Food Show at Pier 94

Josh and I went to the Food Show at Pier 94 on Friday afternoon.  This year, for the first time, the Food Show was coupled with the Chocolate Show.  Ricks Picks had a booth so we went to see and of course, taste.  

Perhaps at one point the Food Show was a show that allowed retailers and perhaps consumers to get to know the latest and greatest products.  The show took a bad turn somewhere. 

The pier had broken the event into 4 areas.  One for the Food Show, one for the Chocolate Show and one for Wine Tastings ( like a wine show ) and last an area for presentations. 

The Food Show consisted of anything from restaurants giving away their tastings from the locations such as Howard Beach and Douglaston New York to frozen food to new potato chips to Ricks Picks.  A total weird combo.  Our only interest was seeing new products but then new product places were charging for tastes.  Sort of left us with a bad taste in our mouth.  No pun intended. 

The Chocolate Show was hands down even worse.  Most chocolate places were charging for samples that were put in special $2 bags.  Yes, some places had little bowls of broken up chocolate for tastings but generally that was from companies that you don't need to go to the Chocolate Show for.  Guerlain chocolate can be bought at Dagastinos.   Very strange.

The worst probably will be the wine section and at the end of the day. Vendors might have to rethink the need to come again next year.  People had the ability to take their wine glass and just go from booth to booth and drink up.  My guess it was not a pretty sight by the end of the day.

A total disappointment.  I would have thought that a New York trade show would be cutting edge with interest vs a retail outlet for vendors trying to nickel and dime consumers to taste their wares at an event that people have already paid to get into.  Not sure that is the way to build a new consumer base. Thumbs down!