January 11-13, 2026 at the San Diego Convention Center
All the sunny hospitality of San Diego and an exceptional location such as the San Diego Convention Center will be the “winter home” of the fair dedicated to food and beverage specialties this year.
Winter Fancy Food, one of the most important fairs in North America and, according to many experts, one of the most influential in the world today, has undergone a change of look and name.
Together with its summer counterpart, Summer Fancy Food, it is one of the most important global events for the entire food and beverage sector.
The event is owned by the Specialty Food Association, the leading food network in the United States, founded in 1952 in New York by importers and entrepreneurs: a non-profit association with over 3,000 members in the United States and abroad.
The Italian Pavilion, organized and curated by Universal Marketing, the exclusive agent for Italy of the Specialty Food Association, once again represents a unique opportunity for Italian producers to connect with the international market, showcasing the best of our country’s gastronomic tradition and innovation.
The Italian Pavilion, which for decades has been a symbol of excellence and a benchmark for the promotion of Made in Italy in the agri-food sector, will be located in a strategic position at the entrance to the international area and will host 80 stands for a total of about 60 participating companies, spread over a net area of over 800 square meters.
Inside, there will be the ICE Lounge, with areas dedicated to cured meats and cheeses, Italian aperitifs, and coffee, designed to showcase the best gastronomic excellence of our country.
Four Italian regions will also be participating: Piemonte, Lazio, Calabria, and Sicily, each with a representation of their distinctive supply chains.
The official opening ceremony of the Italian Pavilion will be held on the opening day of the fair.
In the first eight months of 2025, despite new tariff policies, exports from the sector to the US amounted to $5.7 billion, with growth of 1.8% and a market share of 3.5%, down from 3.7% in the same period last year. Products such as water, pasta, canned vegetables, and processed meats continue to top Americans’ consumer preferences, contributing to Italy’s fourth place ranking in exports in this sector, after Mexico, Canada, and Brazil. Despite the generally positive trend in imports from Italy, some categories recorded reductions in imports compared to the first eight months of 2024: wine -2.7%, oil -12.5%, cheese -15%, vinegar -15%, ice cream -0.9%.
As the Specialty Food Association introduces Winter FancyFaire*, our first new trade show in more than 25 years, it’s so wonderful to be working with our long-term partners from Italy and Universal Marketing. Our shared commitment to innovation and quality will be on full display in the beautiful Italian Pavilion, where manufacturers from across the country will showcase the newest and best in Italian specialty food. From the show floor to San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood, the influence of Italian cuisine will shape Winter FancyFaire* and delight all show participants. – said Bill Lynch, President of the Specialty Food Association
With the valuable collaboration of the organizers, SFA and Universal Marketing, we are happy to present the Italian agri-food sector in San Diego, the new location of the fair for 2026.
Here in California, we are also proud to celebrate the recent inclusion of Italian cuisine in UNESCO’s intangible heritage with a lounge showcasing the excellence of national production. ICE New York supports Italian companies that fly the flag for quality, widely recognized by American visitors and buyers who, despite tariffs, continue to appreciate and trust Italian products. – said Erica Di Giovancarlo, Director of the ICE Agency in New York and Coordinator of the US network.
Winter Fancy Faire*2026 comes at a particularly significant time for Italy.
As always, having such a large and qualified presence at one of the world’s leading agri-food events is a source of great pride for our entire country.
Once again, this year, Italian participation has been extraordinarily high, a strong signal that confirms the confidence of our companies and recognizes the value of over thirty years of work dedicated to this exhibition project.- said Donato Cinelli, President of Universal Marketing and exclusive agent for Italy of the Specialty Food Association.