will include 10 international and state pavilions and 110 new exhibitors. Products will run the gamut — cheddar cheese from Wisconsin, Cajun-style duck fillets from Indiana, roasted garlic potato soup from Minnesota, white truffle honey from San Francisco, wild organic red rice from Tuscany, and soup mixes from Vietnam will tempt buyers from all over the country.

FMI Technology

In addition to the new colocation, FMI will offer an innovative SuperTechMart pavilion that focuses on the next generation of product identification technology. More sophisticated than the universal product code (UPC), the electronic product code (EPC) uses microchips embedded in the packaging to track individual products through the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the consumer's kitchen, and on to the recycling bin.

Educational Venues

Both the FMI and NASFT Shows will offer attendees educational seminars and events. The shows' colocation will not only gather an inordinate amount of product under one roof, but will also foster an wonderful atmosphere for learning.

NASFT seminars will focus on business operations, including gift basket trends, differentiating your store, effective foodservice cost control, and marketing. Specialty tours will include Hot Diggity Dog: Chicago's Legendary Hot Dog Joints and Food and Wine Sellers of Chicago. The specialty food store tour will include: Trotter's To Go, Fox & Obel, Binny's, and Sam's Wine & Spirits-Marcey St. Market.

"Our seminars are geared toward improving how businesses operate," Tanner said. "Chicago has always been a great seminar location for us. Many of the attendees there are newer to the specialty business than they are in New York or San Francisco and they come to the seminars ready to learn."

Another program designed to keep retailers focused is the NASFT Buyers' Circle Business Library, which was introduced at last year's show. One of the most celebrated events is the NASFT and James Beard Foundation Meet the Tastemakers Reception scheduled for Monday, May 6 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Hundreds of retailers, journalists, food world notables, specialty food purveyors, and others will partake in signature dishes from leading Chicago restaurants, plus boutique wines from a dozen wineries, while experiencing the presentation of the NASFT Product Awards honoring outstanding specialty foods.

The FMI educational program is independent of the Fancy Food Show seminars, but will offer some interesting hands-on sessions and industry reports. The program will both kick off and close with signature Supermarket Industry SPEAKS presentations on Sunday morning and Tuesday afternoon. Both sessions will address the state of the industry with the newest research on consumer and food retailing trends.

Category Close-ups, a series of category-specific workshops held on the exhibit floor, will return for a second year. Focusing on contemporary, category-specific food retailing issues, the sessions are intended for smaller groups. 2002 topics include New Products, The Hispanic Shopper, Buyer-Seller Collaboration, Store Design, Organic and Natural Foods, Customer Service, and Raising Growth Capital for Small Operators.

Learning Labs, a new addition to the program, will consist of a three-hour multipart presentation combined with a guided tour of the exhibit floor. Preregistration is required. Subjects to be covered include Perishables Marketing, Branding the Supermarket, Loyalty Marketing, and Executing the Basics at Store Level.

For further information on the Fancy Food Shows, call 212-482-6440 or visit the NASFT Web site at www.fancyfoodshows.com. FMI convention services can be reached at 800-890-7469 or online at www.fmishow.org.





NASFT Educational Programs



Friday, May 3, 2002

"NAVIGATING THE DISTRIBUTION MAZE: A Practical Approach to Success in Each Channel"

9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Jay Rosengarten will illustrate an approach for profitable growth in several important distribution channels.



"FACT-BASED SELLING: Using Real Data and Information to Sell Your Brand"

9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Northwestern University Professor Eric Sorenson will show you which tactics are most effective for selling your brand.



"THE BASICS: The Business of Specialty Foods"

10:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

NASFT's John Roberts will lead a fast-paced session designed to secure a foundation in the specialty foods industry.



Saturday, May 4, 2002

"PROFITABLE FOOD PRODUCTION: Operational Strategies for Increasing Prepared Food Sales"

10:00 a.m.—1:00 p.m.

Steven Rosen of Steven ROSEN Enterprises will explain useful tools and techniques for boosting the productivity and profitability of your prepared foods.



"HOW TO WHIP YOUR COPY INTO SHAPE: Principles of Pinpointing Your Message"

2:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m.

MediaMentor's Bonnie Tandy Leblang will provide instruction on everything from press releases to point-of-purchase materials, from newsletters to cover letters, all aimed at helping you get your point across.



"GETTING STARTED IN THE SPECIALTY FOOD BUSINESS: Taking Your Products to the Retail Level"

10:00 a.m.—Noon

Covering the essential business topics, this session will be of value to anyone interested in specialty foods.



Sunday, May 5, 2002

"GIFT BASKETS: Top 10 Trends and Opportunities For Gift Basket and Gourmet Gift Sales"

8:00 a.m.—Noon

Festivities Publications' Debra Paulk will focus on where to direct your marketing energies in the gift basket, corporate gift, and gourmet gift markets.



"GROWING PROFITS WITH PRODUCE"

1:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m.

A recent study indicated that more than half of consumers spend over 20% of food dollars on fruit and vegetables. How can you maximize your share?



"DISCOVERING ACETO BALSAMICO: A Comparative Tasting of Balsamic Vinegar"

4:00 p.m.—6:00 p.m.

Betty Pustarfi of Strictly Olive Oil will impart information beyond the basics of balsamic.



Monday, May 6, 2002

"DIFFERENTIATING YOUR STORE: Secrets on Standing Out From Four Innovative Retailers"

8:00 a.m.—10:00 a.m.

Innovative retailers will discuss how they separate themselves from the pack with store concept, product selection, customer focus, merchandising, and in-store environment.



"EFFECTIVE FOODSERVICE COST CONTROL"

8:00 a.m.—10:00 a.m.

CIA's Mark Westfield will provide insights into the challenging element of managing foodservice expenses, focusing on key cost control issues such as labor, menu pricing, equipment, inventory, and purchasing.



"TASTING AMERICAN TRADITION: Preserving the Midwest Harvest"

8:00 a.m.—10:00 a.m.

The tradition of making preserves, confits, jams, jellies, and relishes are being rediscovered. Moderated by Patrick Martins of Slow Food USA, this tasting seminar will explore the various methods of preserving fruits and vegetables.



Tuesday, May 7, 2002

"CONSUMER INSIGHTS: Identifying and Leveraging Emerging Trends"

8:00 a.m.—10:00 a.m.

Discover the issues, forecasts, and implications of the key consumer and market developments that are shaping today's specialty food industry.