KeHE Showcases Emerging Trends and Products to Its Partners at Holiday Show

KeHE Distributors hosted its 2023 KeHE Holiday Show in Chicago. The event brought together the industry’s most sought-after products, cutting-edge brands, and top retailers to tap into the latest trends and stock their shelves before the start of the holiday buying season. 

The Holiday Show featured 300 new brands, 800 exhibitors, and 900 retail buyers, with thousands of industry leaders in attendance. Retailers had the opportunity to buy and sell new products and discover innovation from exhibiting booths, along with exploring specialized areas like the newly added International Pavilion where brands based out of 14 different countries showcased their products.

Deb Conklin, President and CEO of KeHE, made her State of the Industry address, touching on her first three months as president and highlighting what to expect from KeHE going forward. The company plans to invest in innovative new resources and products, specifically fresh products such as cheese, that differentiate and customize KeHE’s service to better suit the needs of its customers. This means tailoring solutions to fit each customer, rather than providing a one-size-fits-all service. Conklin’s “Food. Forward” Strategy will allow KeHE to be a partner for success up and down the supply chain.

“We are so impressed with the unique, high-quality brands that attended our Holiday Show,” said Conklin. “This event is a great opportunity to put passionate, emerging brands in front of retailers searching for exceptional products to sell to their consumers for the holidays. It is also tremendously rewarding to celebrate KeHE’s 70th anniversary with the partners and retailers who have made our achievements possible.”

The KeHE Cares® Foundation assembled 1,000 care packs during the Holiday Show to be hand delivered to military service personnel. Show attendees were also given the option to donate to one of three beneficiaries: Operation Deployed, Texas Airguard Maximum Effort (TAME), and BraveHearts Therapeutic. In addition to the care packs, KeHE Cares donated over 46,000 pounds of food to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  Look for additional information on KeHE’s Summer Show which will take place in February 2024 in Salt Lake City.