News

8/13/09 - Rachel recently attended the San Francisco Gourmet Show. The show had some great products to check out, especially in the cleaning and kitchen tools category. Among Rachel's favorites were: Goodbye Detergent! (Just Say No to Soap!); two lumps of sugar, fusionbrands, and StuckOnTools, the brainchild of a surgeon-turned product developer.  Of course, in kitchen electrics the big story was Cuisinart, and the debut of the company's new Elite food processor collection.  The Cuisinart Elite food processor collection is on retail shelves now and the feedback from users and press has been great. People love the fact that the blade locks in place, the unit is so quiet, among other things. 

 

To read the rest of Rachel's experience at the San Francisco Gourmet Show, please visit her blog.

 

7/17/09 - RLA is proud to announce that we are now working with a new client, CB Holding Corp.  CB Holding is the parent company of three fabulous restaurants: Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, Bugaboo Creek Steak House and The Office Beer Bar & Grill.  Please check out their websites at www.charliebrowns.com, www.bugaboocreek.com or www.office-beerbar.com, and stay tuned for exciting updates to come!

 

                                  

 

 

 

 

5/08/09 - This news post is coming to you from the 2009 Association for Consumer Trends (ACT) Forum in San Francisco.  As always, the forum is jam-packed with fabulous speakers, networking opportunities with seasoned professionals and more than a few beautiful sights.  The activities and fun have been carrying on into the night, too, as we head down to Market Street.  Last night we made our way to the Ferry building and one of the greatest restaurants in San Francisco: The Slanted Door, nestled in the open market area of chocolate eateries, tea boutiques and of course, the incredible, organic Cowgirl Creamery.  A group of us had dinner at this Bay area favorite, where the food is fresh and evocative, and most importantly, delicious.  Overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, The Slanted Door serves modern Vietnamese cuisine blended with delicious local ingredients paired with a riesling-driven wine list.  The restaurant showcases the abundance of local produce as well as ecologically farmed meat, game and poultry found at farms around the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Unwinding after an information-packed day of presentations at The Slanted Door (left to right: Cyndi Harles, President/Publicity Manager, The Blue Ribbon Group; Rosemary Mark, culinary consultant; Rachel Litner)

Our conversation inevitably lead to the return of home cooking, social media and sustainability.  Of course, the fact that we were in such a diverse and multicultural city brought us to the topic of ethnic foods and the use of culturally specific ingredients, as well.  I, for one, am thrilled to see the expansion of ethnic recipes and ingredients, and am thoroughly enjoying experiencing them firsthand at such dining destinations as The Slanted Door.

 

More to come from the Forum soon; in the meantime, check it out for yourself!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/28/09 - In January, Rachel attended the 2009 Housewares Design Awards gala luncheon, presented by HomeWorld Business with educational support from the International Housewares Association at New York City’s Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The awards program recognizes design believed to differentiate a product with unique appearance and/or function. This year’s awards competition marked the debut of the “Green House” awards, honoring eco-responsive housewares design. We are happy to share the news that Cuisinart, our client, received a Green House award for the company’s CleanWater™ Countertop Filtration System.

 

Aside from our own client, there were many great products showcased at the event, representing categories ranging from home recycling to floor care electrics and from tabletop to personal care. Product innovation and design plays a more important role than ever in the housewares industry, as a growing number of programs and trend reports are being offered in 2009. This is evidenced not only through events like the Housewares Design Awards, but also through first-time research reports like HomeWorld Business’ recent Monitor design trend supplement. For more information, visit www.homeworldbusiness.com.

 

In other industry award news, Polder, another RLA client, has been awarded a 2008 GOOD DESIGN™ award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, for its Grocery Bag Trash Can . Products selected for the GOOD DESIGN™ award are based on aesthetic criteria that measures innovation, utility, appearance, quality, and function. GOOD DESIGN™ is an international awards program that recognizes designers and manufacturers for product innovation.
 
Congratulations to our clients and to the entire housewares industry for encouraging and producing outstanding product innovation in 2009!

 

 

Upcoming 2010 Events

 

Green Products Expo
February 18, New York City - http://www.greenproductsexpo.com
The Green Products Expo is designed to facilitate conversations between media and exhibitors about environmentally friendly products and trends in the marketplace.

 

International Home + Housewares Show 2010
March 14th - 16th, Chicago - http://www.housewares.org/show/info/
The International Home + Housewares Show is the world's largest homegoods & housewares marketplace, showcasing thousands of new products and designs in four related product expos. Over 2,000 exhibitors from 30 countries participate annually, and over 60,000 industry professionals attend.

 

Research Chef's Association Annual Conference & Culinology Expo 2010
March 17th -20th, Pheonix- http://www.culinology.com/
The Research Chefs Association is the leading professional community for food research and development. Its members are the pioneers of the discipline of Culinology® — the blending of culinary arts and the science of food.

 

Kitchen & Bath Industry Show 2010
April 14th - 18th, Chicago- http://www.kbis.com/
The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is the world’s largest international trade show event dedicated to the kitchen and bath industry. It is the ultimate destination for viewing the latest and greatest products, designs, trends and education that the industry has to offer.

 

International Association of Culinary Professionals 2010
April 21st - 24th, Portland - http://www.iacp.com
The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is a worldwide forum for the development and exchange of information, knowledge, and inspiration within the professional food  community. With nearly 3,000 members from more than 32 countries, this organization of creative and talented professionals is engaged in and committed to excellence in the food industry.

 

Food Marketing Institute Show Show 2010
May 10th - 13th, Las Vegas - http://www.fmi.org/
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) conducts programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education and industry relations on behalf of its 1,500 member companies — food retailers and wholesalers — in the United States and around the world. FMI’s U.S. members operate approximately 26,000 retail food stores.

 

National Restaurant Association Show 2010
May 22nd - 25th, Chicago - http://www.restaurant.org/
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, their goal is to lead America's restaurant inudstry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation.

 

Summer Fancy Food Show
June 27th - 29th, New York City - http://www.specialtyfood.com/do/fancyFoodShow/Register

Produced by the NASFT since 1955, the Fancy Food Shows are North America's largest specialty food and beverage marketplace.  Annually, the shows attract between 16,000 - 24,000 attendees and 1,300 - 2,500 exhibitors from 81 countries.   250,000 products are exhibited, including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural, organic and more.

 

 

Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting 2010
July 17th - 21st, Chicago - http://www.ift.org/cms/
Founded in 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists is a nonprofit scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government.

 

Retail 2020 Conference
July 28th - 30th, San Francisco - http://www.gourmetretailer.com/

This new conference presented by Gourmet Retailer magazine made its debut in 2008, and invited Rachel as a panel member, discussing public relations tactics for specialty food retailers.  The 2010 San Francisco Retail 2020 Retreat Conference will connect vendors, retailers and entrepreneurs under one roof to establish multi-industry networks that advance collective new business opportunities. The conference provides specialty food and housewares professionals with the benefit of senior executive expertise through various forums, lectures and workshops, offering valuable resources and insider tips from those at the top of their industries.

 

Gourmet Housewares Show
July 31st - August 2nd, San Francisco - http://www.thegourmetshow.com/
Specifically designed for upscale housewares including gadgets, cookware, cutlery, bakeware, tabletop, small electrics, kitchen textiles and specialty foods, the Gourmet Housewares Show is an essential show for specialty retailers and their industry partners. It is the marquee event for everyone serious about making strides in the gourmet housewares category.

 

 

Visit us often to see what's new and exciting at Rachel Litner Associates!

 

"The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living."
- Dione Lucas