We anticipate CFA Round 15 to open soon and are excited to share that NYS Empire State Development is resuming their CFA Roadshow Town Halls across the region this year to help the business community to understand the grant programs available through NYS for various large and small business (non-retail) assistance. Town Halls will be held in Huntington, Oyster Bay, Riverhead, Islip and Hempstead.
Category: Marketing
2024 Export Week
Kick off World Trade Month with America’s Export Experts Offering Virtual Informational & Training Sessions
Join the U.S. Commercial Service – America’s Export Experts – for a series of virtual tradecraft & industry-focused seminars during Export Week 2024 May 6-10 as well as throughout the month.
Sign up for one or more of these sessions. Specially designed for exporters of all experience levels.
In 20+ sessions, we’ll cover these areas and more:
- Industry-specific Exporting Guidance
- Sales & Marketing
- Export Finance
- Export Documentation
Is Your Business Prepared if UPS Goes on Strike?
The LI Food Council has a new member ready to help with last-mile delivery in case of a UPS strike. Trellus is a Same-Day, on-demand Local Delivery Service and Marketplace that helps small businesses compete against Amazon and big-box e-commerce retail stores. They’re also a regional UPS alternative for deliveries across Long Island and Westchester and by scheduled request into New York City, Southern Connecticut, New Jersey, and beyond.
Trellus was just profiled by News 12 Long Island. They’re now educating other small businesses about the looming UPS strike and what’s at stake. In their blog article, Trellus details why diversifying your logistics is critical at this time.
Don’t be stranded by major carriers in the event of a UPS strike! Visit www.bytrellus.com to learn more, or give them a call at 1.833.562.2554.
Manufacturing Trade Show
Driving Growth Through Digital Marketing
Are you struggling with your marketing efforts to attract your ideal customer? Attempting to be everything to everyone, unfortunately, leads to being nothing to no one.
This hands-on workshop, brought to you by FuzeHub, is focused on achieving results with practical tools and advice. We will not only provide tips on how to fine-tune your marketing efforts but also walk you through relevant workshop exercises to get you on your way to improving your digital marketing efforts and ultimately driving growth. It is a fast, focused, and interactive event for established manufacturing companies who want to power business growth through proven techniques. This virtual event is led by industrial marketing experts and consists of three one-hour tracks that will give you the tools to build personas and power both inbound and outbound marketing.
World Trade Week – 2021
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: TONY UPHOFF
President and CEO of Thomas, the parent company of Thomasnet.com
INTRODUCTORY MESSAGE: GINA M. RAIMONDO
U.S. Secretary of Commerce
CO-CHAIRS:
ANDREA RATAY
Vice President, CICP, Global Trade Finance at TD Bank and chair of the New York District Export Council
SAM RUDA
Director of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Port Department
Registration: https://bit.ly/2PnuGiC
For More Information, please visit: www.worldtradeweeknyc.org
The Long Island Food Council is proud
to be a partner of World Trade Week – 2021
Upcoming Global NY Supported Events
Considerations for Leveraging the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement “USMCA”
May 11 and 18, 2021, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Virtual platform via Microsoft TEAMS
Registration: Email Tammi Parsons, SBA at tammi.bennett@sba.gov
Join us for this two-part webinar series to learn what changes this new Free Trade Agreement has for your business, how to qualify your goods, and properly declare them. See below for topics in each part.
Part 1:
• Understanding USMCA – What’s new & different?
• Lessons learned
• Informed compliance
Part 2:
• New procedures – Qualifying your goods & navigating rules of origin
• What data elements are required on the certificate of origin
• What supporting documentation you will need from your suppliers
Virtual India Trade Mission
May 26-27, 2021
REGISTER HERE
The USDOC Commercial Service Offices in New York State and Global NY are teaming up to help your company find customers and partners in India through a virtual trade mission. This two-day event, hosted by U.S. Commercial Service India, will help New York State companies find and meet with prospective partners in India all from the comfort of your own home or office through a virtual platform. We’re actively recruiting interested businesses in the following sectors: Aerospace and defense, Environmental technologies, Renewable energy, Education tech.
