Italy will say “benvenuti” to attendees from the food trade at this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show, which runs June 12-14 at the Javits Center in New York City.
As the partner country for this year’s show, Italy will showcase its food and beverage vendors at 279 booths in the Italian Pavilion. The pavilion will be located on Level 3 of the Javits Center, near the 3A entrance.
“The Summer Fancy Food Show for Italian companies is the most important show in the U.S.A.,” said Donato Cinelli, president of Universal Marketing, the Specialty Food Association’s Italian agent.
On display will be Italian food and beverage products such as pasta (including fresh and frozen varieties), oils, vinegars, cheeses, cold cuts, truffles, coffee, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, ice creams and other dessert items, pickles, flour, tomatoes, and more.
Trends that visitors can look for among Italian offerings include new pastas, gourmet products such as truffles, and a focus on traditional Italian aperitifs, with cocktails made from Italian liqueurs, cheeses, and various salumi.
“There are companies that are participating for the first time, but many exhibitors have been exporting products to the U.S.A. for many years,” said Cinelli.
Many exhibiting companies from Italy will also have workstations for cooking demos and for making pizza, he said.
The Summer Fancy Food Show, normally held each year at the Javits Center, had been canceled as in in-person-event for the past two year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is a lot of excitement for the restart,” said Cinelli.
The Winter Fancy Food Show earlier this year in Las Vegas attracted about 10,000 participants, and attendance at the Summer Fancy Food Show is expected to “strongly surpass” that total, said Bill Lynch, president of the Specialty Food Association, which produces the Fancy Food Shows.
“We are excited to once again have Italy as the partner country sponsoring the Summer Fancy Food Show, which we anticipate to be a sold-out show,” he said. “The expertise of Universal Marketing assures an expansive and vibrant Italy pavilion that is always popular with attendees. The manufacturers are a big draw; from the press to buyers, people are always curious to learn the cultural stories behind the makers and their products.”
Italy was the inaugural partner country sponsor at the 2015 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, and has also been a partner country at subsequent shows. It has historically had the largest international representation at both the Summer and Winter Fancy Food Shows.
Related: Honoring the Industry's Best; SFA Partners With Food Institute on Livestream Show Coverage.