Building a Community From the Belly Up

What separates a mouth-watering carne asada from a steak fajita? How does one serve mole, cook prickly pears or season feijoda? Expo Comida Latina did more than attempt to boost Hispanic food sales early last month at the Los Angeles Convention Center: It strove to educate and explain the gastronomic needs and expectations of the ever-growing Latino community within the United States.

In only its second year, Diversified Business Communications' Expo Comida Latina, held Nov. 16–18, attracted close to 6,000 attendees to 378 exhibit booths catering to the Hispanic food and beverage market in a space covering 51,750 net square feet. Growing by 40 percent from last year, it no longer required the collocation of The Intl. West Coast Seafood Show, which moved this year to Long Beach.

While some exhibitors preferred the increased traffic that the collocated seafood show provided, others liked having the whole floor focused on them and their products. Either way, most agreed that this largest event of its kind in the country was worthwhile enough to return for a third year.

Carolyn Booth, a buyer for the small Aloha Pizza and Mexican Grill in Kauai, Hawaii, was blown away by the variety of resources available to her at the show. "There's everything from mom and pop to full-service exhibitors," she bubbled, "and they're willing to share secrets from family recipes." And the only reason she even knew about it was a tip from her kitchen equipment supplier.

This word of mouth comes as no surprise to Stephen Phillips, show director of the event for DBC. "We worked with big exhibitors, who have direct store delivery and national distribution," he explained, asking these groups to supply promotional products to shops they do business with across the country. "The key is educating store managers — many of whom are white guys who don't know anything about the Hispanic market. If you create that connection, that will increase sales."

And, he decided, the success of the show depends on bringing "not just the buyers from chains, but the menu planners and chefs who create the menu."

Gustav Asmann, a buyer from the Il Fornaio bakery and restaurant chain, appreciated the chance to experience Latin American food options firsthand. "We're trying to come up with something more to serve the Latino community," Asmann explained. "Maybe pastries to sell to them. We're trying to get information." While his company specializes in Italian food, it cannot turn a blind eye to recent reports from the U.S. Census Bureau, which projects Latinos will comprise 24 percent of the U.S. population by 2050. "I work in the wholesale division. We always have to be on top of things."

First-time Expo Comida exhibitor Tom Hanson Jr., of Alto Shaam, an industrial-size cooking appliance manufacturer, was particularly impressed by the range of attendees. "I've seen some New York buyers, customers from Texas and back East, even Milwaukee," he said. With all the exposure, he admitted, "we've received a positive response, good leads, not many sales."

Phillips said the show would have had more foreign participants as well, if organizers hadn't required participants in the pavilion for foreign countries 14 months notice in order to get the approval of their respective commerce ministries. Also, "Chile and Argentina are going through presidential elections right now, but they'll come next year," assured Phillips.

Other exhibitors jumped right in, even if their product lines seemed strangely paired for the event. Sandy Lee, exhibitor for the firm Win Soon, for example, sold yogurt drinks. "We sell to mainly Asian markets," she admitted, but explained that her company's two-ounce bottles have grown quite popular in the Hispanic market. "In order to mainstream to different cultures, we try to get out here as much as possible."

The show clearly was a success, but you can't please everyone. "Last year, it was better, when the seafood show was attached," complained Steve King, an exhibitor from the California Fruit and Tomato Kitchens. "There were more food service opportunities. People came for the seafood then came over to us. This year, it's predominantly retail buyers." Hoping to sell to Mexican restaurants, the California-based company had one of the worst reactions of any exhibitor. "We're not coming back next year. In my opinion, the expo didn't do a good job getting customers out."

Countered Phillips: "We heard the opposite as well from people who cater to retail, saying there were too many restaurants and chains, saying they haven't seen any top buyers, and then I'd see a top buyer just walk by their booth."