Oser Communications Group

SMORGASBORD GOURMET NEWS JULY 2019 www.gourmetnews.com SMORGASBORD 2 6 Anuga 4 www.anuga.com Ariston Specialties 21 www.aristonspecialties.com 860.263.8498 Busha Browne 21 www.bushabrowne.com 876.906.0347 EU3 5 Fall River Wild Rice 21 www.frwr.com 800.626.4366 GLASS - North America 3 food.buyourbottles.com 856.455.2137 Hammond's Candies 11 www.hammondscandies.com 888.226.3999 Howard Products 17 www.howardproducts.com 800.266.9545 IBIE 13 www.ibie2019.com Jasper Specialty Foods 17 www.jakesnutroasters.com 800.255.1641 LiquaDry 23 www.liquadry.com 435.864.5400 Principe Foods 15 www.principefoodsusa.com 310.680.5500 SaltWorks Inc. 7 www.seasalt.com 800.353.7258 Stauber USA 21 www.stauberusa.com Stonewall Kitchen 2, 28 www.stonewallkitchen.com 888.326.5678 Tortuga Rum Cake Company 9 www.tortugarumcakes.com Tropical Nut & Fruit, Inc. 13 www.trulygoodfoods.com Wild Forest Products 17 www.trufflesoilsandmore.com 855.645.7772 Xochitl 27 www.salsaxochitl.com CALENDAR July 9-15 The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market Atlanta, Georgia www.americasmart.com July 21-24 Philadelphia Gift Show Oaks, Pennsylvania www.clarionux.com July 28-August 1 Las Vegas Market Summer Market Las Vegas, Nevada www.lasvegasmarket.com August 11-14 NY NOW New York, New York www.nynow.com ADVERTISER PAGE WEBSITE PHONE ADVERTISER INDEX Here are some tips on how to market your investment at this summer's food shows from Louise Kramer, the former voice of the Specialty Food Association in years past, and Robert J. Barletta. Barletta is Ex- ecutive Vice President at Marino Public Re- lations, overseeing the agency's food and beverage practice, and Kramer is now a Senior Consultant with Marino. Trade shows like the upcoming Summer Fancy Food Show in New York or Cibus in Parma, Italy, offer food companies a rare opportunity to connect in real life with po- tential buyers and existing customers, media and influencers, and show off your delicious offerings to people who can help build your business. It's a big investment of time and money, and if done right, the pay- off can be sweet. Unfortunately, some brands don't put their best foot forward. You may have the next Beyond Burger or Sir Kensington's, but buyers and reporters alike will pass right by your booth if you're glued to your phone, have your back turned away or are not even there. As an agency whose representatives have attended or helped to run dozens of trade shows in the food and restaurant industry in the U.S. and abroad, Marino has tips to offer as part of its specialized trade show program. If played right, you too can make the most out of your presence and optimize opportunities to connect with the person who could be a game changer for your brand. 1. Be prepared Get ready for your moment in the spotlight by updating your online press area and so- cial media channels with current informa- tion and photos of your latest products. Use show hashtags to join the conversation and let people know you'll be there. 2. Take advantage of all show press opportunities Many trade shows provide lists of regis- tered media, so feel free to ask them for it. Write a short press release and email it to media announcing your new products and include a show contact person with their name and cell phone number. Upload the release to your show directory listing and have copies at your booth. Invest in show press events where you can sample your products exclusively with media and influ- encers. 3. Identify the top reporters and social media influencers you want to visit your booth Use the show press list to get started. You can reach the editors at Gourmet News by emailing editor@oser.com. A month before the show, send personal invitations and/or snail mail inviting them to meet your company Founder or Chief Executive Of- ficer at the booth and follow up one week before with a reminder. Give reporters and influencers something to look forward to. Set aside an hour each afternoon for the media to meet with the founder or CEO. Add some fun by serving up some food and bubbly (if allowed). 4. Enter contests Everyone loves a winner! Check if the show has competitions for 'best products.' Winning an award could really be a key differentiator for your brand. In fact, one Marino client, Bono, the largest producer of extra virgin olive oil in Sicily, won two sofi Awards from the Specialty Food Asso- ciation last year and was featured at a spe- cial press event at the Summer Fancy Food Show, plus in a high-profile show- case that got attention from buyers and media alike. 5. Train your ambassadors Train all show staff, including temps, on the key points that make your product unique. Every encounter is an opportunity for buyers and press to learn or conversely leave a bad taste in their mouth. Gather the team before the show floor opens to make sure everyone is on message. Appoint a person at the booth to handle all questions from visitors, and make sure staff has con- tact info for the key press person on your team in case they are not there. If your brand has some great press clips from top media, display those at your booth in a frame or in a video. It's great to have them as a handout, too. 6. First impressions matter Look alive. Try standing in front of your booth with a big smile. Show some passion and enthusiasm. Take turns with your col- leagues. The most successful exhibitors have booths with lively activity and buzz. Take a research break to see what other companies are doing right so you can try something new and fun next time. 7. Be thankful Send emails or actual notes to all press and contacts you connected with during the show. Remind them of your great new products and offer to send samples. Distrib- ute product news and plant the seeds for future media coverage. Like all business, getting good press is all about building and maintaining relationships. Bonus Tip Be sure to put your booth number on all correspondence. Make it easy to find you. Following these simple tips don't guarantee your product will be the next big thing, but they are a foundation for a successful in- vestment of time and resources at one of the many trade shows offered to the food world in the U.S. and abroad. GN 7 Tips to Make the Most Out of Food Shows Before, During and After Tukuma Piens, one of the largest dairy pro- ducers in Latvia and the Baltic states, show- cased its top four seasonal products this year at the Summer Fancy Food Show. The company was founded in 1913 and uses about 220 tonnes of milk a day from Lat- vian farmers to make its Baltais cheeses, butter, yogurts and sour cream. Its Baltais Curd Snacks are made from light high-qual- ity curd and other unique ingredients and they have become a company trademark. The Baltais curd snack line includes more than 11 different products, so every gour- met or fitness enthusiast can find a favorite. Baltais Curd and Baltais Exporta Curd are made in Latvia using methods and tech- nologies to get the highest quality curd fol- lowing the best Latvian traditions. The Exporta line is produced using ancient Lat- vian recipes, developed to perfection by combining ancient traditions with modern technologies. Both curd products are in family-friendly boat-type packaging, which allow the product to be used for longer and more conveniently. Baltais Fetahi is a lightly salted feta-type cheese with a unique structure made of Latvian cows' milk. The taste of Baltais Fe- tahi is excellent because its recipe is almost identical to the original. Baltais Fetahi cheese is available in 500 g and 250 g pack- aging. It is brilliant for salad, sandwiches and pies, as well as complements meat dishes. Baltais Cream Cheese is made of curd, butter and cream, and only natural ingre- dients are used. The fresh and rich taste is gained using special preparation tech- niques, and the cream makes it thick and creamy, resulting in a more nourishing product. Baltais cream cheese is suitable for simple and exquisite meals, desserts, and it is suited for fillings, cakes, sandwiches, sal- ads, cream soup and dressings. GN Latvian Dairy Company Showcases Baltic Cheeses at SFFS

• Cover