Diversified Communications has announced the closure of the world’s longest running kosher food trade show after more than three decades.
"Exhibitors feel Kosherfest has run its course," the organiser said. Their statement added: “After a very thorough analysis, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue Kosherfest for 2023. Due to today’s changing supermarket ecosystem and the consolidation of responsibilities in many major supermarket chains we feel we could not provide the value and experience that our audience has come to expect from Kosherfest. We thank our loyal attendees and exhibitors for many years of support.”
Launched in 1989, the annual B2B event had been held in Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, New Jersey, since 2014, and attracted 325 exhibitors and 6,000 attendees in the autumn.
With kosher products readily available in many places, some analysts believe kosher-keeping consumers are increasingly looking for unique food experiences.
Kosher-Palooza, a new event from Fleishigs Magazine and Powwow Events, will attempt to fill the gap at the same New Jersey convention centre that previously hosted Kosherfest. It will be geared to individual consumers, according to its website, with wine tastings, and cooking demonstrations taking place alongside displays of new products.
Kosherfest founder, Menachem Lubinsky, who sold the show to Diversified Communications in 2004 but remained involved in its production, said in a statement: “Looking back, I can proudly say that the show had an amazing run and the impetus for a glorious chapter in the growth of kosher and the Jewish community.
“The last three plus decades of the show was a period when tens of thousands of products became kosher, dozens of huge modern kosher independent supermarkets were launched, there was an explosion of kosher restaurants of diverse themes, dozens of new kosher cookbooks published, and we witnessed the advent of a new era in social media and the Internet to name but a few of these gigantic accomplishments. Kosher became popular in every area of life.”
