Fancy Food Show

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In person conferences and events are back and better than ever! Our summer interns, Jamie and Ethan, had the opportunity to attend the 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show last week, one of the largest U.S. shows devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages. They got to meet with some of our clients, immerse themselves in current trends, take a ton of pictures and videos and enjoy some tasty treats!

We gained insights about some of the trends that both Jamie and Ethan saw, as well as some of their favorite packaging and coolest experiences.

Many companies took it above and beyond, not only showing off their product and packaging – but having a display that created an entire experience for attendees. Some included fun cutouts and banners and others built out an entire mini store, had food trucks, chefs cooking and more – there was even an entire wall of cheese built into one display! Pictured below are some of our interns’ most memorable displays and experiences.

Many brands were utilizing characters within their packaging design and displays – more than you would have expected – creating a type of personalization and sense of lightheartedness to the brands.

Some packaging incorporated the product into their design, which was a really fun twist! One of our interns’ favorites was the grandma with the product showing through her sunglasses.

There were bright colors and fun patterns, bringing us back to the Y2k era, which many brands are now using for inspiration. Interested in learning more? Check out more information in our “The Y2k Comeback” blog.

Detailed line work, sketches and rather simplistic designs were some other trends that we saw being integrated into packaging.

There were also a lot of “pouch-based” packaging structures, rather than your typical box or bag.

Many brands were using humorous and rebellious tone of voice on their packaging and displays, that were very eye catching and often made you look twice!

There were many products that revolved around ingredient substitutions. A few brands featured “vegetarian seafood” – our interns got to take a picture with the fish mascot for one of them, called Current Tuna. Additionally, there was a brand of pasta made from seaweed and even plant-based ice cream!

Speaking of plant-based, being that this has been an ongoing trend that is seen among influencers and foodies on social media, featured vendors at large events like Coachella, and more, there were a lot of plant-based products that were being showcased.

Flower infused drinks were also popular throughout the show and stood out to our interns, with its natural flavors and beautiful floral packaging. Flavors such as Royal Chrysanthemum and Blue Lotus were featured drinks to try.

Matcha was another big trend seen at the show, which has been a growing trend since influencers on TikTok started substituting their coffee for the healthier matcha tea option.  

We also had the privilege of stopping by some of our clients’ booths. We were able to say hello to our friends at Aiya Matcha, Prana Gourmet Foods, Fratelli Beretta, and Friesland Campina.

But the best part was by far all of the samples that our interns were able to try. From cheeses to teas, coffees, lemonades and juices, a variety of chocolates and candies and even some weird samples as well – one of the weirdest being a full shot glass of olive oil to drink.

The amount of creative packaging, branding, displays, and tasty treats featured at the Fancy Food Show was overwhelming – in the best way possible! We are so excited that events like these are back up and running and that we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in trends, explore what other companies and brands are doing, and meet face to face with some of our clients.