NEW YORK (ANA/ A. Zoupaniotis) – Greece will be the Partner Country at the 64th Fancy Food Show that opens at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, New York on Saturday, June 30 and will run until July 2.

More than 83 countries are taking part, while 43 exporters of Greek foodstuffs will be exhibiting in the Greek pavilion organised by Enterprise Greece, as well as another 10-15 companies exhibiting outside the national pavilion.

The official opening will take place at 10 AM local time, after which Archbishop of America Demetrios, Greece’s Rural Development Minister Evangelos Apostolou and the president of the Specialty Food Association Phil Kafarakis, a Greek-American, and the head of Enterprise Greece Elias Athanasiou will inaugurate the Greek pavilion.

The Fancy Food Show attracts more than 50,000 visitors each year, including buyers representing major food chains, restaurants and US importers.

Talking to the Greek-American newspaper “Greek News”, Kafarakis noted that Greece, as partner country, will occupy the center stage at the exhibition.

“This gives them the opportunity to promote their companies, their different cultural values through food and the business environment, to a community of buyers that visit the exhibition. In other words, we offer them an additional competitive advantage,” he said.

Another bonus for the partner country set up this year, he added, was a training program. Kafarakis said he had visited Athens earlier in June for this purpose and spoken to the companies taking part and hoping to get a foothold in the US market, to help them understand the market better.

“I think it is important, since the more training and knowledge we can provide these companies, the greater their advantage will be,” he added. His advice to Greek companies was not to be afraid of the market.

Kafarakis said he was confident about the prospects of Greek food, expecting it to succeed in the same way as Greek tourism had succeeded, by highlighting the unique value of Greek products.

“Greece has wonderful products,” he said.

Organized by Enterprise Greece, the Greek Pavilion will include exhibitors representing the olive and olive oil industries, and other companies showcasing a range of dairy products, honey, marmalades, nuts, and grains.