Take a Step Inside an Industry Food Show

A FOOD show!?

Sounds like a dream right?! Early last year we attended our first Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. It was the last major event held for our industry until now, and it's like a networking, research gathering, extravaganza. There are a few industry shows, this is one of the most attended. Each state is represented.

So what’s it like inside that convention center?

A food show is like walking into a grocery store except every product has its own booth ... national food manufacturers, retailers, brokers, distributors, packagers, amazing brands... (and lots of samples ). Most of these products fall within the CPG industry. Consumer Packaged Goods are relatively low-priced items that we use (or consume) routinely. Imagine a conference that you would usually attend within your respective field and think the same except the center here is specialty food and a community of people who are the backbone of supply chain. We met some of the industry's leading manufacturers from Bob's Red Mill, the Clif Bar team, to even smaller family run businesses like us (heyo!)🙋‍♀️

Who even goes to these things?

The Food Show has a host of events including workshops and live speakers. Innovators shaping the future of food. Here is who you can find at the booths of each of these food shows:

Manufacturers: groups that seal, package, ship products
Brands: the ones you'll recognize! Companies that sell their products (sometimes brands and manufacturers are the same group, sometimes not, that's a note for another day!)
Suppliers: People who source ingredients
Buyers: people who decide who gets placed on the shelf of their respective retailer
Software companies (ooo we techy!!): involved in tracking inventory and sales
Food Safety Groups: Private and government agencies in charge of regulating food safety (think FDA, USDA and all the organic certifications you see on bottle!)
Logistics: Third Party (3PL) groups that transport your food from it's manufacturing site to the retailer
Grocery Store Employees: The final and last aspect of supply chain before you pick it up from the store shelf is them placing it there

Walking through a grocery store is a testament to a strong infrastructure

So much appreciation for this: what we need most touches every aspect of supply chain before it ends up in our cabinet. Attending these food shows inspires our belief in conscious consumerism and a brand’s ability to make an impact.

Join us as we spread happiness!

We are just as motivated now as we were at our first farmers market to make a difference in this world through healthy, nutritious and tasty products. Sign up for our newsletter https://eatamericano.com/pages/newsletter