We sat down with Food Fête founder Jeff Davis to speak about the creation of the 10-year-old food marketing & PR event, food industry trends, and how food brands can get involved and succeed. HELEN MILLS has hosted Food Fête events since 2011. How didFood Fête Start? Food Fête started 10 years ago out of a desire to create a high-value media event for food brands. I come from a PR background and saw an opportunity to help food brands get in front of many top food editors. The tabletop format was not being done in the food industry at the time, and having seen the event model work in other industries, I decided to try it.
Best Giveaway Item at a Food PR/Marketing Event? The US Potato Board several years ago put a Mr. Potato Head toy in each media gift bag. It was clever branding and helped reinforce potatoes as an ingredient.
Food Industry Trend to Watch? In both our San Francisco and NYC events, we featured two companies in the online food shopping space, where consumers can order ingredients for a meal or recipe (including fresh foods) and have it shipped to them. The presence of these companies points to the growing number of online companies getting involved in the food space.
How Can Food Vendors or PR Professionals Stand Out? Great products always speak for themselves, but having a knowledgeable brand representative on hand to talk about them can make or break a vendor’s presence at Food Fête. Media see Food Fête as an educational opportunity to learn about the latest products, how they’re made, and how the ingredients are grown. Post-event follow-up is essential to getting the most out of a food PR or marketing event. The benefit of Food Fête doesn’t stop when the event is over. Food brands and their PR people need to follow-up with food editors and writers they meet to stay top of mind when they want to cover their product category.
How Do Vendors Apply ForFood Fête's Upcoming 2014 Events? Food and beverage brands can apply online for any of our events at http://foodfete.com/forms/2014-events-online-application/
AboutFood Fête: Food Fête was founded in 2004 and is an exclusive, intimate event that introduces food PR and marketing professionals to a targeted group of top food writers. Exhibitors showcase their newest food, beverage and kitchenware products in an intimate, cocktail party setting. In just two to three hours, meaningful conversations naturally unfold. Social media profiles give way to, well, genuine social interactions. Food Fête has evolved into an essential industry touch point where new food products and the food press intersect. Food Fête's upcoming 2014 events will take place in New York City in April, June, and October. To learn more, see the Food Fête's website.
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