Monday, March 31, 2008

In years past, to be among the first to experience such items as the $500 Stella McCartney organic grocery bag, lychee-flavored vodka or caffeinated bagels, one had to make a pilgrimage to New York to the Fancy Food Show.

Hosted by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, it is to foodies what the Consumer Electronics Show is to gadget freaks. To Washington convention officials, it is now the trade show steal of the decade.

In 2011, the Summer Fancy Food Show will come to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, drawing thousands of chefs, retailers, restaurateurs and lovers of all things food. D.C. convention officials lured the event away from New York through a concerted wooing process involving the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and the Hotel Association of Washington, D.C.

William A. Hanbury, president and chief executive of the Washington, D.C., Convention & Tourism Corp., estimates the show will draw 32,000 people from specialty food and wine stores, supermarkets and restaurants who will book more than 22,500 hotel room-nights for the show, which runs July 10-12, 2011. The yield to city businesses could be nearly $30 million.

"It will draw thousands of attendees who can truly appreciate how D.C. has evolved as a culinary destination," Hanbury said.

The District was able to get the show in part because of uncertainty about plans to renovate and expand the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan, where it has been held since 1992.

Trade shows generally produce good sales leads for exhibitors, said Steve Schuldenfrei, president of Trade Show Exhibitors Association. "Attendees are people who are really interested and who have money to spend," he said.

The only question is, after a day of sampling halal nacho cheddar sauces, microbrew beer brittle, rabbit salami snacks and sugar cured elk pate . . . will they be hungry for dinner?

-- Anita Huslin