Gourmet Business February 2017

January has come and gone in a flurry of activity for the Gourmet Business team, covering three major shows. I was pleased to see, despite more than a few stories of sales results that fell short of expectations due to the election year, that there was great attendance and lots of business being written. Hopefully, we can put the distractions of last year behind us, and forge full speed ahead. We previewed some great new products coming to market during the GC Buying Group conference in Atlanta, and we are excited to share them with you in our next issue. 

The new year also marked the grand opening of our new showroom at the Las Vegas Market where we showcased the products from some of our advertising partners. Surprisingly, it was colder in Las Vegas than it was in Boston! Didn’t someone say this was supposed to be a desert? Two full days of rain didn’t seem to dampen or chill the enthusiasm of the crowds that descended on Vegas, queuing up en mass, eager to visit their favorite resources and see what’s new. Once again, the crowd of buyers on hand proved too much for the registration process, and the officials of the market were smart enough to open the flood gates, and let the buyers stream into the shelter of the hall. Thank you to all of those who visited, and for the orders you wrote! We look forward to hearing your feedback when you return for the summer show. 

We are not done yet! Next we will visit NY Now where we always seem to encounter companies that put a distinctive design slant on the products they produce. It seems that the millennial buyers that represent a lot of the buying power these days respond to products that seem a little more distinctive. We will have our eyes out for such products and share what we find. 

Finally, we will be visiting Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany where we will see housewares products from all over the world... some already found in the USA, and others that are yet to be discovered. We find that having that global perspective on products being brought forward for the world to buy, that we can spot trends that are yet to find their way to our shores. 

We are looking forward to seeing everyone again in Chicago for the IH + HS. We have some interesting companies exhibiting in our pavilion there. We will share more details with you in our special March issue. 

Hope your new year is off to a flying start! 

David Spencer 

Publisher, Gourmet Business 

dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com