Publisher/Advertising
David Spencer
dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com
877-438-4932 ext. 1
Executive Editor
Michelle Moran
mmoran@gourmetbusiness.com
239-992-2404
Contributing Editor
James Mellgren
jmellgren@gourmetbusiness.com
510-517-9569
Creative Director
Penelope Korff
penny@korffdesign.com
Director of Custom Media
Jack Wrigley
jwrigley@gourmetbusiness.com
214-783-2525
Subscriber Services
info@gourmetbusiness.com
Vice President of Sales
Brad Simon
bsimon@gourmetbusiness.com
800-765-9797
Director of Business Development
Ed Loeb
eloeb@gourmetbusiness.com
877-438-4932 ext. 7
Advertising Sales – Midwest
Arnie Bennett
abennett@gourmetbusiness.com
847-590-1332
Advertising Sales – West Coast
Frank Prokos
fprokos@gourmetbusiness.com
312-343-3253
Gourmet Business LLC is a division of
HousewaresDirect, Inc.
Corporate Offices:
Gourmet Business &
HousewaresDirect, Inc.
PO Box 700, Weston, MA 02493
Gourmet Business is a digital publication serving the gourmet gift
retailer. Gourmet Business relies on product information submitted by
the manufacturer, distributor or other representative in the featured
editorial content. Gourmet Business is not responsible for any errors in
the descriptions or prices appearing in the magazine. Gourmet Business
is distributed free of charge to qualified professionals in the gift and
housewares industries.
A Gourmet Institution
is Resurrected
I am excited about the return
of a show that I used to look
forward to every year. An
event that featured exhibitors
displaying the best products
for the “Gourmet” market.
The name has changed. The
location has been changed to
a venue in a city with world-
class dining and entertainment.
The timing of the event is
even closer to all-important
holiday shopping season. In
short, everything has changed, and this show is poised to
take on a different meaning for our industry.
In case you have not heard, the Gourmet Housewares Show
will debut this summer with the New York International Gift
Fair. I have been attending the NYIGF for many years. It is
always well attended by an international audience of “gift”
retailers and gourmet stores from the Northeast. This is
a show that traditionally boasted a waiting list for exhibit
space, and exhibitor seniority was worth its weight in gold.
Now I have also noticed lately that some of these “gift”
retailers are also attending shows in the housewares industry
and the specialty food industry. So the inclusion of the aisles
of the Gourmet Housewares Show is an interesting and
timely twist that just may bring these two worlds closer
together at a time of year when everyone’s attention is on
the holiday season.
Housewares and specialty foods have become a larger percentage of gift sales recently, and the trend is predicted
to show continued growth. Where do many consumers go
when they want to buy a unique gift? Many go to a gift store
stocked with a variety of interesting items to appeal to a wide
variety of tastes. Since many consumers
are spending more time at home with
their families, the interest in good food
and meal preparation is on the rise. It
seems logical to me that special gifts
aimed at individuals who spend time in
and around the kitchen will do very well
in the upcoming holiday season.
What sort of gifts do I have in mind,
you ask? We are preparing to show
you with our “Gourmet Gift Exhibit”
in the lobby of the Javits Center at
NYIGF in August. We will assemble
some of the most enticing gift offerings
of the season for you to see in person.
Our goal is to spotlight, on a compact
scale, a world of fantastic products
from adjacent industries that may
not be on the speed-dial list of many
of the retailers attending the show.
These products will also be featured in
a printed companion guide that will be
distributed at the show, and published
digitally for our entire audience to
access at any time during the season.
As you tour AmericasMart, Dallas or
the Summer Fancy Food Show, be on
the lookout for well-packaged, clearly
marked, attractive gourmet-oriented
gifts because they are going to be big
sellers this season.
David Spencer
Publisher, Gourmet Business
President, HousewaresDirect, Inc.
dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com
