January 2007
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The Great American Dessert Expo please contact:
Nina Feiner
718-854-4450 x 104
nina@dessertexpo.com
Sarah Cohen
718-854-4450 x 111
sarah@dessertexpo.com
Dessert today is the online newsletter of the the annual Dessert Expo. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive updates from us. To unsubscribe immediately, see the instructions in the footer of this email.
After four years in Las Vegas, the fifth edition of the Great American Dessert Expo moves from the desert to Atlanta, Georgia June 1-3, 2007. The move is designed to expand America's only exclusive showcase of desserts to the Southeastern United States, enabling many more buyers to experience a show dedicated to the multi-billion dollar desserts industry. The Great American Dessert Expo was responding to calls from many dessert buyers to bring this unique show east.
The 3-day show, which will take place at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA, will once again be co-located in one exhibit hall with Coffee-Fest, a leading trade show for the lucrative coffee industry. Attendees will pay for one admission badge and have access to two first-rate trade shows. The synergy of coffee and other beverages with desserts has made the co-location a major "hit" in the food industry.
As in the past years, the Great American Dessert Expo continues to add many events and educational components to the trade show. This year, the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the American Culinary Federation will introduce the "World Class Dessert Competition," awarding some of the best desserts to be showcased at the show. The ACF is the premier professional chefs' organization in North America, with more than 240 chapters nationwide and 19,000 members. The ACF is well known as an authority on culinary innovation and sets the standard in culinary arts. Culinary Competitions are a vital and evolving branch of the American Culinary Federation. The purpose is to continually raise the standards of culinary excellence and professionalism in the USA while promoting camaraderie and educational opportunities among culinary professionals.
The competition will be sponsored by Barry Callebaut, one of the world's largest producers of cocoa and chocolate products for the professional chocolate user for more than 150 years. They are a fully integrated chocolate company, from the sourcing of cacao beans to the shelf. Barry Callebaut offers domestic and imported chocolates as well as other chocolate ingredients. In addition, they will present dessert demonstrations and educational seminars throughout the course of the show.
The big move to Atlanta will be an opportunity to introduce many new programs like the "World Class Competition," but it will also bring back some of the exciting elements of previous shows in Las Vegas.
So what can you expect from the show in Atlanta? Plans are already in motion to bring back the successful seminars of the 2006 show as well as introducing new and exciting presentations and speakers for the 2007 expo. The popular Clay Gordon will be back to conduct his seminar on chocolate tasting. For the past seven years Clay has been giving seminars on how to distinguish among the multitude of flavors in chocolate. He has taught attendees how to do tastings in their place of business, complete with marketing ideas.
Dr. Steve Warren of Xocai has agreed to return to Atlanta. In previous years, he has taught classes on the health benefits relating to chocolate. Ian Lazarus of Chocovision, who has previously taught attendees how to use their chocolate tempering machines, will also be included in the Atlanta's programming. The Yum Yum Sisters, Ilene Spector and Sandy Spanos, innovators of simple recipes and tricks of the trade will again be featured in Dessert Expo.
One of the most exciting changes to the programming has been the addition of the Gelato Pavilion. Chef presenter Paolo Dalla Zorza, specializing in Gelato supplies and owner of Paulo's Gelateria in Atlanta and Charleston, will discuss the ins and outs of opening an authentic Itlaian Gelateria. Paolo has made numerous television appearances such as the Food Network Top Five, etc. Another segment to our Gelato Pavilion will be Advanced Gourmet and Paco Jet who specialize in Gelato store design and preparing a wide variety of natural frozen desserts with the Pacojet machine.
Every dessert must be complemented by the dish it's presented on. This is what prompted Rosanna's of Seattle, WA to join the Dessert Expo. "It's Rosanna's wish to bring a bit of beauty to the table". Hafner is back at Dessert Expo with "The crust you can Trust" as well as Veggieliocious cookies and cakes made with fresh organic vegetables that will excite your taste buds and keep your heart beating with joy.
With this edition, we are happy to introduce our first edition of Dessert Today, a periodic publication on the latest on the rapidly developing desserts industry. It will include many updates on the Great American Dessert Expo as well as news and features on trends in the desserts industry.
