Show Attractions and Experiences

Food is the great connector. At Winter FancyFaire*, food will bring participants together, professionally and socially, in traditional and unstructured settings. At the First show of a new year in food, we’re creating new spaces for conversations, problem-solving, and inspiration.


Speaker Preview

Expanded Experiences

Onsite Attractions

First Taste Table

Need to escape the hustle and bustle of the Exhibit Hall? Book a seating. This new setting invites buyers and tastemakers to enjoy fun conversations and an intimate tasting flight of sofi Award finalists.

Spotlight Shoppe

See exhibitor products in a new light. In this retail-inspired discovery zone, browse by category or let your eyes guide you to inspired packaging and products your customers want to see on your shelves.

Category Pavilions

Find what you’re looking for with ease. In innovation-packed pavilions like Beverage, Snacks and Sweets, and Plant-Based, you’ll sample and compare hundreds of relevant products in each dedicated aisle.

New Horizons Hall

Bathed in sunlight and overlooking San Diego Bay, the New Horizons Hall will showcase emerging brands and products, progressive approaches to food development and production, forward-looking chefs, and interactive opportunities to craft your own version of what’s next.

As the conduits between makers and consumers, buyers are a lynchpin in shaping the future of food. This is where you can explore ways to bring the “better” food movement home for your operation and drive more sales.


Access to the New Horizons Hall is included in your Winter FancyFaire* badge.

Test Kitchen invites attendees to experience expert culinary demonstrations with unique techniques and applications

Debut District offers an immersion in what's new, featuring first-time products and brands, startups, and accelerators

Science of Specialty Faire* features a showcase of ideas about the food supply chain, values-based eating and drinking, and more

North Star* Stage where trends, projections, and big thinking to help you tune in to what is next in food and beverage

Good Food Mercantile

The values-driven one-day Mercantile, produced by the Good Food Foundation, will take place inside New Horizons Hall on Sunday, January 11. This co-location offers Winter FancyFaire* attendees seamless access to high-quality products and responsible producers aligned with modern consumer values.

Expert-Led Sessions Like 

  • Understanding the Gen Alpha Consumer
  • How We’ll Eat in 2126: A Food Futurists Panel
  • What Brands and Retailers Need to Know About Delivery on Demand
  • The Secret Sauce for Successful Founder/CEO Relationships
  • Lessons in Scaling from Incubators and Shared Kitchens
  • Beyond Venture Capital: Funding Your Business in 2026

Speakers Like

  • Founder and CEO of The Food Corridor, which connects food entrepreneurs with commercial kitchen space and moderates the Network for Incubator and Commissary Kitchens.

  • Professional food developer leading the marketing, food trend tracking, and consumer research functions at Mattson, North America's largest independent developer of new foods and beverages.

  • A 35-year CPG industry veteran, a contrarian, systems thinker, voracious learner, and a misplaced college professor. And it's these "quirks" that have now become his calling: to educate, equip, and empower entrepreneurial leaders and their teams as a high-performance coach, advisor, and board member. As founder of TIG Brands, he champions Tardigrades: resilient, capital-efficient businesses built to last.
     

  • Trends expert for food, menu, and restaurant concepts; contributor to leading industry publications like Restaurant Business and Nation’s Restaurant News.

  • Founder and editor in chief at The Spoon; founder of the Smart Kitchen Summit and the CES Food Tech Conference. 

  • Founder and CEO of Biena Snacks, the #1 brand in plant-based protein snacks nationally. As a recognized business leader, Poorvi has been featured as a “Rising Star” CEO among Inc. 5000 honorees and named one of FoodNavigator USA’s “Entrepreneurs to Watch.”

Expanded Experiences

First Night Celebration 

Grab friends and enjoy the Winter FancyFaire* kickoff party. Together, we’ll make this a First Night to remember, with delicious bites and drinks, music and games, and the thrilling reveal of the 2026 Trend of the Year. 


Campus Tasting Trail

Experience the local culture and cuisine as SFA blends the creativity and heritage of local tastemakers with the innovation of our member companies. Restaurants and retailers in nearby San Diego neighborhoods will feature SFA member products in menu items and as shopping accoutrements. 


Specific restaurants and featured products will be announced in the fall. Contact your SFA Sales Rep if you are interested in having your product featured. 

sofi Awards Ceremony 

Be the First to see and sample the innovative 2026 sofi Award winners, as we reveal the 25 Gold Award winners and 5 Grand Honors Award winners, including Products of the Year and the first-ever Timeless Taste Award.