Expo Comida Latina Expands To NY.

With the Hispanic population increasing by more than 50 percent since 1990 and the U.S. Census Bureau projecting the group to comprise approximately 24 percent of the country by 2050, Hispanics have become the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. Area food and beverage professionals looking to capitalize on this population growth and the business opportunities associated with it can now take advantage of Expo Comida Latina, the only U.S. based Hispanic food and beverage trade show, which visits the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York on October 21-22.

The New York show is a result of the success of last year’s inaugural Expo in Los Angeles, which brought together hundreds of buyers and sellers of Hispanic foods and beverages. Expo Comida Latina serves as a one-stop marketplace where retail, commercial and institutional foodservice food and beverage buyers are exposed to an array of basic and specialty Hispanic products in order to cater to the broadening and more demanding tastes of Latin food lovers across the country.

National companies exhibiting at the show include McCormick & Co., Inc., Sara Lee Meats, SYSCO Corp., and Pepsi Bottling Corp. Among tri-state based companies, Goya (NJ), Kozy Shack (NY), Hickory Industries, Inc. (NJ), Hill Top Farms Corp. (NJ), La Cena Fine Foods (NJ) and Spanish Food Specialties, Inc. (NJ) will be exhibiting. They will join a large number of international producers in two international pavilions who will provide local buyers the opportunity to source hard-to-find products.

“Expo Comida Latina is a one-of-a-kind trade show for Latin food and beverage products that fills a huge void in the marketplace by bringing together the breadth and quality of exhibitors and visitors unlike any other food expo in the country,” said H Stephen Phillips, ECL’s show director. “As the population changes, more Americans are spending large amounts on food traditionally recognized as Hispanic in origin, and demand for Latin foods in U.S. restaurants is growing at more than 10 percent per year according to Infoamericas. As a result, we thought it imperative to expand Expo Comida Latina to the East Coast.”

Hispanics, who numbered 37 million in 2001 according to the latest Census Bureau, are the largest minority in the U.S, with more than 5 million living in the Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont). In New York City alone, Hispanics make up 27% of the city’s population. In 2002, Hispanics in the Northeast, accounted for 15.6% of the buying power of all Hispanics in the U.S. In New York State, Hispanics represent 9% of the total consumer buying power. *

Diversified Business Communications, organizers of the show, promise this year’s expo to sizzle. Andy Unanue, the Chief Operating Officer of Goya Foods Inc., will be delivering the keynote address on Monday, October 21 at 1:00 p.m. He will discuss trends in the Hispanic food and beverage industry and Goya’s commitment to the Hispanic community. Goya Foods Inc. is the largest Hispanic family-owned business in the United States.

“The taste and food preferences of Hispanic consumers vary depending on their country of origin and other cultural factors and it is important that retailers and food vendors understand these differences and offer a variety of products to cater to their preferences. For example, most recent Latin immigrants are from South and Central America or Mexico,” Unanue said. “Expo Comida Latina enables Goya to strengthen our company’s regional presence and to expand our brand and products to other areas of the country.”

Additional guests such as Maryellen Molyneaux from The Natural Marketing Institute, who will discuss Hispanic consumer trends in the health and wellness market, and Jose Fernandez, President of the Bodega Association of the United States, will also be attending. Celebrity chefs who will present culinary demonstrations include: Douglas Rodriguez, creator of Nuevo Latino cuisine and chef of OLA; Zarela Martinez of Zarela; her son and co-host of the Food Network’s show, “Melting Pot,” Aaron Sanchez; Alex Garcia of Babalu; and Rafael Palomino of Vida.

“Basic Latino foods and ingredients have long been gaining a foothold in the palate of Hispanic and now non-Hispanic consumers in the United States, particularly in out-of-home dining,” Martinez said. “What we are now seeing is an interest in going beyond the basic tastes and incorporating a broader mix of Latino foods into their food purchases at home and away. Expo Comida Latina exposes people to the tremendous variety of Latino products and ingredients now available in the marketplace.”

Expo Comida Latina will be held in Hall A, Level 3 at the Jacob K. Javits Center, located on 11th Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets. In addition to the New York event, Expo Comida Latina will return to Los Angeles at the L.A. Convention Center November 16-18, 2003.

For more information at http://www.expo-comida-latina.com

* Based on information from the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth.