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5WPR News · Published July 1, 2015

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Growing Gourmet: Key Takeaways from 5WPR's Food and Beverage Event

growing gourmet food and beverage event at 5wpr
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Last night, 5W Public Relations’ Food PR & Beverage PR and Restaurant & Hospitality Division hosted a thought leadership and insight-sharing event, “Growing Gourmet,” at the close of the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show. With over 40 guests in attendance, the event featured a panel discussion with industry experts George Duran, celebrity chef & author of “Take this Dish and Twist It,” Charles Passy, writer for Wall Street Journal & MarketWatch.com, Jaclyn London, MS, RD & CDN, Nutrition Director for Good Housekeeping Institute and Stephanie Cain, contributor to Brides, Esquire and Specialty Food News. Throughout the evening foodies, wine connoisseurs and industry leaders mingled to discuss trends and takeaways from this year’s event. Of course, no food event is complete without delicious fare, which was not only provided by Duran but was prepared with flair during an interactive cooking demonstration. Between Duran’s famous Grilled Skirt Steak with Guasacaca Sauce and a wine tasting, the night was filled with mingling and discussion. If you happened to miss it or need a brief recap, below are a few key takeaways:
  • Health Benefits: The discussion touched upon the continued proliferation of messaging in the food space. Attendees noted that with the many types of labeling being pushed on-pack and off, it can be difficult for consumers today to judge what is actually beneficial and what is branding.  Chef George Duran laughed about some of today’s “healthy” foods stating that, “yes you can be eating an actual bean chip (corn and starch free) but when you compare the fat ingredients to a kettle cooked chip you are still eating a bag of potato chips.”
  • Trends on the Rise: Panelists commented that food makers in the US continue to make everything into a snack, from chick peas to beets to flavored peanuts. Further, panelists noted that the “eat local” trend remains popular, as the “Made in NY” section of the event was well-attended throughout the show.
  • Does Packaging Matter: YES! The emphasis on packaging in the food industry seems to be growing. We are seeing a heavy emphasis on great package design and packaging today that look more like works of art. In terms of color, the panelists agreed that both bright and pastel colors were seen evenly throughout Fancy Food 2015.
All in all, 5W’s Growing Gourmet event was a huge success! To see the rest of the photo's checkout the Growing Gourmet album on the 5W facebook page! Until next year you Fancy Food foodies!
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , his writing on AI communications and brand reputation is published on his personal site, and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. He continues that commentary on his own publishing platform , where he writes about reputation, crisis, and AI-mediated discovery. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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