Kosher food trade show celebrates 20 years

Kosherfest 2008 (www.kosherfest.com) will offer a vast array of lectures, educational seminars, culinary demonstrations and events for the food professional at its new venue, the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ November 11-12, 2008.

Kosherfest offers the world’s largest trade marketplace for showcasing kosher food, food ingredients and beverages, and provides an opportunity for supermarket retailers, specialty stores, caterers, restaurateurs, food service and hospitality professionals to find the newest products under one roof.

This year Kosherfest celebrates its 20th year, and over the past two decades has helped bring to market more than 100,000 kosher products. Today the kosher food industry is a booming $11 billion business, expected to grow at a rate of 12%.

Kosherfest 2008 will showcase hundreds of new products and more than 300 exhibitors from all over the globe. The show’s 2-day schedule of informative events are designed to help today’s industry professionals learn the trends and address the ever-changing needs of their consumers and clients.

Tuesday, November 11th

Kosherfest Keynote Presentation
State of the Kosher Industry: The Marketing of Kosher Foods
Time: 9:00am – 10:00am
As the kosher food industry continues to grow, more than 100,000 products carry a kosher symbol. Kosher certification can be an enormous marketing opportunity, for companies that can capitalize on this important asset. Over 10 million Americans buy kosher food and U.S. supermarkets are seeing a greater growth in this market over non-kosher sales. Menachem Lubinsky, founder of Kosherfest, will discuss how the industry can use its kosher status to make inroads with different segments of the food market, including retail and foodservice.

Speaker: Menachem Lubinsky, President, LUBICOM Marketing/Consulting

Kosherfest Sushi Competition & Seminar
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
Watch and learn as chefs from Eden Wok, Glatt A La Carte and other restaurants demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of kosher sushi and compete to win “Best Sushi” at Kosherfest. Sushi is quickly becoming sought after in the kosher food industry—come and see why!

Sponsored by: Dagim and Great Kosher Restaurants Magazine

Book Signing
Levana Kirschenbaum, Author of Levana Cooks Dairy Free! & Levana's Table: Kosher Cooking for Everyone
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Levana Kirschenbaum is co-owner of the upscale Levana restaurant, located on the Upper West Side. She is a master chef and a cooking teacher, and gets countless devoted fans for her fearless, practical and nutritious approach to cooking. A native of Morocco, she draws on extensive international culinary influences to develop wonderful whole-foods dishes. Visit her website to find out more about Levana, www.levanacooks.com, or e-mail her at levana@levanacooks.com.

Wednesday, November 12th

Culinary Trends for 2008/2009—Where Does Kosher Fit In?
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am
Be ahead of the pack in product innovation and packaging. Join executive chef Jeff Nathan and a panel of other culinary leaders in a presentation geared towards kosher food purveyors and food manufacturers. It will focus on where the trends are going and what the benefits are to each company. Moderated by Elan Kornblum, publisher of Great Kosher Restaurants International.

Discussions will include: Who is your target audience? How to market your products with edible vocabulary. Labeling…choose your words carefully. Are you on the right track in following today’s culinary trends? What can manufacturers do for “going green”?

Sponsored by: Dagim and Great Kosher Restaurants Magazine

Chef Jeff Nathan is executive chef and co-owner of Abigael’s on Broadway, one of New York’s finest kosher dining establishments. He is chef/host of the television series, New Jewish Cuisine, produced by Jewish Television Network and seen on local public television stations. A cookbook author and frequent celebrity within other forms of media, Chef Nathan is the Director of Culinary Development for the Hain-Celestial Group, Royal Wines Corporation and Allied Old English.

Elan Kornblum, is the Publisher and President of Great Kosher Restaurants International. With the 5th edition due out soon, the full color, upscale coffee table book and their website, GreatKosherRestaurants.com has revolutionized the way diners choose to go eat out. The award-winning publication showcases how kosher dining has evolved remarkably over time. Known as the “Restaurant Guy,” Elan has visited over 500 kosher restaurants worldwide and brings a unique perspective on the kosher food industry.

Preserving Memories Through Jewish Food
Judy Bart Kancigor, Author of Cooking Jewish
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
You taste something you haven’t eaten in decades and instantly you’re transported back in time. Join food writer and columnist Judy Bart Kancigor for a touching, often hilarious look at food and family, memory and nostalgia. Her cookbook, Cooking Jewish, chronicles five generations of the author’s wacky family through its recipes, photos and stories, inviting the reader not just into the kitchen, but into a vibrant world of family and friends. Come hear from Judy and stay for the book signing that will follow.

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This year Kosherfest’s New Products Competition will take place Oct 28th at Career Academy of New York, a culinary school comprised of ethnically diverse students. Prior to the competition, noted chef and caterer Levana Kirschenbaum will teach a course about kosher cooking to students at the school. It will be their first introduction to kosher cooking, sponsored by Kosherfest in celebration of its 20th year.

Kosherfest 2008 will attract more than 6,000 professional attendees and more than 300 exhibitors from all over the world. For information visit www.kosherfest.com or contact Vianna DiGristina at vdigristina@divcom.com.

Kosherfest is co-produced by Diversified Business Communications of Portland, ME (www.divbusiness.com) and Menachem Lubinsky, president and CEO of LUBICOM (www.lubicom.com).

Diversified Business Communications (DBC) specializes in producing international trade events in the food and beverage industry, and brings more than 40 years experience to buyers and sellers together. DBC’s food industry expositions include four internationally recognized seafood shows, the New England Foodservice & Lodging Expo in Boston, All Things Organic in Chicago, three Fine Food and Hospitality shows in Australia, Expo Comida Latina, All Asia Food and Kosherfest.

Menachem Lubinsky is the Chairman & CEO of LUBICOM Marketing Consulting, a strategic marketing firm that also markets kosher foods. He is the founder of Kosherfest, the world's largest international kosher food trade show, and a prominent figure in the Orthodox Jewish Community.