Media & Press
Media and Press
Think Locally . . . Sell Globally at the American Food Fair
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 20, 2008 – Small business is the engine that drives local economies across the U.S., however, small business has historically shied away from the worlds of international business and exporting. That’s about to change according to DeWitt Ashby, director of the 2008 American Food Fair, who is concentrating on helping small and mid-size food manufacturers reach international markets.
“There are great opportunities for small and mid-size food businesses that are willing to step outside their comfort zones and become part of the global supply chain,” explains Ashby. “We are currently in a situation where the quality and price of U.S. food products are very attractive to middle class consumers in other nations and it’s time for small and mid-size manufacturers to get in on the action.”
The 2008 American Food Fair takes place May 17 – 20 in Chicago’s McCormick Place as a special feature of the National Restaurant Association’s annual show. The Fair is sponsored by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), and represents a unique and successful partnership between state and federal governments to help small businesses expand overseas. Participating companies exhibit under their state banners and receive advice and support on exporting from their local departments of agriculture. The federal government plays a role through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), which organizes delegations of buyers to attend the Fair through its offices in U.S. Embassies around the world. This year, delegations of top-level buyers for restaurants, hotels, and institutional facilities are expected from more than 100 countries.
NASDA and FAS cultivate the buyer/seller relationship by paying particular attention to the needs of companies new to exporting and to the needs of international buyers. In particular, the International Trade Center (ITC) will be staffed with interpreters and is the perfect place to meet representatives from US Commercial Service and Foreign Agricultural Service personnel from overseas offices.
For information on attending or exhibiting at the 2008 American Food Fair, May 17 – 20 in Chicago, please contact rluca@cmgexpo.com
Headline-Worthy Products and Trends at 2008 U.S. Food Export Showcase
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 18, 2007 – The lineup of new and innovative products at the 2008 U.S. Food Export Showcase provides a barometer of today’s market forces that will keep food and business writers in headlines for months to come, according to Showcase Director DeWitt Ashby.
“In these turbulent economic times, small and mid-size businesses are determined to find a competitive edge,” explains Ashby. “The current circumstances of favorable exchange rates and exploding middle class demands in many countries give those companies a great opportunity.”
The 2008 Showcase, April 27-29 in Chicago, offers international and domestic food buyers a coast-to-coast view of “what’s cooking” across America. State departments of agriculture sponsor pavilions where local food manufacturers exhibit items in virtually every product category. This year, food manufacturers have tuned into consumers interest in maintaining a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
Royal Hawaiian Honey is touting its product as the first certified carbon neutral food. The company has off-set its carbon footprint by investing in carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation. Royal Hawaiian Honey is distributed by Tropical Traders Specialty Foods (Booth 403).
Street Smart Cuisine (Booth 807) is set on combating weight-related health problems by offering a healthy alternative to one of America’s favorite foods . . . pizza. Their Lean Lifestyle pizzas meet the nutritional guidelines of the American Heart Association and are available in Turkey Pepperoni Pizza or Low Fat Cheese Pizza.
1-2-3 Gluten Free (Booth 919) is introducing its brand-new Yummy Yellow Cake Mix, which is free of gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, corn, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, and is sugar free. Individuals can add the sweetener of their choice, which makes it suitable for consumers with various dietary concerns.
HoneyTree’s Sugar-Free All-Purpose Syrup (Booth 604) is a corn syrup substitute for individuals watching their sugar intake, including diabetics. With this product, individuals can now enjoy recipes that were once “off limits.”
For consumers interested in strengthening ‘Chi’ there is ChiBerry (Booth 915), an innovative liquid dietary supplement made from U.S.– grown organic schizandra berries. ChiBerry offers health-enhancing benefits of this ancient ‘superfruit’ in a flavorful, convenient liquid form.
Yohay Baking Co. (Booth 700) has new 100% USDA certified organic cookies including Cranberry Chocolate Chip, Lemon Dreams, and Espresso with new eye-catching packaging.
