SFA Cancels Winter Fancy Food Show

In an email today the Specialty Food Association announced the cancellation of the organization’s 2021 Winter Fancy Food Show, which was to be held in San Francisco on January 17-19. The annual trade show and conference highlights food and beverage producers targeting the specialty food channel.

Those brands who had already purchased exhibition space can apply via the SFA website to receive a credit or refund

The SFA cited both the current closure of the Moscone Center, which is where the show was to be held, as well as “the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing travel restrictions, and the general safety of all participants” as reasons for the cancellation. The show pulls from a global audience: last year the Winter Fancy Food show had over 1,400 companies exhibiting from over 30 countries.

Earlier this year the organization was forced to cancel its summer Fancy Food Show, which was to be held in New York City, replacing it with Specialty Food Live!, an online “virtual marketplace” and networking event that ran earlier this month. The SFA said that over 11,000 “connections” were made at the virtual show between buyers and specialty food producers. Following this model, in place of the January trade show, the Association also announced it will hold the second iteration of Specialty Food Live! from January 19-22, 2021.

The next opportunity for an in person SFA event will be the 2021 Summer Fancy Food Show, which would typically be held in June in New York City, However, the SFA’s website does not yet contain any details about the tradeshow.