The Specialty Food Association has successfully navigated the last two years-plus of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the cancellation of three Fancy Food Shows and other challenges, Bill Lynch, SFA’s president, said at the Association’s annual membership meeting on Tuesday.
“We all have a lot to be proud of, for how your membership organization navigated these difficult times,” he said. “We kicked off the year with a new strategic plan, and we demonstrated rigorous planning and financial discipline that allowed the SFA to survive the loss of the shows and increase net assets.”
Although Lynch said the Association still has a lot of work to do, it is making progress in key areas such as helping makers connect with buyers and expanding diversity and inclusion. The Association has been focused on four key strategic initiatives, he said—community, preparedness, digital, and in-person events.
“Community is really at the heart of being a part of the Specialty Food Association,” he said. “Bringing people together, whether that be in-person or through digital means, creates opportunities for doing business, education, networking, and inspiration.”
Going hand-in-hand with building community is maker preparedness, said Lynch. This involves providing tools and educational content to help makers compete for retail distribution and market share.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we have seen a large uptick in members looking for education content that will not only help them get better prepared but will also keep them a step ahead of the competition,” he said.
The Association is focused on developing educational content that makers can find useful throughout the life cycle of their companies, as well as content that is more accessible through digital platforms and more interactive, Lynch explained.
Fancy Food Shows Return
Lynch said he was encouraged by the enthusiastic member response to the return of in-person Fancy Food Shows this year, including the relocation of the Winter Fancy Food Show to Las Vegas from San Francisco. The Winter Show will remain in Las Vegas through 2024 at least, he said, in response to a member question during the meeting.
This year’s Show in Las Vegas “really kick-started things in 2022 for our industry, and that continued through the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City,” he said. “At both Shows there was just such a positive vibe through our community, and our efforts to ensure that the right buyers attended the Show paid off.”
He said the Shows would continue to evolve and that SFA would also explore new opportunities for members to engage in person.
Charlie Apt, chair of the SFA Board of Directors and president and CEO of specialty food maker Sarabeth’s, agreed that the success of the Shows heralded a bright future for the Association and the industry, despite the challenges of the pandemic.
“Despite the obstacles, the SFA has risen to the occasion,” he said. “The Association is alive and well, and strategically focused on the membership.”
New Officers, Directors Announced
Jon Pruden, CEO of the TASTE Family of Businesses, was named as the new chair of the SFA Board of Directors. Nona Lim, founder of the eponymous Asian food company Nona Lim, was named vice chair; Pierre Abushacra, president and cofounder of Firehook Bakery, was named treasurer; and Jill Giacomini Basch, co-owner and chief marketing officer, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., was named secretary.
Two new directors joined the board: Victoria Ho and Scott Jensen. Ho is cofounder and head of brand strategy and innovation at Sherpa CPG, and Jensen is cofounder and CEO at Rhythm Superfoods. Jensen will serve as a replacement director and will be up for election next year.
“We have undertaken a lot of work to make our Board more inclusive, and the Governance Committee used a rigorous process to develop the SFA’s Board of Directors,” said Laura Lozada, vice president of membership. “The SFA Board holds annual elections where general members of the Association are eligible to vote for a slate of fellow members to serve as Directors on staggered three-year terms, allowing for one-third of the Directors to be up for reconsideration each year.”
The five directors elected to a three-year term this year were Julie Busha, founder of Slawsa, along with Giacomini Basch, Lim, Pruden, and Ho.
Related: Surprising Sips, Packaging Innovations Among Show Trends Identified by SFA Trendspotters; Summer Fancy Food Show Award Winners Highlight Key Themes