event Zest Fest or Fiery Foods Show?

Burn Your Tongue

Burn Your Tongue

I know that it would be best to attend both (and other) events, but if you can
only attend one event, due to the "day job" and the events being close together,
between Zest Fest or The Fiery Foods Show, which would you suggest for 2011? Why?

I have not been to either of these Fiery Foods shows yet, but liked the spacing.
Zest Fest in September seemed great for new releases just before Christmas. The
timing of The Fiery Foods show is great for getting ready for Spring/Summer.
Almost exactly 6 months apart, this gave people more time to prepare...

My convention experience is with Halloween products and Transworld. As with other
Costume and Party shows competing, major events so close together can cause a loss
of vendors that can't make it to two major shows so close together.

So then, again, could you help me decide which might be better to attend?
To clairify, I'm not attending as a vendor, only as a retailer.
 
Pretty simple for me...I live in Fort Worth so Zest Fest wins hands down...it's only about 7 miles from my house

by the way...Zest Fest moved to January 2011...
 
Absolutely Zest Fest. This coming January in particular. They are having it in a brand new convention center, and Zest Fest is going to be the inaugural event for the building. Not to mention it is media week before the Superbowl, which happens to be in Dallas this year. Oh yeah, and the city of Irving has taken over the advertising for the show, through radio, TV, billboards, etc. It's kind of a 'perfect storm'. Albuquerue is a very large show, but I find Zest Fest to be much more fun. Everyone seems to have a much better attitude, and as a vendor, we have MANY more sales at Zest Fest, and not as many 'grazers'. For us, Zest Fest is a lot cheaper to do the show, a little more then half of what it costs to do Albuquerque (in excess of $7k). I find the nightlife MUCH more fun in TX as well.

You mentioned September being a good month for new products, actually it's pretty much the opposite. The large buyers for stores have already done their buying for the season by September.

We are completely psyched about Zest Fest this year, I think it's going to be one for the record books.
 
Burn Your Tongue said:
I know that it would be best to attend both (and other) events, but if you can
only attend one event, due to the "day job" and the events being close together,
between Zest Fest or The Fiery Foods Show, which would you suggest for 2011? Why?

I have not been to either of these Fiery Foods shows yet, but liked the spacing.
Zest Fest in September seemed great for new releases just before Christmas. The
timing of The Fiery Foods show is great for getting ready for Spring/Summer.
Almost exactly 6 months apart, this gave people more time to prepare...

My convention experience is with Halloween products and Transworld. As with other
Costume and Party shows competing, major events so close together can cause a loss
of vendors that can't make it to two major shows so close together.

So then, again, could you help me decide which might be better to attend?
To clairify, I'm not attending as a vendor, only as a retailer.
Click to expand...

Zest Fest details: Irving, Texas January 28-30, 2011.

The event will be held in the brand-new Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, an architecturally
stunning facility in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Irving Convention Center have a tremendous number
of special promotions planned for ZestFest 2011, with the key focus on driving consumer attendance to
the show. Plans include:

1. A ZestFest Getaway Weekend sweepstakes used for a variety of promotions. The package will
include round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, transportation, and tickets to all ZestFest
2011 events and other area attractions.
2. Digital postcards/eblasts promoting ZestFest to our database of 40,000+ leisure market
contacts that have opted-in to receive DFW vacation/getaway information and offers.
3. A direct mail campaign promoting ZestFest and the getaway weekend sweepstakes to a
targeted list in key regional feeder markets.
4. Social media promotions focused upon attendance-building messages, including those in
Facebook and Twitter, where we have several thousand fans and followers. We’ll also include
extensive media outreach and search engine optimization initiatives in our tactics.
5. The creation of special ZestFest packages and rates from Irving hotels for a “ZestFest Hot
Deals” section of our site, to be used in email campaigns, social media work, media releases,
and more.

Expected Attendance is around 20,000 people.
 
So, for now, it's three to zero in favor of Zest Fest!

For retailing, is anyone for The Fiery Foods show, or is it more for enthusiasts?

Looking forward to more replies!
Roger / BYT
 
Hey Creator-
We just re-read your Scott Roberts interview. From your experience, do most new vendors sell enough to cover costs at Zest Fest? I know it depends how good the product is, of course, but if the shear number of attendees is there, everyone is bound to sell some stuff. I'm still trying to figure if out if there's a chance to be able to afford the show.