Jumbo whole cranberries have been added to the Graceland Fruit (Booth 600) infused dried product line. Graceland Fruit provides ingredients for numerous products from cereals to salads.
The culinary archeologists at Nosherei (Booth 913) have brought back the tastes of the past with their Fire Escape Eggplant. The product gets its name from the way fresh produce was flame roasted on the fire escapes of Manhattan’s Lower East Side 100 years ago. Fire Escape Eggplant is flame roasted with sweet peppers in small batches with an heirloom blend of seasonings, and can be used as a salsa or bruschetta topping.
New from BlackMustard, Inc. (Booth 104) is a dry rub with the flavors of their award-winning BlackMustard Barbecue Slather. This mustard-style barbecue sauce starts off sweet and ends with a little bit of heat, making it perfect for chicken and pork.
The U.S. Food Export Showcase is sponsored by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and will be presented under the umbrella of the Global Food & Style Expo 2008, April 27 – 29 in Chicago. For information on attending or exhibiting at the 2008 Showcase, please contact: usfes@cmgexpo.com
GLOBALIZATION DEMYSTIFIED AT 2008 U.S. FOOD EXPORT SHOWCASE
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 19, 2008 – Globalization will be thoroughly examined in numerous forums at the 2008 U.S. Food Export Showcase to help small and mid-size food manufacturers make sense of the brave new world – and exciting opportunities – unfolding before their eyes. The U.S. Food Export Showcase is part of the larger Global Food & Style Expo 2008 that takes place in McCormick Place, April 27 – 29, and caters to the massive demand for U.S. products around the world.
Kevin Coupe of the MorningNewsBeat.com will lend his unique brand of quick, concise, and slightly irreverent reporting to the Global Retailer Forum on April 28 focusing on up-to-the-minute industry trends from a global perspective. Coupe will take attendees on a multimedia world tour to examine leading retail trends and practices. In addition, Mr. Coupe will moderate a panel of industry experts who have a deep understanding of – and experience in – major markets in North America, Asia, and Europe. The panelists include Robert Neslund, former COO of Dairy Farm International, a pan-Asian retail group with over 2,200 outlets; Sharon Jeske, director of operational management programs at CIES – the Food Business Forum, the only independent global food business network; and Bobbi Goselin, senior vice-president, Daymon International, an international company specializing in the sales and marketing of private-label consumer products.
The Global Retail Forum general session promises to be insightful, lively, interactive, and a must-attend for decision-makers adapting to today’s transnational business climate.
Attendees of the 2008 Global Food & Style Expo can choose from 35 concurrent workshop sessions focusing on different aspects of the international marketplace. In particular, workshops will provide a global perspective on such timely topics as health & wellness trends, food safety issues, and the growing emphasis on sustainability.
The U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is a full partner in the annual U.S. Food Export Showcase and FAS trade experts will be on hand to help exhibitors make the most of the opportunities the Showcase offers. In addition, renowned international business consultant, John Kauke of Global Market Linkage, will be available to provide individualized strategies to promote the buyer/seller relationship. A special International Trade Center located on the exhibit floor will provide even more services to help with language translation and trade questions.
“Adaptable entrepreneurs will be empowered by the information they receive at this year’s Showcase,” said Showcase Director DeWitt Ashby. “From multimedia presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and one-on-one consultations we cover globalization and what it means to countries, companies, and individuals.”
The U.S. Food Export Showcase is sponsored by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). This year’s Showcase is co-located with two other organizations with growing global perspectives; the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) Fancy Food Show and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) All Things Organic show. All three shows will be presented under the umbrella of the Global Food & Style Expo 2008.
