Specialty Food Association to Celebrate 65th Anniversary with LevelUP Experience at Summer Fancy Food Show

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May 04, 2017, 16:27 ET

NEW YORK, May 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) will celebrate 65 years at the leading edge of food with LevelUP, a new, immersive experience debuting at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City (June 25-27). LevelUP will showcase global food innovations, premier industry research, and the future of food and commerce.

"We can't think of a better way to celebrate our 65^th anniversary than to present LevelUP, an interactive journey showcasing the future of food and our industry," said Phil Kafarakis, SFA president. "We know through our research that SFA members are looking to us for an enhanced show experience – a chance to take it a LevelUP! The LevelUP show concept represents a new way of viewing what's ahead for specialty food. It's an innovative and immersive addition to our Fancy Food Show format and one that will inform, entertain, and engage our attendees."

The LevelUP experience will include:

Shaping the Future of Food for 65 Years – Follow the history of the specialty food industry and the SFA
Consumer & Category Forecasts presented by Hartman and Mintel – Learn how specialty foods will fare over the next five years
The Future Market™ presented by Future Market - Discover factors that will drive food commerce tomorrow and shop the store of the future
Taste Tomorrow – Sample leading-edge products, from seaweed pastrami to cellular milk
World Food Trends in partnership with SIAL Paris – Share in global innovations and trends new to the U.S. market
Product Picks – Preview a curated selection of on-trend products from onsite Fancy Food Show exhibitors
What's New, What's Best: 2017 sofi™ Award Winners – Celebrate this year's Gold and New Product winners
Tomorrow's Products Today: Exhibitor Locator – Create a map to find the hottest products at the show

A full lineup of speakers and programming will also run over the three days of the show. Three "Super Sessions" are planned, to be led by national-level industry thought-leaders. Shorter insight-provoking "Excite" talks will also run throughout the show. The speaker line-up will be announced soon.

"Specialty food is now a $127 billion industry. The industry's unprecedented growth will continue as we remain committed to meeting consumers' drive for integrating high-quality innovative foods into their daily lives," said Kafarakis. "The SFA is leveraging our 65 years of experience with an understanding of trends to promote phenomenal member products and growth that extends beyond traditional retail channels. You'll see that in action at LevelUP. We expect people will leave the Summer Show and LevelUP experience inspired and excited about our dynamic industry – and ready to play their part in the innovations of the future."

Additional information including how to register for the SFA's Summer Fancy Food Show can be found at specialtyfood.com. Advanced pricing options are available through May 12, 2017.

The SFA Summer Fancy Food Show is a trade-only event. For qualifications and to register, please visit specialtyfood.com.

About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs. Established in 1952 in New York, the not-for-profit trade association provides its 3,400 members in the U.S. and abroad with resources, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association owns and produces the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows, and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com.

SOURCE Specialty Food Association