“Hey Joe, going to the Fancy Food Show? Facebook me!”

If you’re like many others, by now you’ve booked your flights, made hotel reservations, and got your badge in the mail. But wait, you wonder, will anyone I know be at the Winter Fancy Food Show?

Yes!

And through NASFT’s Facebook connection, it’s easy to find out who are attending and get  connect with other attendees and exhibitors before your plane even touches down in San Francisco.  Here are some tips to get you started:

• Visit the NASFT Facebook page often for updates about the Show and surrounding events. Post comments or share the information with others all at your finger tips. While there, become a “Fan” f the page so that updates can be seen on your home page where you view your friends status changes.

• Click on the “Just Fans” tab of our wall to see what others are saying.  Join a conversation thread or start new ones.

• Check out the event page specifically for the Winter Fancy Food Show. Confirm your attendance and get connected with other attendees.

• Search for some of your favorite NASFT member company pages for updates of their attendance at the Fancy Food Show.

Of course,  using other social networking tools like LinkedIn and Twitter is a great way to connect with business associates as well.

Twitter Lists – NASFT Style!

If you are on Twitter, you may have some experience with building a Twitter List. We have built one that features our members who are on Twitter – 346 of them and growing! Check it out!

If you are a member who we somehow omitted from the list, give us a shout out @NASFT and we’ll be sure to add you.

New to Twitter list? See how best create, organize, and manage your lists for happy and effective tweeting.

Get Wholesome at the Fancy Food Show!

It can be confusing to some.  When you think of “fancy food”, natural and organic are not necessarily the first thoughts many may have.  But the Fancy Food Shows actually have the largest selection of natural and organic food products at a single trade show in the US.

At the 2010 Winter Fancy Food Show, natural and organic products continue to dominate the exhibit floor with 600+ companies featuring items in these categories. The popular “What’s New, What’s Hot!” showcases will also have 500+ offerings, including a special focus on natural and organics.

Located in the North Hall at the Moscone Center and covers aisles 1400 to 1700, check out the Exhibitor List and see who will be exhibiting.

Get wholesome!

Move Ahead at the Fancy Food Show with our new Social Media Lounge!

In our continuing efforts to help the specialty food industry Move Ahead we are providing a new service at the Fancy Food Show show participants tackle the exciting, powerful and world of Social Media. We are happy to introduce the Social Media Lounge at the Winter Fancy Food Show located in the North Hall Lower Lobby.

The Social Media Lounge will provide our exhibiting members, attendees and Press the tools they need to stay connected to their networks, discover new tools to advance their businesses and expand their overall knowledge of social media.

The Social Media Lounge will feature:

·     Computer kiosks for participants to quickly access their favorite social media sites (such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) to send out updates about their Fancy Food Show experience.

·     Social media experts will be on hand to answer questions, explain social media platforms, help participants access their social media sites through their cell phones and encourage participation.

·     One-page fact sheets will be available on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, with brief descriptions of the tools and tips to get started and enhance the user experience.

•    A special feature of the Fancy Food Show online Trend Game -  providing a preview of what trends are leading in votes and how someone can cast his or her vote to win great prizes. Trend experts will identify the most prevalent trends at the Show and choose the winner of the game who will be named the the Trendiest Person at the Show.

• Broadcasting video live to the Internet throughout the show with our own Winter Fancy Food Show LiveStream Channel. Plus we will host our second Fancy Food Show Tweetup Invite, powered by attendees connected through Twitter, on Monday night at the Intercontinental from 5 pm-7 pm.

Please make sure to stop by the Social Media Lounge to learn more about how social media can be an exciting networking and marketing opportunity for you.

It will be open starting Saturday afternoon 1/16 from 1 PM and throughout the show.

December Trend Game Winner Announced!

Our December Trend Game Winner is Emily Winters from Harrisburg, PA! As one of the most trendy and knowledgeable people from our the NASFT Food Trend Game, we decided to find out a bit more about her to see how she gains her abilities to forecast the next and biggest food trends!

Q: Please tell us about your current job and what it entails.
A: While I was living in DC, I had an agency placing Private Chefs in private homes and I have also worked as a private chef. Recently, I moved to the capital of PA, and I have an ‘Underground Supper Club’ with a View. I am also looking for property to open a restaurant, and I am also looking into manufacturing a line of specialty foods. I have a lot on my plate, no pun intended!

Q: What professional food related publications, blogs, etc. do you read regularly.
A: Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to read. I used to receive Gourmet, and Bon Appetit, and occasionally a friend of mine sends me Sale & Pepe, La Cucina Italiana and Saveur from Italy.

