Specialty food and beverage industry professionals from around the world gathered Jan. 19-21 for the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) 49th Winter Fancy Food Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Sponsored by Italy, the event drew some 1,100 exhibitors from around the world – across nearly 50 specialty food and beverage categories – and 12,000 participants. In addition to makers and buyers, industry affiliates, influencers, investors and trendspotters attended.
“I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our incredibly creative specialty food makers who showcased an inspiring mix of trend-setting innovations and beloved legacy products. I also want to thank the enthusiastic attendees whose energy and engagement made this show a resounding success,” said Bill Lynch, SFA president.
“Looking ahead, we are excited to usher in a new era with Winter FancyFaire* in San Diego, beginning in 2026. Building on the strong foundation of the Winter Fancy Food Show, Winter FancyFaire* will carry forward its legacy – bringing together a dynamic community of entrepreneurs, buyers and thought leaders to kick off the industry’s annual cycle with vibrant connections, insightful education and groundbreaking products for many years to come.”
Winter Fancy Food Show highlights
SFA’s new first-of-year trade show, Winter FancyFaire*, was announced during the First Night Celebration party. The event will shift in 2027 to San Francisco.
Highlights of the 2025 gathering included:
- Keynotes and sessions featuring Scott Conant, two-time James Beard Award-winning chef, cookbook author and TV personality; journalist Patranya Bhoolsuwan; Molly Baz, American recipe developer, cookbook author and founder; with journalist Matt Rodbard on the main stage. Nearby, at the Ask the Experts and Spark Showcase, panels and product pitches were featured.
- Spark Showcase offered daily programming that sparked ideas, connections and discoveries. Co-hosts included Spark Showcase, USDA’s Northwest & Rocky Mountain RFBC and Naturally New York.
- Fancy Face-Off Pitch Competition: Entrepreneurs representing four brands pitched their products to a panel of industry experts and audience members . Pi00a was crowned the grand prize winner by judges Al Mancini, Neon Feast; Casey Gaston, Whole Foods Market; Brandon Ng, Houlihan Lokey; and James Ren, Thrive Market. MILKish was fan favorite.
- Maker Prep Graduation, a celebration of the first class of manufacturers to complete the reimagined six-month Maker Prep Course, which began at the 2024 summer show. SFA also kicked off the next Maker Prep Cohort for the class that will graduate at the 2025 summer show.
- The Specialty Food Association Trendspotter Panel: The nine-person group consisted of Patranya Bhoolsuwan, Emmy Award-winning journalist and founder and CEO, Patranya Media; Mikel Cirkus, senior director, global foresight and design, dsm-firmenich; Jenn de la Vega, chef, stylist, cookbook author, trends expert, Randwiches; Jonathan Deutsch, CHE, CRC, professor and director, Drexel Food Lab, Drexel University; Jeannie Houchins, global communications executive; Sarah Lohman, food historian and author; Matt Rodbard, editor-in-chief, TASTE; Cathy Strange, ambassador of food culture, Whole Foods; and Summer Thompson, senior buyer, Market Hall Foods.
- Giving back: At the end of the show, exhibitors donated more than 15,000 thousands of pounds of unopened meat, cheese, produce, confections and snacks to Three Square.
The next SFA conference is the 2025 Summer Fancy Food Show, June 29-July 1 in New York.
