NEW YORK, March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) Junior Trendspotter program partnered with 13 graduate students from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) William F. Harrah College of Hospitality to identify on-trend products from specialty food exhibitors at the 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show. SFA's event featured nearly 1,100 companies and thousands of products from around the world and ran from January 19-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Guided by SFA's 2025 Trend Predictions, the students explored trends and products over the three days of the show, bringing their sensibilities as members of the increasingly influential Gen Z to the Show. According to industry research, Millennials and Gen Z will make up 75% of tradeshow attendees by 2030. SFA has been running its Junior Trendspotter Panel initiative since 2020, inviting and elevating the insights and vision that these bright young attendees bring to the event.
"We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the Winter Fancy Food Show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Serving as Junior Trendspotters is a valuable learning experience that provides insights into the latest specialty food and beverage products. Our graduate and doctoral students take part in networking opportunities with a wide variety of businesses and organizations. The exchange of ideas through events such as the specialty food show provides a novel experience in developing new innovations, synergies, and to advance research in the area. The size and scale of the event is very impressive, with well-organized activities," said Joseph Lema, Ph.D., Professor.
The Winter Fancy Food Show Junior Trendspotters identified the following standout products, and spoke to their trend-relevance:
2025 Trend to Watch: Girl Dinner 2.0 "The vegan food trend continues to evolve with fusion flavors and new food forms. For example, Pacific Pickle Works has introduced an innovative new product, "KIMCHI meets Pickle," a cucumber pickle infused with the popular flavors of traditional Korean kimchi. Also, Alle Processing showed its novel vegan food, such as vegan nuggets and vegan pepperoni. These dynamic variations in form and flavor reflect the growing trend of groundbreaking vegan foods, showcasing how the industry should expand its business to the promising vegan market of the future," said Sooyeon Lee, Ph.D. Candidate.
2025 Trend to Watch: Instant Global Gratification "Worldwide consumers are increasingly looking for options that fit their diverse cultures and customized eating habits. These changes are driving the trend of innovative food offerings such as vegan ramen, plant-based seafood, and citron spread. Especially inspiring for me personally, is the elevation of Korean inspired foods introduced at the Fancy Food Show and loved by internationals," said Inyoung Jung, Ph.D. Candidate.
The SFA 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show Junior Trendspotter Panel was composed of:
- Angelika Bazarnik
- Yuze (Crystal) Ji
- Miyoung (Sue) Seo
- Sooyeon Lee
- Inyoung Jung
- Xinyue (Cindy) Hu
- Victoria Cho
- Cheok Kei (Jacky) Wong
- Leah Im
- Mah Jabeen
- Amirah Baruzayq
- Maher Aloweishek
- Liza Das
"Being a part of this special event is a very informative and valuable experience, as it provides opportunities for us to network with business professionals, share innovative concepts, and gain a firsthand understanding of future food trends," said Yuze (Crystal) Ji, Ph.D. Candidate.
A full Trendspotter Panel report from the Winter Fancy Food Show can be found here.
The next Fancy Food Show will be held June 29-July 1 in New York at the Javits Center and features thousands of specialty food and beverage products from around the world, educational and event programming, and networking opportunities. Open only to qualified members of the specialty food trade, industry affiliates, and media, the Summer Fancy Food Show requires registration and qualification. For additional information, visit specialtyfood.com.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $207-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 4,000 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by developing resources, information, education, and events that celebrate innovation and inclusivity. SFA owns and operates the Summer Fancy Food Show, Winter FancyFaire*, and the sofi™ Awards, which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. SFA also produces the e-newsletter Specialty Food SmartBrief, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions and Show reports, the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report, and Today's Specialty Food Consumer research. Find out more at Specialtyfood.com, and connect with SFA on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.
About UNLV Harrah School of Hospitality
The UNLV Harrah College of Hospitality is consistently ranked as one of the top hospitality programs in the world (#1 in the nation and #2 globally by QS Top Universities). Studying just blocks away from the epicenter of the hospitality industry -- the Las Vegas Strip, Hospitality College students enjoy unparalleled access to hands-on, industry-relevant professional experience. Each year the college helps organize nearly hundreds of internships, welcomes more than 100 national hospitality brands to recruitment events, and pairs an average of 175 industry mentors with students. And with the completion of the college's state-of-the-art academic building Hospitality Hall, students are ushering in a new era of excellence in hospitality education. Visit unlv.edu/hospitality to learn more.
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SOURCE Specialty Food Association
