Nov 27, 2007

-- WINNER TO RECEIVE $2,500 --




ARLINGTON, VA — November 27, 2007 — You may be ready for Vegas, but is Vegas ready for you?




Food Marketing Institute (FMI) will showcase the food retail industry’s performance talent in the new FMI Idol competition. The contest begins online with auditions and voting and culminates in live performances at the new FMI After Hours dinner event on May 5, 2008 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Attendees will select the FMI Idol winner who will receive $2,500.



     
Individual performers such as singers, dancers, musicians, impressionists, comedians or jugglers who plan to attend the FMI Show plus MARKETECHNICS® can participate in the competition.




"Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, is the right place to launch the new FMI After Hours event featuring the FMI Idol finalists. The evening is intended to provide a relaxed networking environment for developing business relationships and demonstrating previously unknown or inactive performing talent in search of industry recognition," said Brian Tully, Senior Vice President, Conventions, FMI.




The FMI Idol competition will roll out in three phases:




Phase I

Auditions: November 26, 2007-February 15, 2008

Attendees to the 2008 FMI Show plus MARKETECHNICS® can upload their video audition clips to www.fmishow.com.




Phase II

Voting: February 15, 2008-March 31, 2008

FMI staff will evaluate each audition clip and post those that meet entry criteria to the website, where all site visitors — not just attendees — can vote online for their favorite performer. Up to five finalists will be chosen based on a simple popular vote. Finalists will be notified by April 15, 2008.




Phase III

Performance: May 5, 2008

Finalists will perform at FMI After Hours on May 5, 2008, as part of the final component of the FMI Idol competition at the 2008 FMI Show plus MARKETECHNICS®. Audience members attending FMI After Hours will choose a winner who will receive $2,500. The 6:30pm-9:00pm event includes the FMI Idol performances, live music and a dinner buffet. Tickets cost $125.




The 2008 FMI Show plus MARKETECHNICS® runs May 4-7, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. Food retail and wholesale operators from around the world will see the latest consumer product trends and explore strategies for satisfying customers and generating growth. FMI anticipates more than 800 exhibiting companies, with a projected attendance of more than 20,000 people.




Visit www.fmishow.com for more information and to submit an audition clip for a chance to see your name in lights!