The COVID-19 pandemic caused its cancellation last year , but finally the winter event  of North America’s largest and most important trade fair  dedicated to specialty foods and beverages was able to take place again.

This edition  has chosen a new location, the Las Vegas Convention Center, where  the Italian pavilion once again confirms itself as the largest exhibition space  in the international area.

Why Las Vegas? All aspects that have been strongly impacted  by the pandemic have been taken into consideration, first and foremost the economic difficulties  faced by many businesses. The choice of Las Vegas takes into account the costs that companies will have to bear in order to  participate.

Las Vegas offers lower-cost options for many services and accommodations for our exhibitors and visitors compared to other cities . The Las Vegas Convention Center \ has more affordable labor costs and, in addition to  being a very appealing destination for all for entertainment and the  combination of business and vacation.

The airport is located just a few kilometers  from the convention center, and the choice to visit the event can thus be reduced  to just one day for the busiest buyers. The temperatures in  February are mild in Las Vegas, making the business atmosphere  much more relaxed and pleasant.

Even for this edition, Italian companies have been placed in a dedicated  exhibition area with a strong visual impact thanks to the strategic choices of  a structure characterized by the colors and images of our country that  recall the professionalism of our companies and the quality of the products  on display.

The Italian lounge  organized by ICE was also a backdrop to the Italian atmosphere to offer all visitors a taste of the typical warm  Italian welcome.

The presence of the Italian tricolor saw 85 companies that presented the entire  range of Made in Italy agri-food products under the “The  Extraordinary Italian Taste” umbrella. Based on data compiled by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) in  New York, and according to the US Department of Commerce data for the  period of January-October 2021, the recovery of  US foreign trade continues at a sustained pace. The overall trade between the US  and the rest of the world has registered an increase of +22.1% compared to  the same period last year, and the trend of US-Italy  trade continues to consolidate the strong increase already detected in previous  analyses, +21.7%, in sharp contrast to the European average (+1%).

Regarding American imports of  food and beverage products from Italy, in October 2021 they recorded an increase of  +21.4%.

“We are very happy to return to the Winter Fancy Food Show with an even larger Italian presence at the winter edition,”  explained Antonino Laspina, director of the Italian Trade Agency in New York and  Coordinator of the USA network. “The companies are ready to start again, as  shown by the large number of exhibitors from Italy and the representatives of about  fifteen Italian companies with offices in the USA.

While Bill Lynch, President of the Specialty Food Association,  recalled that “Italian culture has long held a place in the hearts and  minds of consumers in the United States.”

For Donato Cinelli, President of  Universal Marketing, the exclusive agent for Italy of the Specialty Food  Association, this is “a restart with a winter version of  Fancy Food that is even stronger, demonstrating how important and  strategic this trade fair appointment is.”

Finally, we are starting again,” said Donato Cinelli, president of Universal  Marketing, the exclusive agent for Italy of the Specialty Food Association. “It’s a winter version of the Fancy Food Show that is even stronger, demonstrating how important and strategic this trade fair is.
It’s a restart with a stronger and more  performing winter version of the Fancy Food, a demonstration of how important and  strategic this trade fair is, especially now.