Q: When you go out to eat-do you go to the same place or do you explore other cultures and types of restaurants?
A: When I go out to eat, I like to eat in the restaurants whose cuisine I wouldn’t normally prepare at home, i.e. Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Indian…

Q: What is your favorite type of food? Favorite meal/dish?
A: My favorite meal or dishes? Well, anything Italian, prepared by an Italian or myself. And having grown up in NYC and having spent a lot of time in Italy, pizza – I love pizza and am the worst critic when it comes to pizza. I love making Paella, and I love Middle-Eastern cuisine.

Q: Favorite cookbook and cooking resource?
A: Hmmmm. Favorite cookbook…well, I’ll tell you the ones I refer to when I get stuck preparing the same thing over & over; Italy (and Tuscany) The Beautiful Cookbook, Classic Cuisine of he Italian Jews (Edda Servi Machlin),and The Foods of Israel Today.

Q: How many Fancy Food Shows have you participated in through the years?
A: Through the years, between NYC and SF, I’ve been to about a dozen shows.

Q: Any other tips or tricks for other people coming to the show?
A: Tips for newcomers to the show: be prepared to walk a lot – wear sneakers or comfortable shoes, dress comfortably. Don’t eat breakfast before the show, and only sample things that are of interest to your business first. Later sample other exotic products.

I am most excited about attending this year’s show because I want to enter a totally new area of food and beverage – manufacturing – and there will be seminars on this topic. And I can’t wait to make new contacts and see old friends. And of course, enjoy dinner at Fleur de Lys, for which I won a gift certificate!!!

Thanks for the advice and, congratulations again to Emily Winters! We can’t wait to see Emily at the NASFT Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco!

Miss the Trendcast?

Did you miss the Trendcast on Thursday?  We have you covered!  You can view the recording, which is running on a continuous loop, on our stream.

Thanks to Kara Nielsen and Ron Tanner for their insights on what’s to come in the food world, particularly what to look for at the Winter Fancy Food Show.   Now that you have some educated opinions, play our trend game!

Products used in the Trendcast:

Green/Eco Awareness	Gourme Mist Balsamic Spray
	Republica del Cacao Chocolate
Super Fruits	Acai Syrup
Artisanal Cheeses	Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor Goat Cheese
	Vermont Butter and Cheese Assortment
	Rogue Creamery Oregon Artisanal Cheese
Cured Meats	D’Artagnan meats
Exotic Spice Blends	Urban Accents
	Nirmala’s Kitchen
	Dulcet Cuisine Moroccan Spices
Bacon Flavored	Das Foods Bacon Lollipop “Man Bait”
	Sir Francis Bacon Peanut Brittle
	Vosges Bacon Chocolate
Blood Orange	Vergnano Italian Blood Orange Soda
	Sarabeth’s Blood Orange Marmalade
Chocolate and Herbs	Chuao Chocolatier
	Vosges
	New Tree Dark Chocolate with Thyme
	Tea Room Chocolate bars with tea – 3 flavors
Coconut	Danielle Coconut Chips
	Native Kajili Coconut Cooking Sauce

When viewing the playback, please excuse some of the brief delays as we switched between cameras on each coast.

How to Make the Most of LinkedIn

As we approach the Winter Fancy Food Show, we will bring you blog entries on use of social media tools and how they can enhance your experience at the Show and your networking with others in our industry.

Are you LinkedIn?  Here are some time tips to make the most of your LinkedIn account, specifically on how to network with other NASFT members:

• Fill out your profile completely, including past positions, links to your blog and company, and education.

• Your summary (within your profile) is searchable and a great way for others to learn more about you and your business.  Be sure it is well written and spell check!

• Update your status. This is a great way to tell people what you are doing… have a new product? Let your network know about it! Though some people change this frequently, it does not need to be. Change it when you have something to say.

• Review your contacts every month or so. You may find someone to connect or reconnect with as they change positions. Look at your contact’s contacts as well – network through the people you know.

• Join a group. The NASFT has two groups: one just for members and another for those interested in the Fancy Food Shows.

• Link your blog to your LinkedIn profile – you can drive more traffic and awareness. There are many applications that help you do this.

• Have a question? Ask it. Want to position yourself as an expert or help another? The “questions” section of LinkedIn is a great way to connect with people and there is a category for just about anything business related you can think of.

• Don’t want to connect with business contacts on Facebook? LinkedIn provides a professional arena within social media to connect.

Have some other pointers? Let us know!