161. Should You Go? Choosing Events & Shows That Will Move Your Food Brand Forward

How to decide which local, regional, or national shows make sense for your food business in 2026 based on your brand strategy and goals.

Planning events for 2026? In this episode, your hosts Katie Mleziva (Real Food Brands) and Clint Matthews (Start Right Foods) break down how to choose the events that actually support your goals — instead of getting swept up in FOMO or the pressure to "be everywhere."

From local consumer festivals and regional distributor shows to big national expos and retail-specific gatherings, there's no shortage of options. The key is choosing the ones that match *your* business stage, resources, and business goals.

You'll hear stories about events they've attended — from small community tastings to Fancy Food — and what they learned about sales, visibility, distribution, and opportunity cost along the way. Plus, they share a simple decision filter you can use to evaluate whether an event is worth your time, energy, and budget.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to align event types with your 2026 business goals
• Choosing between consumer-facing, buyer-focused, supplier, and networking events
• Why timing, bandwidth, and inventory capacity matter
• Clint's experience with distributor and retailer shows (and what actually paid off)
• How to avoid overcommitting — placing your bets on the right events
• A simple 3-question filter that helps you decide whether an event is worth attending

Whether you're just starting to think about events or you're mapping out a full calendar for 2026, this conversation will help you make confident, aligned decisions that move your business forward.

👋 Join Katie and other food business owners in the Real Food Brands Marketing Roundtable on Facebook to talk about specific events & industry shows. You'll find the link in #2, below.

WHAT TO DO NEXT?

1. 📧 Katie's Friday Newsletter includes a Weekly Worksheet to help you apply these ideas directly to your food business. Sign up here.

2. 💬 Join the Conversation! Tune in to the podcast, then join us in the Real Food Brands Marketing Round Table - a free food & farm business owner community - to ask questions and meet other people who love producing real food as much as you do!

3. 📞 If you're ready to talk about building a clear, cohesive brand or integrating your brand + sales strategy, you can Request an Intro Call to discuss the ways we work with food, farm, and natural product brands.

Thanks for listening – let's go shake up shopping carts!

Katie Mleziva

Host & Food Brand Strategist | Real Food Brands