How can STEP help?
Qualifying companies can apply for STEP 8 grant funding to offset up to 70% of the cost of $1,000 or $700 in reimbursement. Education tech does not qualify for STEP funding.
Multi- Sector Virtual Trade Mission to Mexico
Hosted by Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors’ & Premiers’ (GSGP)
Monday, June 21 – Friday, July 2, 2021
Registration Deadline: April 23, 2021
MORE INFORMATION
GSGP is leading a multi-sector virtual trade mission to Mexico. Similar to an in-person trade mission, each participant will receive a customized schedule of B2B meetings to meet with prospective customers and business partners.
How can STEP help?
Through use of the STEP Grant, 70% or $700 of the $1,000 participation fee will be reimbursed. Additionally, the market research and customized appointment setting (typically a fee of $2,900) will be provided complimentary.
PARTNER EVENTS AND RESOURCES
Webinar: The Basics of ITAR
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST
REGISTER HERE – Cost: $50
Avoid costly penalties by getting a grip on the basics of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). During this seminar you will gain a better understanding of how the ITAR affect your international shipments, technical data, and employee travel.
You will learn:
USML classification
Licensing and exemptions
What specially designed and SME mean
How to manage inventories
How to meet the requirements of being an ITAR registered entity
MEDinISRAEL Conference – NY Payer Panel
Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 12:20 – 1:10 ET
REGISTER HERE
Israeli digital health startups are transforming healthcare with amazing technical breakthroughs, primarily through solutions sold to providers and bio-tech. Health plans can also attain significant financial gain, but to-date there has been far less engagement between this sector and the Israeli digital health sector. This panel will provide a discussion with senior executives from significant payers operating in New York on the challenges and “pain points” they face, and some of possible ways in which the Israeli digital health ecosystem may be able to address these pain points. For more information on the MEDinISRAEL Conference please view the full agenda here.
‘RAISE’ Market Intelligence to Grow Your Exports – Webinar for New York State Rural Businesses
Thursday, May 6, 2021
REGISTER HERE
Join the U.S. Commercial Service for a complimentary webinar to learn about services offered for rural exporters, including Rural America’s Intelligence Service for Exporters (RAISE). RAISE market research reports can offer your company targeted intelligence to help maximize your export sales. In addition, learn how Empire State Development/Global NY can assist with grant funding to reimburse your company for using RAISE and other CS services, participating in trade events, and more.
Entrepreneur Roundtable Accelerator Summer Program 2021
Monday, June 21, 2021 – Friday, October 8, 2021
Application Deadline: Monday, April 26, 2021, 11:59 p.m.
APPLY HERE
The companies selected to participate in the four-month program will receive a $100,000 investment and the potential for follow-on funding from ERA’s Fund. As entrepreneurs with decades of experience in business, technology and early-stage venture capital; ERA has successfully founded, built, run, sold and financed businesses. Through ERA you will have access to the most experienced entrepreneurial experts in NYC, all of whom are on deck to help solve every type of operating and strategic problem startups encounter.
Grow-NY Food & Agriculture Business Competition
Application Deadline: Thursday, July 15, 2021, 5:00 p.m. EST
REGISTER HERE
The Grow-NY competition is for start-ups with growth potential in food and agriculture. Applicants must be an established business entity in the food, beverage, and/or agriculture space. Examples of food and agriculture startups include, but are not limited to, companies that: Research and design new crop varieties; Offer new methods and/or tools to support the efficient growing, monitoring, and harvesting of crops and livestock; Offer new and/or improved methods for producing, preparing, and packaging food and beverage products or ingredients; Represent high-growth opportunities for new and innovative food and beverage products or ingredients.
World Trade Week 2020
World Trade Week 2020
World Trade Week 2020 will be held on May 12, 2020. The theme of this year’s event will be Food and Beverage. Steve Hindy, Brooklyn Brewery founder will be the keynote speaker. Here is the link for the event. https://www.worldtradeweeknyc.org/.