For information on attending or exhibiting at the 2008 U.S. Food Export Showcase April 27 – 29 in Chicago, please contact: usfes@cmgexpo.com
NEW YEAR FORECAST ENCOURAGING FOR U.S. FOOD EXPORT SHOWCASE EXHIBITORS
Release date: January 7, 2008
Exhibitors at the 2008 U.S. Food Export Showcase will find larger, more vigorous markets around the world for their products according to a 2007 end-of-year forecast by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). FAS predicts that agricultural exports--including consumer-ready foods--will reach a record-breaking $91 billion . . . good news for U.S. manufacturers pursuing international markets.
"There are great opportunities for small and mid-size food businesses that are willing to step outside their comfort zones and become part of the global supply chain," said DeWitt Ashby, director of the U.S. Food Export Showcase. "We're in a situation where the quality--and price--of U.S. food products is very attractive to middle class consumers in other nations. We have the ability to fill that need, and if we don't, our competitors will."
The 2008 all-new U.S. Food Export Showcase takes place April 27 to 29 in Chicago's McCormick Place and promises to be a beehive of international activity with thousands of top-level international food buyers eager to connect with American manufacturers. An emphasis on developing that buyer/seller relationship is what sets the 2008 Showcase apart from other food fairs and expositions. Exhibitors are supported by trade experts from various organizations including FAS, regional trade groups from across the U.S., as well as the exhibitor's own state department of agriculture. These experts provide pre-show and on-site assistance to promote successful business negotiations. A special International Trade Center is located on the exhibit floor where translators and advisors are easily accessible to help with language and trade questions.
"One of the most supportive aspects of the Showcase is that companies exhibit under the banner of their home state department of agriculture where local assistance is readily available. This is very reassuring for small- and mid-size businesses that are new to exporting," Ashby explained.
Major delegations of senior food buyers are expected from Europe, Asia, South and North America, the Middle East, and Africa and they will shop for a wide range of products from snack foods to fresh commodities.
"The number and variety of innovative products at the Showcase reflects the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels local economies across the country," said Ashby. "From the deep south to our western states, international buyers will find uniquely American food products available for export right now."
The U.S. Food Export Showcase is sponsored by NASDA. This year's Showcase is co-located with two other organizations with growing global perspectives: the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade's (NASFT) Fancy Food Show and the Organic Trade Association's (OTA) All Things Organic show. All three shows will be presented under the umbrella of the Global Food & Style Expo 2008. (Contact: Megan McDonald or DeWitt Ashby)
NASDA to Co-Locate U.S. Food Export Showcase with specialty and organic events in 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 14, 2007 – The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) officially announces that it will co-locate the U.S. Food Export Showcase (USFES) in Chicago in 2008. Together with the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.’s (NASFT®) Fancy Food Show® and the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) All Things Organic™, the co-location will create the largest display of specialty, ethnic, artisanal, natural, organic and American-made, ready-to-export food products in the U.S. The event, scheduled for April 27-29, 2008 at McCormick Place, is expected to draw large delegations of food buyers from North America and around the world.
“The partnership with NASFT and OTA will produce a world-class event that will benefit food buyers in the global retail and specialty industries,” explains NASDA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, Richard W. Kirchhoff. “With the committed support NASDA has obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the show participants will include the best America has to offer in packaged and ready-to-eat food products,” said Kirchhoff. “Chicago is an ideal location for this event.” Ann Daw, President, NASFT, added, “We are pleased to further develop our relationship with NASDA and OTA, creating a world-class event worthy of Chicago.”
The U.S. Food Export Showcase is designed to help small and mid-size food manufacturers tap into the growth potential of international markets. NASDA will work closely with its members, four affiliated state regional trade groups (Food Export Association of the Midwest, Food Export USA - Northeast, Southern US Trade Association, and the Western US Agricultural Trade Association) and FAS to offer food industry entrepreneurs an affordable way to reach food buyers from around the world.
NASDA is a non-profit association of public officials representing the commissioners, secretaries, and directors of agriculture in the 50 states and four territories of the United States of America. For more information on NASDA, visit www.nasda.org
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