Georgian Delicacies Debut at 2007 Fancy Food Show
Until now, American consumers may have known little about Georgia, and less about the country’s foods and wines. Yet Georgian exporters are hopeful that the U.S. market—where consumers are interested in exploring new products and have incomes to purchase high-quality imported goods—offers a tremendous opportunity to expand their customer base.
The USAID-supported AgVANTAGE project, in partnership with the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture, selected the popular 53rd Annual Fancy Food Show in New York City as the premiere showcase to introduce Georgian food, wine and mineral waters to American consumers. The July 2007 show was widely attended, attracting over 25,000 decision-makers from supermarkets, specialty food merchants, importers and wine and food distributors, as well as chefs and food service marketers.
“Deeper penetration of the U.S. market will go a long way to offset the impact of the Russian embargo on the Georgian wine and food products, [and will] introduce a new, positive message about Georgia to American consumers,” said Nicka Grdzelidze, AgVANTAGE Deputy Chief of Party.
Georgia, along with neighboring Turkey, was one of 72 countries participating in the show. Over 2,400 exhibitors displayed products ranging from specialty artisanal snack foods from Lebanon (also supported by a USAID-sponsored project) to French and Itallian wines and a broad range of imported condiments and fresh dairy products. Georgian hazelnuts, jams and sauces, the popular Tkemali, mineral waters, and a breadth of wines from seven wineries were sampled at the heavily-trafficked Georgia booth. In addition to the event itself, a significant marketing and public relations program was undertaken, with advance customer prospecting in advance and scheduled interviews with leading food and wine publications.
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| Georgia showcased its products at a thriving specialty food marketplace – the 53rd Annual Fancy Food Show in New York |
The New York Times featured Georgian foods and wine in its brief overview of the show. Rustavi 2 national Georgian Television featured Georgia’s presence at the show with a five-minute interview. American celebrity Patti LaBelle did a 15-minute interview with the winemakers to be broadcast on her food/lifestyle show, and a broad range of other magazines and newspapers indicated interest in publicizing the foods and wines of Georgia. This publicity is expected to expand consumer awareness of Georgian products and support efforts to increase sales in the U.S.
The show also generated sales leads for several wineries. “Before, I used to be pessimistic about Georgian wine gaining distribution in the U.S. market, but today, thanks to AgVANTAGE, I already have an offer from two large U.S. distribution companies to regularly export our wine to the U.S., ” said Eldar Mildiani, Chairman of Mildiani wine company.
Vagi, a processor of specialty jams and sauces also finalized a new marketing/distribution arrangement with a U.S. company that is expected to result in over $200,000 in increased sales for Vagi. Incremental sales are also expected to come from a significant number of importers, distributors, retailers and food service professions who requested a detailed follow-up sales call from Georgian marketers.
Shows of this type are a proven means of reaching sales decision-makers. The inaugural “Taste of Georgia” event was an unqualified success.
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