With origins in post-war 1950s America, the Fancy Food Shows have grown and evolved for decades alongside food culture and enthusiasts across the U.S.
One of the reasons our Shows have such staying power is that they are shaped by the values of our members, our industry, and our Association leadership. These values help guide how SFA innovates and expands the Shows to better serve all participants.
Diversity & Inclusion
Specialty food is, by definition, a celebration of diversity. Our members’ stories start in cities and on farms, inland suburbs and coastal communities; they come from single-parent households and nuclear families and immigrant grandparents.
Their stories inspire and inform the diverse products they make, expressed in flavors, textures, and colors that speak to their unique experiences, cultures, and traditions.
SFA is committed to not just maintaining, but expanding, the opportunities available to makers of all backgrounds at the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows. Through their company profiles in the Exhibitor Directories and designated stickers on their booths, exhibitors may choose to celebrate and broadcast their company as minority-owned and thereby connect with attendees interested in diversifying their supplier lists.
Look for diverse makers in every aisle, pavilion, and corner of the Fancy Food Shows!
Sustainability
As a not-for-profit and the leading trade association for the specialty food industry, SFA has a responsibility to lead by example when it comes to sustainability. We are committed to identifying, understanding, and mitigating the environmental impacts of our Shows and events, and to prioritizing social sustainability and inclusion in our programs.
The 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which is pursuing its own Climate Action Plan through ongoing efforts and innovations aimed at achieving carbon neutrality. And the Javits Center, home to the 2025 Summer Fancy Food Show, is similarly focused on sustainability and features a green roof that absorbs storm water run-off and reduces heat gain throughout the building.
Minimizing Food Waste
SFA has operated a Exhibitor Food Donation program alongside the Fancy Food Shows for decades, salvaging millions of pounds of surplus food and redirecting it to individuals and families living in our host cities. We partnered with City Harvest to rescue 95 pallets totaling more than 78,000 pounds of food following the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show. And for the 2024 Winter Fancy Food Show, we worked with Southern Nevada’s only food bank and largest hunger relief organization Three Square Food Bank to donate 23,000 pounds of surplus food to Nevadans in need.
At the end of each Show, we also work to donate items including furniture, household products, and construction materials to local non-profit organizations.