And BYT- when you say retailing, does that mean you are attending the show as a customer buying products?

Thanks.
 
Salsalady,

I'm still bootstrapping through the start up phase, but I'm working
toward a full blown hot shop in Utah. I'm always looking to find new
products as a wholesale purchaser for my budding retail store.

I should have said something more like for "wholesale purchasing"

Thanks
 
OK- So you're a "buyer", you'd be in there on Friday, industry only time.

When you're ready, Let's Talk. Still looking for cost-effective shipping though. :(
 
salsalady said:
Hey Creator-
We just re-read your Scott Roberts interview. From your experience, do most new vendors sell enough to cover costs at Zest Fest? I know it depends how good the product is, of course, but if the shear number of attendees is there, everyone is bound to sell some stuff. I'm still trying to figure if out if there's a chance to be able to afford the show.
Click to expand...
We do. We have either sold out the booth, or come very close to doing so each year we go. The main reason we go is the good number of buyers who come to the show. The organizers go out of their way to get buyers to come to the show, unlike the Fiery Foods show, where you're lucky to see a handful. Considering the fact the show is now in January, I think the buyers will come out in force. Keep in mind, at large shows, if it is your first year doing it, many buyers will take note of you, but wait until they see you again to approach you. This is how it worked for us, and in speaking with other vendors, it seems this is a common occurence.

All this being said, shows of this magnitude are expensive, there really isn't any way around it. The prices to do the Fiery Food show in Albuquerque are excessive (at least for us, being located in New Jersey), and with the lack of sales we've had the last couple of years at the show, the show has basically become cost prohibitive for us. If they offered some semblance of a discount for long-time vendors, perhaps I would change my view a bit. I just doin't see anything like this happening. Zest Fest is located in more of a transportation hub, so the costs (airfare, pallet freight) are much more palletable. The fact it's a direct flight makes me happy as well. The people at Zest Fest go out of their way to help you, and make you feel more like a person than a number. Friday night at Zest Fest is also a lot of fun, when they formally hand out the Golden Chile awards, and the free food and booze is definitely a keeper. The fact Zest Fest will be located in a brand new convention center (as the inaugural event), media week the week before the Superbowl (in Dallas), the Irving city government taking over the advertising, and the overall curiosity of the public regarding this building, if you were going to do a show, I think this one is basically a no-brainer.

I hope this helps a little. We've been doing the shows for over 5 years now, and have a pretty good feel for each of them. I think Zest Fest is more fun to do, and the nightlife after the show is a lot of fun, as the multitudes of hot sauce manufacturers descend upon various drinking establishments, and take the bars over. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
 
Thanks, I appreciate the info. We are looking at it hard. Or at least I am...



Just trying to think of who I could get to help. The kid is 11 and he would be good, but the long days might do him in. Hubby just doesn't have the people skills to deal with those you've described before. One time, he was manning my farmer's market booth where I had samples of fresh CHUNKY salsa set out. Some guy comes up, takes a big chipful and then says, "I don't like onions". Hubby says, "Well then don't f-ing eat it!".

LOL- I love that guy!
 
salsalady said:
Just trying to think of who I could get to help. The kid is 11 and he would be good, but the long days might do him in. Hubby just doesn't have the people skills to deal with those you've described before. One time, he was manning my farmer's market booth where I had samples of fresh CHUNKY salsa set out. Some guy comes up, takes a big chipful and then says, "I don't like onions". Hubby says, "Well then don't f-ing eat it!".
Click to expand...
Too funny. I'll tell ya, busting on the public is a lot of fun. After 2 days of inane questions like, "How do you make a pepper hot?", have some fun, I do, it makes my life worth living. One of my favorites was a few years ago, towards the end of the final day of the show. The vendors pretty much don't give a sh*t anymore, and are quite punchy. A totally drunk idiot, complete with a bottle of Bud in each hand, staggered to our booth. He tried our stuff, and in a slurred voice stated, "I don't like your stuff". As he turned to leave, I simply stated to him, in a rather sarcastic voice, "Good, because I don't like you". He turned and asked me what I said, trying to remain vertical at all costs. I told him to, "Move along, nothing to see here". As he turned, and attempt forward movement, he tripped over the invisible line, did a fantastic face plant on the floor, as both beer bottle bottoms hit the floor, they became to perfect geysers. Needless to say, EVERYONE started cracking up.