Global NY Trade Mission to South Africa
Empire State Development’s Global NY division is coordinating a trade mission to South Africa on June 1- 6, 2020. This is a great opportunity for Long Island businesses looking to learn more about South African markets and make business connections. Grant funding is available for eligible businesses that can offset the costs of travel- you can find more information about that here:https://esd.ny.gov/global-ny-state-trade-expansion-program-step.
If you are interested in learning more or participating in the trade mission you can reach out to globalny@esd.ny.gov. More details can be found on the flyer below and feel free to share this information with any businesses that may be interested.
USDA Accepting Applications for Trade Mission to North Africa
Contact: press@fas.usda.gov or (202) 720-7115
USDA Accepting Applications for Trade Mission to North Africa
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is recruiting interested U.S. exporters for its first 2020 trade mission, which will take place in Casablanca, Morocco, March 16-19. The mission will focus on boosting U.S. agricultural exports to all of North Africa and will include interested buyers not just from Morocco, but from Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia as well.
This will be the second USDA trade mission to Africa within six months, supporting the Administration’s Prosper Africa initiative to foster two-way trade and investment between the United States and Africa. With North Africa’s growing demand for food and feed products, the region is fertile ground for U.S. agricultural export sales.
Morocco, in particular, is a promising market thanks to the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement and the country’s high-quality infrastructure and stable economy. Morocco is ranked by the World Bank as the second-easiest place in the Middle East and North Africa to do business and, in 2018, the country imported $595 million of U.S. agricultural and related products.
While in Casablanca, trade mission delegates will participate in business-to-business meetings with potential customers coordinated by local staff from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). FAS and industry trade experts will also guide participants through in-depth briefings and site visits to provide insights into exporting to the region.
The deadline to apply for the North Africa trade mission is January 16, 2020.
For additional information, visit https://www.fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions
or email trademissions@fas.usda.gov.
Additional USDA trade missions planned for 2020 include:
- Philippines, April 20-23
- Spain and Portugal, June 8-11
- United Kingdom, September 14-17
- Australia and New Zealand, October 19-23
- Peru, November 2-5
- United Arab Emirates, November 15-18
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
FREE WEBINAR – Best Practices for Branding and Marketing Your Restaurant
Please join marketing expert, chef, and restaurant ownerMarcus Guilianoandfood, beverage & hospitality attorneyJeanne Hamburg, for a not-to-be-missed webinar providing tips on how to set your restaurant apart and bring in new patrons.
From Marcus, learn the top psychology triggers to use in emails, websites, business cards, and every other guest interaction, as he covers how to implement psychology-based marketing on all your platforms.
We have all been frustrated with marketing that doesn’t work. And then there are times we run a campaign that gets decent results. Confusion reigns when sales reps – from radio, to magazines, to banner ads – walk in and give you conflicting advice. What gives when it comes to marketing? There proven tactics you can use that, when implemented, can influence the brain to buy. When it comes down to it, the brain is lazy. There are close to two dozen reasons why the brain will make a quick decision and buy in a split second. It’s the same split-second decision that you use when you sit at the bar and meet the bartender.
From Jeanne, learn how to protect and enforce your rights in your restaurant’s name, design and website content, how to protect your restaurant from copycats, and create new revenue streams through merchandising your brand.
As a restaurant whose brand is critical to attracting new patrons, and retaining loyal ones, you will, or already have, faced those who use your restaurant’s name, website, or even an interior design similar to yours. By mastering the best practices for protecting these important assets, you can confidently handle these challenges and even create new revenue streams through merchandising. You will learn how to select and protect your brand as well as how to protect your restaurant’s unique design. So that you can promote all the favorable reviews you have received, you will be given guidance on how to handle rights clearance for using customer testimonials and photos in social media and on your web site. You will also learn how copyrighting your website can discourage copycats and assist in enforcing your rights, and the essentials of a good website development agreement, privacy policy and terms of use. And finally, you will also learn the types of contracts critical to merchandising your restaurant-branded food, beverage and other products.
