- RM Staff Writer
- Columns
New York City Wine and Food Festival
The Food Network’s New York City Wine and Food Festival presented by Food and Wine on Oct. 17 to 20 continued its long-standing tradition of designing unique lifestyle opportunities that appeal to everyone’s taste buds. This year, it was “Jets + Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate,” which was presented by Diet Pepsi and hosted by Joe Namath and Mario Batali Oct. 19 at New York City’s Pier 92.
Batali gave his chef coat a rest and donned green and white gear to team up with NFL legend, Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer Namath to host a day of grilling demonstrations, ramped-up tailgate fare and interactive fan-fanatic activities for the family. Like all festival events, proceeds from it benefitted the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.
Representing all aspects of the technology ecosystem, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Jan. 7 to 10 in Las Vegas will feature the world’s largest hands-on showcase of emerging innovation. CES is the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies.
We are in the midst of a digital age that has resulted in astonishing productivity gains for business and extraordinary convenience for consumers, but it also has ushered in an era of unprecedented danger. Gone are the days when a couple of locked doors and a security guard were enough to protect a store.
As the sports licensing world gears up for the Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show in January, it’s clear that there hasn’t been a better time to be involved in licensing products for North America’s top professional sports leagues. Whether it’s Major League Baseball, the National Football League, NASCAR, the National Basketball Association or the National Hockey League, there have never been so many ways for fans to connect with teams and athletes who are their favorites. 
Retailing is about selection, value and being helped by people who are genuinely happy to see you when you walk in, want you to leave happy and look forward to your return. Discovering something special, delightful, satisfying and memorable at a great price is the consumer need that drives all my businesses. I ran a chain of bagel stores, opened a gym, and in 2007, developed and opened a “storehouse” concept furniture store featuring high-end brands at 40 percent to 60 percent off retail.