Specialty Food Association to Launch New Winter FancyFaire* Event
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) has revealed plans to launch a new trade show: Winter FancyFaire* (WFF*), slated to debut in San Diego Jan. 11-13, 2026, over three days at the San Diego Convention Center and beyond. With the launch of Winter FancyFaire*, the Winter Fancy Food Show will sunset after 2025. That trade show is being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 19-21.
SFA created WFF* to offer participants first-to-market opportunities and a glimpse of the future of specialty food by expanding the ways that makers can bring their products to market and how those products are experienced by attendees. The event will provide various engagement opportunities for both emerging and established makers while highlighting important consumer trends and the products that fulfill them.
“Innovation is the lifeblood of the CPG industry, and the mission of SFA is to help that innovation come to market,” noted Bill Lynch, president of the New York-based trade organization. “However, we recognize that the industry has changed, and starting, growing and sustaining a CPG brand is more challenging than ever. Winter FancyFaire* was designed with this reality in mind, providing brands of all sizes a unique platform to connect with the buying community, gain valuable insights and explore opportunities for growth.”
[RELATED: Takeaways From 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show]
After its 2026 debut in San Diego, WFF* will take place in San Francisco Jan. 17-19, 2027. Both California cities, famous for their food cultures, will provide access to a huge number of retailers, restaurants and suppliers. WFF*’s activations and experiences will immerse participants in the cities’ local retail and culinary scenes.
“The trade show world – and its attendees – are rapidly evolving,” said Phil Robinson SFA’s SVP of member development. “According to recent industry research, Millennials and Gen Z will make up 75% of trade show attendees by 2030. The expectations of these generations include more experiential product discovery, identification of trends before they hit the mainstream, immersion and inspiration from local culture, and more data-driven, real-time wayfinding, matchmaking and socializing. Winter FancyFaire* has been developed from the ground up to meet these expectations.”
Additionally, SFA will celebrate its 2025-26 sofi Award winners during WFF* 2026. This reflects a change in schedule for the sofi Awards, which recognize specialty food’s best and most innovative products, to the start of each new year.
The Summer Fancy Food Show will remain unchanged, with the 2025 trade show set to take place June 29-July 1, 2025, at the Javits Center in New York City. In common with all SFA trade shows, Winter FancyFaire* will be open only to qualified members of the specialty food trade, industry affiliates and media.
Founded in 1952, SFA is the not-for-profit trade association of the $207 billion specialty food industry and represents more than 4,000 businesses worldwide.
