The Specialty Food Association’s Specialty Food Live! virtual event begins today and runs through Friday.
During Specialty Food Live!, food makers will showcase their new and bestselling products in virtual showrooms and be available to interact with buyers. Qualified, specialty food buyers will discover the types of products they’re looking for and be matched with makers they may not have known about. The five-day event also includes makers exhibiting as part of International Pavilions.
Educational sessions kick off today at noon EST with The State of the Specialty Food Industry 2021, which will offer attendees an exclusive preview of this year’s report, coming in early June. The research includes specialty food sales data and forecasts at retail and foodservice, including analysis and commentary on the continuing impact of COVID-19 on the industry.
The 2021 sofi Products of the Year will be announced tomorrow at 10:45 a.m. This year, a second Product of the Year Award was introduced, which will recognize the highest scoring new product along with the product scoring the highest in the general categories.
Taking place tomorrow at noon is the session Buying in 2021 and Beyond: DEI, Sourcing, and Q4. It will feature a panel of retailers speaking about how they handle supply chain issues and ensure that their product mix comes from a diverse set of suppliers. Panelists include Danielle Vogel of Glen’s Garden Market, Scott Crawford of FreshDirect, and Darrell Vannoy of PCC Community Markets.
On Wednesday at noon, Mike Kostyo, senior managing editor and trendologist at Datassential, will present Foodservice Update: The Mega Trends with Mike Kostyo. At 2 p.m., Andrew Lynch of Zipline Logistics discuss How Food and Beverage Brands Can Win at Retail Fulfillment.
E-commerce experts Betsy McGinn of McGinn eComm, Rachel Saul of Chelsea & Rachel Co., and Steve Gaither of C.A. Fortune will participate in an E-Commerce Speed Round – Ask the Experts session on Thursday at noon. This session provides an informal chance for attendees to pose any e-commerce questions they may have.
The Trendspotters Take on SF Live! session will happen on Friday at noon. Trendspotters V. Sheree Williams of Cuisine Noir and Kara Nielsen of WGSN will share the patterns and trends they observe over the course of the five-day event.
The Specialty Food Association thanks Zipline Logistics, the platinum sponsor of this Specialty Food Live! virtual event.
Zipline Logistics provides logistics services for food and beverage brands.
Related: Specialty Food Live! Education Preview: Q&A with C.A. Fortune's Gaither; Americans Ready for Next-Level Comfort Foods.