The 11th Americas Food & Beverage Show will open September 24-26 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, offering international buyers and sellers three days of unparalleled business and networking opportunities.

Expected to attract more than 5,000 retailers, distributors, importers, food service professionals and exhibitors from across the U.S. and around the globe, the 2008 Americas Food & Beverage Show is a proven gateway to new products and global F&B trends of the future. Over the past decade, the show, presented by the World Trade Center Miami with support from the FAS and USDA, has generated more than $200+ million in sales for exhibitors and attendees.

According to show director Jelena Meisel, the 2008 show will debut three new pavilions in response to buyer demand: Wine, Equipment and Kosher. Adding even more excitement is the expanded Organics & Natural Foods Pavilion, the annual Americas Chef Competition organized by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, the New Products Showcase, and return of the HOT TOQUES Parade, an exclusive signature event saluting South Florida's top chefs.

"This year's show promises to be our biggest ever with thousands of innovative new products from the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, top-tier buyers, and a full schedule of events, educational seminars and extras."

Extras begin with the annual Americas Food & Beverage Awards and Cocktail Reception Tuesday, September 23, the eve of the show's opening date. An International Buyers' Reception, Cigars & Rum evening, and other activities are planned for relaxed networking and a chance to savor a taste of the host city, Miami. Coincidentally, the 2008 Americas Food & Beverage Show runs concurrently with Miami Spice Month, giving attendees a chance to experience some of the city's most exquisite cuisine and finest dining venues at fixed, value-based prices.

Launched by the World Trade Center Miami in 1998 to promote bilateral trade for the food and beverage industry throughout the Western Hemisphere, the Americas Food & Beverage Show evolved into an important international event within a single decade.

In 2007, the Americas Food & Beverage Show drew nearly 4,000 attendees from 56 countries including Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Morocco, Portugal, Ukraine, Italy, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Turkey; representing every continent on the globe except Antarctica.

Fully 89 percent of Americas Food & Beverage show attendees either directly authorize or recommend purchasing decisions across the spectrum of the food retailing, distribution, sourcing, hospitality/culinary arts and foodservices industries.

"This is a show formatted to give international buyers what they want," says Meisel. "In structuring this year's event, we actually polled global buyers to determine the kinds of products they wanted to see, and then we set out to find exhibitors in those categories. As a one-stop show that gives retailers and foodservice professionals a chance to see, feel, touch and taste what's new or different from around the globe, we are constantly streamlining the matchmaking process for both buyers and sellers."

Meisel adds that as a trade event sponsored by the World Trade Center Miami, the goal is to facilitate deals between buyers and sellers, importers and exporters worldwide. "Our criterion for success is simple -- how many deals were made."

According to Meisel, there is a huge opportunity for U.S. companies to build their businesses by exporting, especially throughout Latin American and the Caribbean where demand is high. Still, very few U.S. companies take advantage of this avenue to profits and growth. "Through our partnerships with foreign and local trade organizations, educational seminars and training sessions, the Americas Food & Beverage Show can open the door to successful exporting for any firm," says Meisel.

Conversely, foreign companies are eager to place their products on America's profitable grocery shelves. "The U.S. represents a $1.7 trillion dollar marketplace for food and beverage products, with Miami an important nexus for trade," she adds.

Registration for the 2008 Americas Food & Beverage Show is now open online at http:///www.americasfoodandbeverage.com or by contacting the World Trade Center Miami at 305-871-7910. For additional details on the 2008 Americas Food & Beverage Show, visit http://www.americasfoodandbeverage.com or contact Jelena Meisel, jmeisel@worldtrade.org; phone: 305-871-7910.