When: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Where: Zoom Meeting
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/795602385
One tap mobile
+19294362866,,795602385# US (New York)
+16699006833,,795602385# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID:795 602 385
Social Media Educational Series Post Event
A Successful Food and Beverage Networking Event
On March 8, 2019, the vibrant conference room at the Hotel Indigo East End was jam-packed with members of the Long Island Food Council. Attendees enjoyed another successful food and beverage networking event – the first of the year’s Educational Series, Social Media Tips To Market Your Company’s Products. While Michael Tucker, President of the Long Island Food Council, welcomes all and kick starts the lively gathering, moderator Jane Shearer of Suffolk County Community College leads the food and beverage minded group through a 3-hour educational journey.
Cynthia Colon, Program Manager – MTRC at Stonybrook University informs the group of incentives and grant opportunities the MTRC offers to food and beverage companies on Long Island.
Sonja Reinholt Derr, director of marketing for Times Review Media Group, shared many poignant marketing tactics and storytelling strategies which have proven to be useful for the Media Group’s various brands. Sonja shared some published news stories, which ones were more successful than others and stressed the importance of tracking your marketing efforts.
Social Media / Marketing gurus Sal Conca (salconca.com), Michael Rudes (TunedUp Media), and Jena Bitsko (Hotel Indigo East End) all shared their industry expertise stressing the importance of identifying company brand and tips on social media in today’s ever-changing environment.
Professional photographer Jim Lennon (jimlennon.com) and Ralph Masullo, Assistant Professor of Photographic Imaging Program SCCC explained the how-to techniques for photographing products. Attendees learned one aspect of making a great photo is to place a high concentration on the light source.
During the 40-minute Q & A attendees enjoyed a farm to table lunch provided by the chefs at Hotel Indigo. During lunch this active discussion allowed panelists to take some of the mystery out of Facebook, Instagram, e-mail marketing, as well as other forms of reaching targeted niches. Members engaged with industry leaders and took full advantage of the networking opportunities always available at a LIFC event.
A big thanks of support to our LIFC 2019 Gold Sponsors – Mazars USA and Uncork New York and, to our 2019 Silver Sponsor – Water Lillies, Brown & Altman, LLP, and Rechler Equity, the moderator, panelists, and host – Hotel Indigo East End. Thank you to all attendees, we look forward to seeing you at our next event.
Not a member? Click here to learn more.
Post MTRC/LIFC Consultant’s Meeting
On Feb. 27, 2019, the Long Island Food Council in partnership with Manufacturing and Technology Resource Consortium (MTRC) held an educational meeting for the LIFC members who are acting consultants in their area of expertise.
The Evening’s Highlights:
- Upon arrival, each consultant received a folder containing information about MTRC programs.
- Cynthia Colon presented the requirements and steps needed to apply, qualify, and receive the MTRC consulting and manufacturing grants.
- Michael Tucker, President of the LIFC further detailed the value, support, and incentives the MTRC offers to food and beverage companies on Long Island.
- Members enjoyed a delicious three-course dinner in the vibrant setting of Sage Bistro in Woodbury
- Good vibes and lots of fun!
The LIFC networking meetings and educational seminars are an excellent opportunity to connect with professionals and grow your business!
Check out our calendar. There’s many exciting things happening in the coming months. We’re looking forward to seeing you at our next event.
Food companies use Women Owned label to showcase female leadership
The certification and label is an initiative run by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and WEConnect International to create support for women-owned businesses.
5 Things I Learned from Moving to Germany for a Year
Benjamin Conard was a US Ambassador for the 33rd Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange 2016-’17. The Department of State awarded Ben ‘Fellow of the Month’ in April 2017 for his commitment to Entrepreneurship in Germany.
Like all good recent college grads, I was a bit lost. Should I take a risk? Build something new? Find a job? Travel the world? Weeks before graduation, these questions literally kept me up at night. Luckily, I got to answer ‘yes’ to all of them.
I never really thought I had what it took to move to another country. (You know, the really adventurous world-traveler types?) But with some encouragement from my German professor, I applied for a year-long fellowship in Germany. And with even more encouragement from my entrepreneurship professor, I accepted the offer. (Thanks, you two.)
