Article Membership 1 min read

Membership Hack: Hall of Fame

Each year, the Specialty Food Association inducts a handful of people into a hall of fame celebrating industry leaders. The program showcases SFA innovators and draws positive media attention.

Tim Ebner

May 11, 2018

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How to hack it? Since 2015, the Specialty Food Association has inducted industry leaders into its hall of fame  (opens in a new tab)—a program that’s both member- and mission-driven. Each year, SFA members nominate candidates, and a Hall of Fame Committee selects a handful of recipients.

“The mission of Specialty Food Association Hall of Fame is to honor individuals who have achieved innovative success while making a positive impact within the industry,” said SFA President Phil Kafarakis in a statement  (opens in a new tab) announcing this year’s honorees. He said the 2018 hall-of-famers “are specialty food pioneers who have been integral to industry growth and exemplify the vision of our association, ‘To shape the future of food.’”

Why does it work? The hall of fame puts a spotlight on innovative people who have made significant advances in the food industry. Recipients are invited to attend the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City for an induction ceremony.

What’s the bonus? In addition to honoring the food industry’s best and brightest, the hall of fame garners media attention for SFA. In the past, local media  (opens in a new tab) and trade publications  (opens in a new tab) have covered the announcement leading up to the induction. And after the ceremony, honorees’ stories live permanently online at SFA’s Hall of Fame website  (opens in a new tab).

(Bborriss/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Tim Ebner

Tim Ebner is communications director and press secretary at the American Forest & Paper Association in Washington, DC. He is a member of ASAE’s Communication Professionals Advisory Council and a former Associations Now senior editor.

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