The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has a new name: the Specialty Food Association. The name is effective as of March 1.

The Specialty Food Association, based in New York City, is a not-for-profit trade association for food artisans, importers, and entrepreneurs that is known for its Fancy Food Shows, sofi Awards for the outstanding specialty foods of the year, Specialty Food Magazine and extensive education programs to help industry members succeed in the marketplace.

The name change caps a year-long celebration of the association’s 60th anniversary and comes as membership has reached a record 3,040 companies. It is part of a larger effort to draw attention and focus to the $75 billion specialty food industry with new branding that will be officially launched at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City, June 30 to July 2, 2013.

The new branding is Specialty Food: Craft. Care. Joy. “The brand is designed to express who our members are, honors our history, and sets us on an exciting path for the future,” says Ann Daw, president of the Specialty Food Association. “It makes sense that we now call ourselves the Specialty Food Association.”

The new name and branding were created in collaboration with Roth Partners, a brand advisory firm. In July 2012, the then-named National Association for the Specialty Food Trade selected Roth Partners to lead its branding initiative following a competitive review. To arrive at the new name and brand the firm worked closely with NASFT members and conducted extensive interviews with buyers and consumers.

Despite the association name change, the names Fancy Food Show and sofi Awards will remain the same based on research that showed each has considerable equity and recognition among key constituents. However all association branding will feature new logos and updated graphics.