Food Fight Flames Out for Power of 5

Two former partners to stay in Chicago as two more head to Vegas

By Jillian Dauer -- Tradeshow Week, 2/5/2007

The Natl. Assn. for the Specialty Food Trade and Organic Trade Assn. will continue their partnership in Chicago next year. The new collocation of the Spring/Midwest Intl. Fancy Food & Confection Show and All Things Organic will debut April 27–29, 2008, at McCormick Place.

The two food shows will not join the Food Marketing Institute's FMI Show plus Marketechnics and the United Fresh Produce Assn.'s United Produce Expo & Conference at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas a week later.

The four shows, along with the Natl. Assn. of State Departments of Agriculture's U.S. Food Export Showcase, will collocate for the last time as the so-called Power of Five this May 6–8 at McCormick Place. FMI announced just before last year's show that this year's would be the last time it would be holding its show there.

Of the plans for his show to collocate with All Things Organic in 2008, Chris Nemchek, vice president of exhibition management for NASFT, said it "brings focus to the areas in food that are growing the fastest, namely specialty, including natural and organic."

According to Nemchek, both his association and the Organic Trade Assn. have similar ideas on what makes a successful event.

"There are some important synergies between our organizations and the industries we represent," he said. "We believe that collocation of our events is the best way to capitalize on them."

"(NASFT and OTA) have always felt that Chicago is the best location for us to draw the best combination of exhibitors and attendees," Nemchek said. "We will stay there as long as it continues to make sense to our members and attendees."

United Vice President of Marketing and Industry Relations Amy Philpott told Tradeshow Week in December, "We have had a very good working relationship with FMI in food safety and tradeshows. We touch the entire retail produce team."

That leaves the U.S. Food Export Showcase as the only one of the soon-to-be-former Power of Five without a plan in place for 2008.

However, NASFT and OTA are looking for other potential partners to collocate with them in Chicago.

"The idea would be worth pursuing if we found a potential partner that we felt would contribute to the overall appeal of the events," Nemchek said.

As for whether the U.S. Food Export Showcase meets Nemchek's criteria, he said, "We would welcome NASDA, as their businesses are parallel with ours and OTA."

According to NASDA Executive Vice President Rick Kirchhoff, Nemchek's group had asked his organization to join in the announcement, but he chose to "defer at this time."

That is not to say that NASDA won't eventually join the two in Chicago.

Kirchhoff said his organization has a regularly scheduled board meeting Feb. 8 and will put off making a decision at least until then. He said, given all the changes being contemplated, the circumstances were not conducive to a hastily convened board meeting by conference call.

NASDA is talking to past and potential future exhibitors and attendees, but currently has not formulated a recommendation for its board.

"The majority of our exhibitor base is in the Midwest," Kirchhoff said. "We will play with all the pieces of the puzzle and see what fit is best for us, and that's what we'll do."

Kirchhoff expects a decision to be made no later than March 1.

FMI officials said it was also awaiting a decision from NASDA. Representatives of United did not respond to requests for comment by press time.