We also invite readers to check for periodic updates on www.dessertexpo.com. We invite your comments or information on your business for inclusion in the newsletter.
Remember, it's OK to drop in anytime on desserts! Right now, we hope that you have Georgia on your mind! For more information about our newsletter, or to submit updated industry information please contact Sarah Cohen at 718-854-4450 ext. 111 or e-mail sarah@dessertexpo.com
The cupcake, once considered an old-fashioned treat for children, has been making a dramatic return in desserts. Why is this dessert enjoying such popularity today? According to consumer research by the Mintel Organization, while the number of health conscious consumers continues to rise, consumers still tend to indulge their sweet tooth. Combine consumer individualism, need for indulgence and lots of flavor and you have the perfect recipe for a successful business venture.
The trend has exploded across America. Magnolia, a bakery popularly known for its appearance in HBO's Sex and the City, was one of the original bakeries specializing in gourmet cupcakes. It's so good everyone wants a piece! Cupcake shops are mapping their way across America; from Boston to Atlanta and even as far away as Sydney, Australia. Everyone wants to be a part of this booming trend. As for special appearances, children birthday parties are not the only events that boast the delicious cakes. The Birmingham News reported that people are now choosing cupcakes as a way to "build" a traditional wedding cake. The small cakes, arranged in stacked tiers and accented with flowers, are a new and innovative way of enhancing a traditional wedding cake.
According to a recent report by the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) Dessert Mixes, typically known for their convenience, have been experiencing fierce competition from bakeries and low-carb dieting products. In-store bakery products have skyrocketed mainly from the surge in popularity of gourmet products such as specialty cakes, pies and bars.
The IDDBA credits the success of in-store bakeries to the ultimate convenience characteristic: ready made products. While dessert mixes require minimal preparation, in-store bakery goods require only the trip to the store. More specifically, cake mixes and muffin mixes have been declining in sales since 2000.
Gourmet muffins, pies, and cakes, available in gourmet shops, offer consumers a variety of fresh, ready-made products. Gourmet shops and in-store bakeries also have the advantage of presenting consumers with various toppings such as exotic fruit, caramel, nuts, and whipped cream, not usually found in dessert mixes. In order to counteract the decline in sales, companies have begun to innovate their products by offering organic and natural products, lactose free products, single portion desserts and ready to bake frozen desserts.
Now you can always leave room for dessert. Long have health conscious consumers had to forgo the pleasure of desserts. But not anymore. Public demand for healthier foods has also reached the Dessert category. Low carbohydrate, low sugar content, and low calorie cookies, cakes and ice creams are becoming prevalent in the food industry.
The trend to include desserts for the diet conscious may have been sparked by the growing popularity of big name diet programs like Atkins, South Beach and Weight Watchers. Kraft, one of the many companies to have launched diet-friendly products, says that research has shown that consumers are willing to change their diets but are not looking to completely eliminate their favorite foods, which is why Kraft launched the CarbWell line. This line offered low-carb cookies, energy bars, cereal and more.
William Roberts Jr., Business editor of Prepared Foods Magazine reports that other companies have followed suit in this health conscious trend. Dreyer's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream, has more than 30 flavors advertising half the fat and a third fewer calories than Dreyer's regular versions. Valerie Skala Walker, new product expert with Information Resources, Inc., IRI, states that the latest trend has shifted from low-carbohydrate intake to smarter carbohydrate intake. Consumers are now looking to get more nutrition per calorie and cut back on empty calories.
Spotlight on ...Daria Artem, founder of Lady Fortunes Inc. takes gourmet desserts to a new level. Personalize and decorate your own cookies. Add quotes to your favorite desserts and send them to loved ones. Discover how fortune cookies can become your new thoughtful, personalized gift with your own custom-made fortune. 
Perfect for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, corporate gifts, or simply saying Thank you. Featured at The Great American Dessert Expo of 2006, Lady Fortunes combines the simplicity of cookies with the novelty of personalization and innovation. Lady Fortunes Inc. will again be featured at the Great American Dessert expo in Atlanta, Georgia June 1-3rd 2007.