The days are long, but not too bad. You will get the hang of it after the first day. If you are doing a booth, I would highly suggest laying down either a thick rubber pad, or pile carpet, as it'll really help your feet from getting sore. Like I said, it ain't cheap, and there is no guarantee you'll recover all of your costs, but it's invaluable to meet a hundred or so other manufacturers, as any question you have will be answered. It's also a very good way to get some face time with the masses of public. If a person doesn't know you exist, you can pretty much guarantee they won't be ordering from you.

Oh, and did I mention the after show parties each night? Mmmmmmm, beer.........
 
Beer geysers! :rofl:


Yea, anyone who has spent any time at all in retail or selling to the public can have some pretty crazy stupid customer stories. We could all sit around for hours swapping stories.


And as for the show, both hubby and I have been to many trade shows so we're not walking into it blind.

Thanks again for the info.
SL
 
salsalady said:
Thanks, I appreciate the info. We are looking at it hard. Or at least I am...



Just trying to think of who I could get to help. The kid is 11 and he would be good, but the long days might do him in. Hubby just doesn't have the people skills to deal with those you've described before. One time, he was manning my farmer's market booth where I had samples of fresh CHUNKY salsa set out. Some guy comes up, takes a big chipful and then says, "I don't like onions". Hubby says, "Well then don't f-ing eat it!".

LOL- I love that guy!
Click to expand...

If I decide the trip is within my budget, I'd help ya out!
 
paulky_2000 said:
If I decide the trip is within my budget, I'd help ya out!
Click to expand...



thanks for the offer~

There might be something to that angle- free pass to the show in exchange for some time in a booth. Might work for the right person/situation.
 
I'd love to go to both, but the only one I'm making a priority is ZestFest. But if certain projects pan out, I may "have" to attend the FFS. :)
 
That's 4 to zero in favor of Zest Fest! On the way to a knockout for the FFS...

Scott, thank you for adding your opinion! I'm jealous you're in St Louis. I'm
transitioning out of Halloween retial, but am still a Haunted House enthusiast. I
need to go to the HPCShow/HauntShow for an excuse to visit The Darkness Haunted House!
But I digress...

I'm completely surprised that there's no one really touting the FFS, but that's
why I started this thread.

Salsalady, you should start a sign up sheet :) If I make it, which it seems
I better, I'd give you a couple hours. Just need to learn your product.
Actually, if you want to send me your wholesale info, that would be great!

Thanks again to everyone, not only for your choice, but the rest of the great
info offered so far! Is there ANYONE for the Firey Foods Show?

Roger
 
Oops! Thanks for the link. I didn't realize this was redundant...

I got another vote through PM leaning to Zest Fest. 5 - Zip for Zest Fest here.

Looks like Zest Fest won on Scott's Site too. My apologies to Scott,
I really didn't recycle your post! I have to read your blog more closely!

Thanks to everyone, Roger
 
I have already made reservations for Zestfest so am definately going to be there (plus it's the closest show to me) - but I loved the FFS this past year and if there is any possible way to make it I will be there also - so I honestly can't vote one way or the other
 
After reading these postings, I want to cut through the B.S. and clarify a few things. There has been misinformation flying around about the National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show. Some folks have been trying to compare our show with a competing show in Texas (which was recently purchased by new people who just managed to put up a website, and no longer has the backing of a certain food magazine that can’t seem to publish a magazine any more).

One comment claimed that the National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show was much larger (that part is correct), but the show in Texas was ‘more fun’ because of free alcohol and parties. Question: exactly why do companies exhibit at shows? Is it to have fun and get free booze? Or is it to promote your product to the largest possible audience? That’s the difference between a festival and a trade show.

Exhibiting at any show is costly and time consuming. Sometimes it’s a lot of fun. So if you’re going to spend that money, doesn’t it make sense to direct your energy where you’ll get the most bang for your buck? The Fiery Foods & BBQ Show is the place.

And about that imagined absence of buyers at the Fiery Foods & BBQ Show. We’re in our 23rd year, and every year our buyer list expands—you do the math. It’s a proven fact that many buyers come to our show every year and make their buying decisions based on what they see.

We appreciate everyone who participates in the Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, either as a buyer, exhibitor, or attendee. Trying to decide which show will be the best for your company? That’s your call. But at the end of the day, Albuquerque is still home to the biggest show, the longest running, The Hottest Show on Earth!

Lois Manno
Editor, www.fiery-foods.com
Sunbelt Shows
 
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