I lived with host families in Cologne and Münster in Western Germany. I did intensive language training for two months, studied a semester at the Fachhochschule Münster, and found a 6-month internship in my field. I experienced culture shock, felt homesick, and even got a ticket from the police while riding my bike (oops).
Just two months before my departure, I founded Five North Chocolate. 9 in 10 start-ups fail – so I figured, ‘why not?’ Well, the soft-launch went well and I fell in love. I was sad to put things on hold, but do I regret it? Not for 1 second. My year in Germany proved to be invaluable and the skills I left with instrumental in making me a better entrepreneur.
Here are 5 things I learned while living in Germany that made me a better entrepreneur:
- You are your best investment
Throughout the year I always questioned if I was wasting my time away from home. But soon realized that I was learning invaluable skills in communication, global understanding, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
At the early stages of any company, it is rarely the idea that is good enough to bring success. The entrepreneur executing the idea plays a much bigger role. Don’t be afraid to spend time on learning new skills that will help you execute your ideas better. YOU are your best investment.
- It’s okay to be embarrassed
On my birthday, my host mom bought me a gift. I was surprised and very thankful, so I told her it was “unnötig” (useless). When I really meant to say “nicht nötig” (not necessary!) She was initially shocked I would say something so offensive… but she quickly realized what I meant and corrected me. I can promise you I’ll never make that mistake again ;-) There were countless situations where I couldn’t properly express myself, but I made mistakes, learned from them, and got better. Was it embarrassing to speak broken German? Yes. But was it the best way to learn? Also yes.
You will never jump into something new as a pro. You will make mistakes, you will fail, and you will learn from them. Sure, it might be embarrassing from time to time, but these moments make you stronger and smarter.
- Listening is more valuable than talking
During my beginning months in Germany, I spent many conversations just nodding along trying to keep up. But it became a great exercise in active listening, a skill every entrepreneur needs.
When you’re the new kid on the block (literally) and can’t quite say what you want to say, how you want to say it, and when you want to say it, you feel pretty unintelligent. But it gives you plenty of time to quiet down, engage, and listen to others.
- It’s okay to ask for help (but first, learn how)
Walking up to a customer service desk isn’t enough to receive help in Germany. You have to actually ask for it. It took me a little while to muster up the courage to demand help when I needed it, but after weeks of bank and cell phone issues, I had no choice. Instead of asking “Können Sie mir bitten helfen?” (Can you please help me?) I finally learned the phrase “Ich brauche Ihre Hilfe” (I need your help.) And it made a world of a difference.
Know where you fall short and know what you can’t accomplish alone. There’s nothing shameful in asking for help when you need it. Just be polite, be direct, and you might just get the helping hand you need.
- Being (and staying) happy is important (and up to you)
As I settled into my new city in Germany, the holidays were quickly gone and the gloomy winter months came rolling in. I knew I had to keep myself happy and healthy. So I joined a gym and rode my bike to and from work every day (about 1 hour). I volunteered at a local fair trade shop and regularly traveled and met with friends. None of these things directly contributed to the development of my business, but they directly contributed to my well-being (see #1).
Your health is your first priority. Without you, there’s nothing. It’s easy to let your mental and physical health get away from you. But if you do, it’ll catch up and zap your energy, creativity, and productivity.
The moral of the story?
Invest in yourself, be vulnerable, listen, ask for help, and stay healthy.
What valuable lessons have you learned from taking big risks?
Let me know in the comments!
View the original article on LinkedIn
Long Island Food Council on Social Media in 2018
As the Long Island Food Council moves toward an exciting 2018, we invite you to participate in all of our social channels.
We have created an online message board where you can ask questions, request referrals, or promote your event/products.
We have LinkedIn groups for food/beverage entrepreneurs on Long Island, as well as our private group for members.
You can always follow our LinkedIn page for articles on the Food & Beverage industry.
Lastly, make sure to sign up for our email list. We send out information on events, meetings, member highlights and much more.
