Food for thought
EN looks ahead to the record return of Montgomery ’ s Speciality & Fine Food Fair
September has always been one of the busiest months in the world of trade exhibitions , but speak to anyone working in the industry right now and they ’ ll tell you : September 2021 is something we haven ’ t seen before . The pressure is magnified , as are the stakes , but equal to that is the huge level of enthusiasm and positive momentum coming from visitors , exhibitors , venues , suppliers and organisers . Across every industry that will be meeting in September , from security to childcare to fashion to food and drink , the need for face-to-face has never been felt more strongly .
EN decided to take a closer look at one of the tradeshows coming up this month to hear how preparations were coming along , what challenges come with the postlockdown event landscape and to see what the return of live events means for business communities .
The centre of the fine food & drink world Montgomery Group ’ s Speciality & Fine Food Fair has been the go-to event for the artisan food and drink community since it first launched in 1999 at Olympia London . The Fair ’ s buyer audience of independent retailers and wholesalers , farm shops , delicatessens , garden centres and more rely on the event each year to showcase new producers , exciting products and the latest trends and innovations in the world of food and drink retail . In the months since March 2020 , the industry the Fair serves has evolved drastically . Consumers have developed a renewed interest in shopping local , sustainable products and the stories behind the food they eat . Producers have discovered new audiences and revenue streams , while retailers have found themselves adapting to changing customer expectations for online sales , delivery and takeaway . In the midst of all this change and disruption , the industry ’ s buyers , chefs and new product developers have found themselves facing a significant challenge : finding and ( most importantly ) tasting the next big thing . On the other side of the equation , producers have been faced with more gatekeepers and obstacles than ever before when it comes to getting their products in front of key decision makers . All of which makes Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2021 a vital event for the industry . The argument for the effectiveness of tradeshows has never been clearer and the Fair ’ s community are voting with their pre-reg , at time of writing , visitor registration is up 30 % on the same period in 2019 . Although the event was planned cautiously , with social distancing measures in mind , sales and direct inquiries were strong throughout the leadup to the event .
What ’ s new ? The team behind Speciality & Fine Food Fair aren ’ t letting the positive momentum stop them from continuing to innovate and introduce new elements to the event . Reflecting the importance of the topic to both producers and food and drink buyers , the Fair has launched a dedicated Sustainability Zone , in association with alternative packaging specialist Pallite , putting environmental and social issues at the heart of its 2021 edition .
10 — September