Voting Open For Ad Contest From Specialty Food Association

NEW YORK — The votes are pouring in for the Specialty Food Association’s first-ever contest for specialty food professionals to tell a compelling story about their passion for specialty food.

The voting is open to the public and ends at midnight on Sunday, July 21, 2013, at http://www.specialtyfood.com/mystory. Voters are asked to select their favorite food stories from an inspiring batch of 373 entries. Multiple entries may be selected, and votes may be made for selected entries once every 24 hours.

The prize is the winner's own free national ad campaign and a three-day trip to San Francisco, a $15,000 value. The winner will be announced August 2.

Entries include “Raising the Barre,” about professional dancers who are making snack bars, “A ZZestful Passion,” about opening a specialty food store in Rochester, Minn., and “Uniquely Greek,” about the joy of feta cheese. “Nuts about Granola,” advises that “You won’t miss the meat.” See all the entries.

The contest is part of the Specialty Food Association's launch of its new brand: Specialty Food. Craft. Care. Joy.

“Our brand is all about the passionate people behind specialty food,” says Ann Daw, president of the Specialty Food Association. “Our industry is fueled by career changers, food lovers, and the next generation who are taking family traditions and turning them into contemporary foods.”

The Specialty Food Association, founded in 1952 in New York, celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2012. Looking ahead amid record sales in the $86 billion U.S. specialty food industry, the Association, formerly the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc., changed its name earlier this year and launched its first-ever ad campaign featuring successful food makers and the stories behind their craft.

At the Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show, attendees were invited to submit entries for the free ad campaign. Entries were also made online. The Summer Fancy Food Show is North America’s largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty food and beverages. It took place June 30 – July 2 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2012. It is a not-for-profit trade association for food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs established in 1952 in New York to foster commerce and interest in the specialty food industry. Today there are more than 3,000 members in the U.S. and abroad. The Specialty Food Association operates the Summer and Winter Fancy Food Shows and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. For more information on the association, go to specialtyfood.com.

Social Media:

Facebook: facebook.com/craftcarejoy
Twitter: twitter.com/craftcarejoy #sffs13 #sofiawards
LinkedIn: Specialty Food. Craft. Care. Joy.
Pinterest: pinterest.com/craftcarejoy

Source: Specialty Food Association