The 70th Annual Summer Fancy Food Show Gathers 32,000 Industry Professionals, including 2,529 Exhibitors from 57 Countries Representing the Best of Specialty Food and Beverage

The Specialty Food Association's marquee event saw an 8% growth in buyers over 2025 as the industry came together for three days of connection and community

NEW YORK, July 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) gathered more than 32,000 manufacturers, buyers, distributors, press, and industry professionals at the 70th Summer Fancy Food Show, which ran June 28-30 in New York City at the Javits Center. Not only did the Show expand to more than 345,000 square feet of floor space, the largest footprint in six years, but it also drew more than 9,100 registered buyers, an 8% increase over 2025.

At an exciting moment when specialty food and beverage products continue to grow in relevance, retail space, and foodservice applications, 2,529 domestic and global specialty manufacturers showcased a full spectrum of innovative and inspired products that represent the best of the best in the industry. The line-up of exhibitors included more than 700 product debuts and 421 new exhibitors, the most since 2019.

Additionally, the show welcomed nearly 14,000 registered attendees, including buyers, foodservice professionals, distributors, investors, and press, making for an energetic and impactful three days full of new connections and growth opportunities for exhibitors.

Inspired by the dynamic food and retail trends happening across the industry, SFA unveiled new pavilions and activations to provide enhanced product discovery opportunities around every corner. At the Fancy Bodega, powered by WISEcode, attendees browsed their way through an experience inspired by New York City food culture to discover new products in an immersive retail environment. In the sold-out Spark Pavilion, more than 50 emerging manufacturers and first-time exhibitors brought fresh perspectives and exciting product debuts to the Show floor.

"The Summer Fancy Food Show is the biggest moment of the year for the Specialty Food Association, and this year's Show was truly bursting at the seams with innovation around every corner," said Bill Lynch, President of SFA. "As the specialty food industry continues to expand in response to consumer demand, we're so proud to bring together the passionate food and beverage manufacturers to share their products, tell their stories, and make crucial connections with buyers, distributors, foodservice members, and press to drive their businesses forward."

Highlights from the Show include: 

• Specialty food and beverage products from 2,529 exhibitors, including more than 700 new products and 421 first-time exhibitors.
  
  
• Exhibitors from 57 countries and six continents, with 31 international pavilions, a 29% increase over 2025. The Show also spotlighted the Saudi Dates pavilion from the Show's partner country, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and their National Center for Palms and Dates.
  
  
• The sold-out Spark Pavilion, curated by SFA, featured more than 50 first-time exhibitors, incubators, and accelerator brands showcasing fresh innovations.
  
  
• The Good Food Mercantile, co-located within the Summer Fancy Food Show for the first time, highlighted 77 makers whose products share a commitment to great taste, quality ingredients, and sustainability.
  
  
• State and Regional Pavilions including New York, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, SUSTA, Vermont, and new pavilions Indiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
  
  
• More than 20 informative and inspiring sessions from notable industry experts and thought leaders, including a keynote address from Chef Marcus Samuelsson about the changing patterns in how we eat and how the U.S. continues to find new, exciting intersections of food, culture, and flavor, all in service of bringing joy through food. Other topics included shifting retail trends, DTC strategy, AI optimization in the food industry, securing the appropriate funding for your brand, how to harness the right consumer trends for CPG brands, and an insider look at how Walmart is supporting emerging brands to drive growth.
  
  
• The Fancy Face-Off, a pitch competition that invited four founders to tell their stories and showcase their products in front of a panel of influential judges. 50 Hertz Tingly Foods took home the grand prize of $10,000 in the live competition.
  
  
• SFA's annual People Awards Ceremony, hosted by legendary food writer and convener Dana Cowin, spotlighting the past, present, and future of the specialty food industry. In addition to honoring industry trailblazers through Leadership Awards, Hall of Fame inductions, and Lifetime Achievement awards, SFA also recognized the newest cohort of Maker Prep graduates.
  
  
• Food Rescue and Donation. SFA operates an Exhibitor Food Donation Program in partnership with City Harvest to ensure that unused food is provided to New Yorkers in need. This year, more than 70,000 pounds on 98 pallets of specialty food were donated by SFA members.

Observations from the Summer Fancy Food Show participants reinforce the Show as a must-attend in the industry: 

"What a week. Six events. Countless buyer and investor meetings. So many incredible conversations with founders, retailers, and partners. We're leaving inspired, energized, and more excited than ever for what's ahead." -- Liana Krasnow, Noodoo

"It's always energizing to see how innovation, consumer insights, and culinary creativity come together to shape what's next in food. Looking forward to bringing these ideas back to Aramark's guests & clients with future innovation!" -- Janette Bohensky, Aramark

"The last three days have been amazing. We've had a lot of good leads, met some amazing retailers and distributors, and tons of good contacts. One of the biggest benefits for me is to connect with other founders and learn from them." -- Roger Velasquez, The Purple Drop

"The show has been very good for us. We are meeting new customers and getting good leads. SFA helps make the connections between the retailers, distributors, and manufacturers, so you don't have to navigate all these people yourself. It's easier when the right people come to you." -- Ricardo Gutierrez, Hoard's Dairymen

"Fancy Food Show 2026 was my favorite of all time in 30 years! The key: combining friends, family, co-workers and experiences into the blender that is FFS-NYC, and then just allowing an amazing experience to happen! I want to honor the Specialty Food Association for recreating the show into an extremely relevant and valuable experience for brands, retailers and service providers." -- Luke Abbott, V Driven Consulting

SFA will hold its next trade show - Winter FancyFaire* - in one of the world's great food cities: San Francisco, January 17-19, 2027. Proud to hold the first trade show of the new year for the specialty food and beverage community, SFA will also unveil its 2027 Trend of the Year live at Winter FancyFaire*. Learn more here.

About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $219-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 4,800 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by producing events, programs, and year-round resources and education. SFA owns and operates the Summer Fancy Food Show, Winter FancyFaire*, and the sofi™ Awards, which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. SFA also oversees the Good Food Mercantile, Good Food Qualification, and Good Food Awards, celebrating tasty, authentic, responsibly crafted food and the people behind it. Find out more at Specialtyfood.com, and connect with SFA on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

SOURCE Specialty Food Association