The Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Food Show moves from San Francisco to Las Vegas this winter, another slap in the Moscone Center’s recreation.
The event, which featured 80,000 products such as cashew cheese and vegetarian pork rinds at the beginning of 2020, will take place from February 6th to 8th, 2022. The event attracted more than 10,000 attendees.
“The Specialty Food Association remains focused on exploring new opportunities for our members and safely continuing the growth of the $ 170.4 billion food industry during the pandemic,” said Bill Lynch, president of the group, in a statement. “We are excited to partner with a premier trade show destination like Las Vegas that is leading the return of in-person events.”
The organization did not immediately respond to a request about the reasons for the move.
“We are very disappointed that they are moving next year and hope to return in 2023,” said Joe D’Alessandro, CEO of San Francisco Travel, the city’s tourism office.
Prior to the pandemic, Oracle’s OpenWorld conference also moved from San Francisco to Las Vegas, but the event has not yet been held there in person. Road safety and the high cost of San Francisco were the main drivers of change.
“Las Vegas is optimized for large congresses. The overall feel of San Francisco is obviously very different, “said Chris Meyer, CEO of George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, Dreamforce’s event planner, taking place at the Moscone Center this week.
Meyer didn’t comment on the Food Association’s move, but generally said that San Francisco has a lot of appeal, especially for tech companies that have their headquarters nearby. The outdoor area of the Moscone Center is a plus even in the age of the coronavirus.
“Cities with year-round weather and facilities that enable outdoor experiences will have advantages over other cities in the near future,” said Meyer, which will benefit western communities like San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Roland Li is a contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
