Mobile Food Social Media Marketing Pioneer to Exhibit at WFA Imagine 2012

StitchesnDishes.com, an online platform for mobile food operators and their fans has announced that it will exhibit at the WFA Imagine 2012 Convention and Trade Show on January 8 – 12, 2011.

Stitches ‘n Dishes (https://www.stitchesndishes.com), the brain child of Christopher Ford, a fashion, entertainment and food photographer, and event promoter, and his business partner, Andrew Nicora, an aspiring film director with a family lineage in food and beverage services, is the first marketing, advertising and public relations consultancy to offer services specifically catered to the mobile foods industry in California. While at the Alameda County Fair this Summer, Ford and Nicora recognized an absence of a single source that provides a platform where people can discover new mobile food dining options, reviews and high-quality food photography, and they found even fewer resources available to mobile food operators to connect with their fans. Enter Stitch, a seven-month-old American Staff. Terrier mix / Bichon Frise puppy who inspired the creative duo with his name and his quirky penchant for food.

“The industry needs this service,” said Nick Nicora, Co-Owner at Ovations Food Services, a national food and beverages service, providing alcohol, catering and concessions at California county fair grounds and entertainment venues across the country.

Like the patches in a quilt, Stitches ‘n Dishes combines social networking, blogging, mobile media, press, print distribution and video, creating a buzz and a following that brings people to their favorite dishes. The blog site and newsletter, “The Dish!” provides original articles, reviews and photography, and a print magazine. Ford and Nicora recently debuted their pilot internet TV show, “SND TV,” featuring a candid review of four food trucks at the Off the Grid – SF event at McCoppin Hub in San Francisco. The show can be viewed on the Stitches ‘n Dishes YouTube Channel as well as on the blog website. The website includes information about California county fair dates and events at each of 78 venues, with photos, schedules and Twitter feeds, as well.

“The mobile food industry is completely changing the way people dine. We bring mobile foods directly to the consumer with social networking, mobile media, video, internet and traditional advertising, and in print. We’re exhibiting at Imagine 2012 to introduce ourselves as the pioneer in mobile foods marketing, advertising and PR. There is no single resource that a mobile food operator can turn to for promoting their businesses – specifically, there is no resource that caters to this market segment,” said Chris Ford, Co-Founder at Stitches ‘n Dishes.

Stitch, donned in trademark chef’s hat will make his debut public appearance at the WFA Imagine 2012 Trade Show and Convention on January 8 – 12, 2012 in Anaheim, CA where Co-Founders Chris Ford and Andrew Nicora, along with Editor in Chief, Rodney Washington will give away an Apple iPad 2 WiFi tablet computer in a drawing.

“The iPad 2 Wi-Fi handheld device provides a powerful Point-of-Sales and credit card payment processing tool for mobile food operators, as well as the food reviewers who sample their dishes, so we’re giving two of them away at the WFA Imagine 2012 Convention and Trade Show in January,” said Ford.

Ford and Nicora worked with Ovations Food Services, earlier this year, photographing the 2011 Inaugural Reception for California Governor Jerry Brown in January, as well as the making of the World’s Largest Commercially Available Hamburger at the Alameda County Fair in July for the Guiness Book of Records. Their relationship with Ovations was, in part a key factor in their decision to offer services to the mobile foods industry.

“Stitches ‘n Dishes is creating a buzz around mobile foods and entertainment venues that gives people the opportunity to find events at any of the California fair grounds and their favorite food vendors on one website; it creates a following that increases customer loyalty and fair and event attendance. The industry needs this service,” said Nick Nicora.

More than 1,200 fair CEOs, directors, staff and fair-related professionals, representing more than 150 fairs, festivals and special events from the western United States and Canada are expected to attend the 89th annual WFA Convention and Trade Show at the Marriot Anaheim for four days of education, networking, awards ceremonies and entertainment in January.

