The 100 Years Club Installment #111: New Food (and Old Faves)

“Why do you go to trade shows?” “Can I come with you?”

I get these questions often. Trade shows and conferences are the “shopping malls” of the business world. I’ve been going to them since my early 20s — first as a “booth babe” and then, throughout my career, as a sponsor, attendee, and exhibitor. Here’s a brief overview:

• My last corporate gig was as CMO of a huge trade show management company. I didn’t even know such an industry existed until I took the job.
• Since starting my own business, I’ve spoken at many events (including one specifically for the adult entertainment industry).
• Writing content for (white papers, blogs, etc.) during the other 362 days of the year (when shows aren’t happening) is part of my “day job.”
• I’ve covered miles of exhibit hall carpet, perusing what’s new and next in the industry.
• Sitting in on some sessions, I’ve learned about trends and met key industry players.
• New founders pitch their products to secure funding, and I sometimes get to vote on my faves.
• The press rooms buzz with creators and trad journalists alike, and I meet savvy people of all ages.
• I organized a business conference last year and was asked to chair the 2025 conference, too!

You’re always welcome to come with me. But this post is the next best thing today.

Among my favorite conferences are the food events — this one specifically!

At the Winter Fancy Food Show, I gathered lots of food for thought about the restaurant and retail industry for this media outlet, but I also sampled a wide range of products — new and established.

The treats at the show are not just food and beverage brands. They are the people (makers and founders) launching new products, scaling established brands, creating recipes, blogging, vlogging, and digital marketing, and supporting the industry through investments, training, and distribution. And, of course, the organizers and marketers of the event itself (specifically Bill Lynch and Jennifer Cohan, along with countless others) deliver a fantastic experience — twice a year.

First, the food:

Snacks are my weakness. I no longer eat sugar, wheat, and most dairy. But that was not a problem at all! I found a wide range of sweet and savory options.

Healthy ingredients are among the food trends for 2025, along with something called “Girl Dinner,” which is basically combining random foods for a meal. (I’ve been doing that for years! I guess I really am a futurist. I do not, however, usually share my plate on social media…perhaps I’ll start!)

As I’ve noted in previous articles, these are the types of foods that will keep me alive to 100 and beyond!

1. Why not start with dessert? Butter Baked Cake and Two Spoons Ice Cream were absolutely delicious. Their booths were next to each other, and the founders did a great job of cross-marketing. The Glonuts packaging is good enough to eat and the tiny treats are a healthier alternative to Munchkins. Vesucre Truffs are also bite-size options to feed your sweet cravings.
2. Going nuts. Boiled peanuts were typically available at southern gas stations until entrepreneur Dixie Jackson left her day job to pursue her culinary passion. Check out the Dixie Grace brand. I also fell in love with the Select Harvest line of almonds. BeanVIVO makes nut- and bean-based mixes that I can throw on a salad for extra crunch (see #4).
3. Vegetables and fruits are essential parts of any diet, and now you have no excuse not to eat them — even on the road. Poshi options are as easy as a bag o’ chips. Pickled everything is on trend this year. I sampled yummy spicy dills at the McClure’s booth. Melissa’s was sampling juicy grapes and sweet cherries. Want a date? I often see Joan at food shows and she graciously gifts me the sweet treats from her Rancho Meladuco farm. Squeezed Juice from Trinity is not only delicious, but the company has the coolest swag bags at the show. Making vegetables at home? Hit them with a spritz of this (aptly called Spritz King) for extra flavor.
4. But sometimes, you crave crunchy stuff that’s not green! CauliPuffs and gluten-free Stellar Snacks pretzels are amazing. Some other tasty options when you can’t resist a snack bowl on Netflix night are Riceworks and Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips.
5. Breakfast is an important meal. I love granola sprinkled on yogurt and now I have options, with NuTrail’s gluten-free, sugar-free varieties atop this dairy-free Skyr yogurt from Painterland Sisters.  Teff is an Ethiopian grain superfood (another trend) that can be used in baking or as a cereal.
6. Lentils are being dressed up and I’ve developed a taste for them in later life. I sampled them in both crunchy form from 41 Grains and in filling carry-anywhere bowls from Lentiful.
7. If you’re more of a pasta freak, check out this amazing plant-based ramen called Superamen. I met the founder at one of the pitch sessions, and she invited me back to her booth for a taste. That hustle differentiates successful founders from those who just show up or act like divas. Also, in the category of “pastabilities,” the gluten-free pasta from Rummo tasted just like “the real thing.”
8. Welcome to candyland (without the sugar). Spring & Mulberry makes date-sweetened chocolate bars, and you can also get a healthy-ish fix for your sweet tooth from Protein Candy. I’ve sampled Krack’d Snacks at other shows and they are still among my favorites. The monkfruit brand Lakanto had their whole product line on display and the Gerrit J Verburg Company now offers sugar-free versions of some of the unique chewing gum flavors from my youth.
9. Condiments are trending this year. Insta-famous chef Molly Baz showcased her mayo varieties under the brand Ayoh.
10. Feeling under the weather or just seeking a little winter comfort? Heat up a cup of instant matzoh ball soup from Nooish or suck on an EllyPop. (They’re designed for kids, but they soothe a scratchy adult throat or upset tummy, too!)

Some foods don’t fit neatly into a category.

• I start every morning with flavored coffee which some people tease me about. But not the team at Two Rivers! They generously let me sample their Eggo-branded and Cookie Jar lines.
• IceBlox are simply giant ice cubes. I’m a huge fan.
• Jerky (like the sugar-free flavors from Field Trip Snacks is always a great carry-along high-protein snack.
• Wherever you are, you can also whip up a batch of salsa from Salsa Queen‘s freeze-dried options. (The company’s woman founder has a great backstory!)
• I heard the woman behind a new beverage brand (Ringa) pitch at one of the opportunities at the event for new or scaling founders to get exposure and funding.
• The women behind Nourish Supermeals are a mother/daughter duo. Their chia pudding is a great smoothie addition. (I tested it as soon as I got back home, where I discovered that I miraculously LOST weight at the show. All those steps and selective eating/drinking paid off!)

Many women from finance, marketing, and even engineering are leaving their industries to feed others (literally). As long as humans are on the planet, food (and founders) will rule!

Soul, Savvy & Swag

In addition to the opportunity to sample new products (the obvious “S” at the show), I always enjoy listening to the stories of founders — from start-ups to celebrity chefs — talk about the inspiration behind their ideas and successes.

I’m a sucker for walk-in snow globes

The food ecosystem is collaborative and supportive, and the show’s vibe is always warm and welcoming.

Perhaps I’ll see you this summer in NYC and next year in San Diego!

No event is complete without trinkets and gimmicks. I got a gold coin from one exhibitor and a pair of socks, and a button from Nielsen (NIQ) that says, “I Love Data” (which I do).

Speaking of data, I’ll leave you with some “food for thought.”

	Food in the U.S. is a $219B industry (and growing)
	This woman is disrupting the influencer model. Tech &  food (with a dollop of word-of-mouth marketing) are a perfect recipe!
	Bad booth behavior. There’s some of it at every show!
	Back in 2009, I invented a low-cost way to exhibit at shows