Coming Soon: Long Island Food Council Marketplace!
The Long Island Food Council is looking to bring even more value to it’s members in 2018. We are happy to announce in the coming weeks, an in-depth marketplace for Long Island based products associated with the Food Council.
If you would like to feature your food or beverage product on our marketplace, please do not hesitate to email us at Info@LongIslandFoodCouncil.com
Stay Up to date with the market place and all other news from the Food Council by following us on social media:
Social Media Seminar for Food Beverage Products & Restaurants
LOCATION:
Stony Brook University Incubator at Calverton
4603 Middle Country Road
Calverton, NY 11933
Need help with Social Media for your restaurant or food or beverage product?
Please join the Long Island Food Council for a 3 Hour Hands-On seminar on how to use social media for your startup food & beverage business or restaurant.
There will be an Intro to each platform;
- What’s new on each platform (video, stories, ad objectives etc)
- The Good/Bad of businesses on social media (examples of great posts, and not so great posts)
- Content ideas to get started (editorial calendars, types of posts, etc)
We will cover all aspects of Social Media, including platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. There will be extensive workshops on the Do’s and Don’ts of each platform.
Each session will be capped off with an extended Q & A segment.
Every participant will receive a social media handbook to take home to apply what they learned on their own channels.
Tickets for each session are available here. You can attend as many sessions as you like.
If you are looking to learn social media for restaurants or your food or beverage product, or want to fine tune your marketing on Long Island, please join us at the Stonybrook Incubator at Calverton!
Long Island Food Council unveils new logo by Wink Design Group
The synergies continue within the Long Island Food Council! If you have been following us on Social Media, you may have noticed our new logo on Facebook or even Linkedin. We would like to thank our members at Wink Design Group for coming up with this great design.
Wink Design Group, a woman owned company based out of Port Jefferson, brings over 30 years of branding experience to help our food & beverage entrepreneurs. Wink Design has been a member of the Food Council for over a year, and was featured on this site back in June. You can contact Margie to learn how Wink Design can help your business become a brand by emailing her at margie@winkdesigngroup.com
Wink Design and the rest of our members will be on full display at the LIBN FoodBiz Food & Beverage Expo December 5th – To purchase tickets please click here and use code LIFCWEB to save $6!
Social Media Marketing Trends for Restaurants
The partnership between the Long Island Food Council & Long Island Business News continues to grow. First, the news organization sat down with LIFC President Michael Tucker to share an overview of the group. Next, both parties announced the FoodBIZLI Expo coming in December. What’s Next? Checking in on the current trends in social media for restaurants with our local digital marketing expert Chris Scala. The LIBN was able to catch up with Chris about where the industry is, and how restaurants can take advantage of social media in 2017. Click here to read the entire article!
And make sure you follow us on all other social channels:
July Long Island Food Council Meeting Recap
This month we held our largest Long Island Food Council meeting! Our very own Chris Scala of Driven Local hosted 40 guests at their new headquarters in Islandia. Chris went over some of Driven Local’s new products in relation to the restaurant industry such as Waze Ads, Listings & Review Management, and Driven Local’s Bullseye Display program. As the current webmaster for the Food Council, Chris also gave the group updates on the website, and what is in store for the future.
With every monthly meeting, we give Food/Beverage startups the opportunity to showcase their products in front of the Food Council. First we had the team from Gianni’s Chicken Burgers, All natural Chicken Burgers, crafted with the perfect balance of nutrition & taste. Equipped with a personal grill, we were able to sample all of their flavors including the Original Spinach Chicken Burger, their Gluten-Free Spinach Chicken Burger, the Shiitake Mushroom Chicken Burger & the Grilled Vegetable Chicken Burger!
Next up was entrepreneur, Michael Chalavoutis, Founder & CEO at ALPHA WOLF. Alpha Wolf contains a proprietary blend of nutrients that directly support those with an active lifestyle by refueling both your brain and body. Each ingredient plays a role in enhancing your physical and mental function allowing you to succeed in all of your daily tasks. Michael was nice enough to bring a bottle for everyone!!!