“Education is the primary reason that most attendees gather at the WFA Convention,” said Nicora, “our services are the perfect ‘side order’ to provide WFA members with marketing and PR tools for the future.” With its focus turning back to grass roots, this year’s educational program will include more than a dozen topics, including Building a Volunteer Network, Capturing the Media’s Attention, Forming a Nonprofit, Mobile Marketing: What You Need to Know, and many others.

“I am very excited to have Stiches ‘n Dishes as an exhibitor at our 2012 WFA Convention and Trade Show and I believe our industry guests will have a great time getting to know them. It is obvious that they are very passionate about what they do. The WFA Convention and Trade Show will provide Stiches ‘n Dishes with a great networking opportunity to meet with key decision makers in the event industry including fair CEOs and all the major food vendors in the west,” said Carrie Wright, Marketing Director at the Western Fairs Association.

Visit the 89th annual WFA Convention and Trade Show, “Imagine 2012” website https://www.wfaconvention.com/ for ticketing and registration information.

Ford and Nicora believe that their holistic approach, combining traditional elements of marketing and advertising with a constantly shifting social networking paradigm bridges a gap between loyal consumers and the mobile food industry. The consultancy will exhibit its family of marketing, advertising and public relations services packages, specifically designed around the needs of the mobile foods industry, at the convention and trade show.

“We understand that our readers have embraced today’s mobile technology and that it plays an integral part in how they make decisions regarding their mobile dining experience, and they share those decisions with their friends and families. I grew up in the food and beverages industry; I understand the challenges vendors face, and I think that Stitches ‘n Dishes is the premier resource that addresses those challenges head on. Stitches ‘n Dishes allows the mobile food operator to do what he or she does best – create incredible dining experiences, while we work behind the scenes to build a following and secure that customer loyalty you can only find at the grass roots level.” said co-founder, Andrew Nicora.

Ford recently announced that Stitches ‘n Dishes will give away an Apple iPad 2 WiFi tablet computer to a loyal reader in a free drawing on December 31, 2011, as well. The creative duo previously awarded an Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation handheld device, as well as gift certificates at various food trucks. Entry details can be found on the blog website.

About Stitches ‘n Dishes:

Stitches ‘n Dishes, the creation of Christopher Ford and Andrew Nicora, and inspired by “Stitch”, an American Staff. Terrier mix / Bichon Frise, provides marketing, advertising and PR services to the mobile foods industry and it provides consumers with a single source for original articles, reviews, food photography, California fairs and events, discounts, contests and giveaways.

Stitches ‘n Dishes is California’s first provider of a platform that stitches a link between food lovers, entertainment venues and mobile food operators, and the first fully dedicated marketing, advertising and development resource available to mobile food vendors in California.

About Western Fairs Association

Western Fairs Association builds better fairs by presenting the very best business partners to fairs for services, supplies, concessions, entertainment and commercial exhibitors. Founded in 1922 and incorporated in 1945, WFA is a nonprofit trade association serving the fair industry throughout the western United States and Canada. WFA assists in maintaining the highest professional standards within the fair industry through a voluntary network of individuals and organizations, and promotes the prosperity of fairs through educational activities, training programs and legislative advocacy.

Currently, WFA serves more than 800 members, representing fair-related businesses, fair management, fair-board directors, festivals and industry association. This membership is represented by a 21-member elected board of directors that governs the activities and policies of the association.

Website: https://www.fairsnet.org

About Ovations Food Services:

Ovations Food Services, L.P., is a subsidiary of Comcast-Spectacor, Inc. As a division of Comcast-Spectacor, Ovations offers clients the financial strength and stability of being part of the $54 billion Comcast family of companies.

Comcast-Spectacor, the Philadelphia based sports and entertainment firm which owns the Philadelphia Flyers, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Philadelphia Phantoms, the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum, Flyers Skate Zone community ice skating and ice hockey rinks and Comcast SportsNet.

Comcast-Spectacor is also the principle owner of Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly management field New Era Tickets, a full-service ticketing and marketing company for public assembly facilities; and Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company.

Website: https://www.ovationsfoodservices.com

Contact
Christopher Ford, Co-Founder
Stitches ‘n Dishes
916-612-9954