Lastly we met Kelly from All American Wontons, delicious & crispy wontons that are made to order out of the C&C Catering kitchen in Massapequa. She carries many flavors such as Buffalo Chicken, Banana Nutella, Bacon Mac & Cheese & more! Kelly is also selling her wontons in the NEW Nassau Coliseum for the suite catering packages.
We look forward to our next set of events & meetings in August with some exciting news!
If you would like to join one of our meetings, or feature your food/beverage product, please email Info@LongIslandFoodCouncil.com. See you next month!
Member Spotlight: Wink Design Group
The Long Island Food Council contains a vast array of members. From food/beverage startups to restaurateurs and of course to professionals that have their hand in the food and beverage industry on Long Island.
Established in 2013, wink brings 3 creative minds together to help businesses big and small build brand identity and make a lasting first impression.
With the subtly of a wink, but the power of persuasion the wink design group will convey your brand’s story. Wink’s female owned and operated design firm is not big and cumbersome, but small, nimble and approachable. Your company will work directly with the founding partners, crafting design solutions that are fresh, inspired and enduring. Their dedicated team brings 30 years of combined experience in the field of branding, naming, graphics and package design, and we are profoundly obsessed about it. Wink will work tirelessly to grow your brand with unique and adaptive designs. For more samples of our work, please visit their portfolio at www.winkdesigngroup.com/portfolio.
Want to see some of their work? Here are some examples:
Nina’s Fresh Batch
Visual identity and package design were crafted for this new artisan brand. The powerful brand mark sitting atop the white crisp background echoes the decadent and clean ingredients inside. wink design group chose the distinct package structure with an ingredient window, so the consumer could see the irresistible and appealing fruits, nuts, and granola inside.
Jennie’s Organic Macaroons
Red Mill Farms was searching for a brand refresh for its macaroon cookie line. wink design group seized the opportunity to elevate these classic cookies into today’s health conscious market. The simple but effective concept focuses on the delicious coconut cookie taste, but highlight it’s unique gluten free, NON-GMO and organic attributes. Jennie’s Macaroons are sold nationwide in Walmart, and locally in Stop n’ Shop and Whole Foods.
Cheezie Chews
GlobalOne Pet, a California based pet company, came to the wink design group looking to create packaging for their new Cheezie Chews line of dog treats. GlobalOne wanted to highlight their product’s great cheese taste, which would distinguish their treats from the competition. wink worked closely with GlobalOne to establish a brand identity, a new logo and a competitive package. The end result is an 8 sku rawhide and rawhide free line of dog treats currently selling nationwide in PetSmart and specialty pet stores.
Please visit wink design online by clicking here and follow them on Facebook.
Long Island Food Council reaches 500 Followers on Instagram
We are proud to have reached this milestone rather quickly. Our instagram account is responsible for reaching out to new food or beverage entrepreneurs to present at our meetings. Please feel free to follow us on instagram by clicking here. And make sure you follow us on all other social channels:
Driven Local now offering Waze Ads for Restaurants
Our member, Driven Local, is now offering Waze Ads as part of their digital product portfolio. What are Waze ads? Ads on Waze are integrated into the navigation map. Similar to billboards, ads on Waze teach you about what and where things are happening around you. In addition, because Waze is a digital app, you’ll know exactly how many potential guests engaged with your ads.
Zero-Speed Takeover 
A large canvas revealed to your selected audience when their attention is highest (0 MPH)
How it Works: Your creative (logo or food photo) and restaurant location information appear once the driver has come to a complete stop.
Actions: Drive There, Save Locations, Save for Later, Save Offer, and more!
Where Drivers See Your Ad on Waze: Your restaurant is promoted to the top of drivers’ search results. Customers near your restaurant are also exposed to Branded Pins that mark your location on the map.
You Get More Visitors to Your Business: When people tap the ads, they’re provided more information and prompted to drive to your location or save it for later.
If you want more information on what Driven Local is doing with Waze Ads – Contact our member Chris at Chris.Scala@DrivenLocal.com or Call him at 631-619-5939