Looking for a unique holiday gift for that special someone? How about chocolate bath salts? Or perhaps some chocolate salad dressing? Maybe some nice chocolate-covered bacon bites?
Those are just a few of the products featured from the more than 50 vendors scheduled to attend the Chocolate Expo at the Meadowlands Expo Center on Sunday, Nov. 22.
“What we’re trying to present to the public is a combination of chocolate, food, and fun,” said Marvin Baum, founder of the Chocolate Expo and tireless promoter of all things cacao. “It’s an opportunity to bring local producers together with consumers. Many times small companies cannot get shelf space in large box stores.”
Although a smattering of household names like Dove Chocolates will be represented, the bulk of the expo is geared toward smaller, artisanal creators and chocolatiers. Also present will be other food vendors, offering baked goods, cheeses, hummus, soft drinks, pickles, salsas, and more – not necessarily involving chocolate.
Joining them will be chocolate entertainers: celebrity chefs and authors who will share the two stages and provide demonstrations and presentations about chocolate history, recipes, and travel throughout the day.
“The markets were collapsing, then there was Sandy. People were feeling down. What makes people feel better? Chocolate!” –Marvin Baum
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“Rabbi Debbie Prinz is interested in the the role that chocolate plays with religions,” said Baum. “It’s certainly a big part of Christmas and Hanukkah.” Prinz will discuss chocolate history, recipes, and travel.
The acoustic duo Talking Machine will offer musical entertainment between the presentations, and famed mentalist Marc Salem, featured on “60 Minutes,” will present two “chocolate-themed” versions of his Broadway show “Mind Games.”
“On Broadway his act costs $70,” noted Baum. “Here it’s included as part of the fee.”
The price for the day-long event is $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 5-11, and free for children under 5. “Our goal is to keep it family friendly and affordable,” said Baum. “I hope people come and have a good time.”
Consumers becoming more sophisticated
The event is not a grown-up Halloween with attendees walking around with a goody bag collecting treats, Baum said. He likens it more to a wine-tasting, with vendors offering small tasting samples. If patrons like what they taste they can purchase it directly from the vendor on the spot.
In addition to the smaller local providers offering home-crafted products and unusual pairings (chocolate dessert pizzas, anyone?), foreign vendors this year will include Belgium’s renowned Neuhaus Chocolates. “They’re not only high quality, they’re one of the pioneers in the business going back to 1850s,” said Baum.
Joining them are The Grenada Chocolate Company from the West Indies. “A lot of chocolate used to come from Africa,” explained Baum. “Now there are many more sources from Central and South America. Grenada’s claim to fame is they’re the first organic bean-to-bar company.”
Solar-powered and 100 percent organic, the company ships many of their products by sail so as to remain carbon-neutral.
Born at Woodstock
A former marketing manager for a Fortune 500 company, Baum was involved with high-tech digital imaging systems when he met Elliot Landy, famous for his photographs of rock legends like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, and the idea was sparked between them for a 35th anniversary celebration of the 1969 Woodstock music festival. Baum pulled together the event in 2004, featuring a number of acts from the original lineup.
“The Woodstock show got me into the food business,” he recalled, since he had to provide food for the event. Hosting a reception for the show at the New York State Museum, he reached out to local wineries, breweries, and chocolatiers to supply the ingestibles. The reception turned out to be the biggest in the museum’s history and Baum was called back to organize more events later, including an exhibit on chocolate.
So much for his prior career. Baum formed the Baum Image Group and switched his focus to event production.
“We got this started in 2008 in the New York metropolitan region,” he said. His timing was curious. “The markets were collapsing, then there was Sandy. People were feeling down. What makes people feel better? Chocolate!”
With the goal of supporting small businesses, Baum launched the Chocolate Expo in numerous locations throughout the area. He estimates that 30,000 people attended Chocolate Expos at five locations in 2014. Many of his events are held in museums or aquariums as fundraisers for the site. He first brought the expo to Secaucus in 2011 on a trial basis and returned last year.
“We want to come back every year,” he said of the location. In 2014 the event attracted approximately 7,500 chocolate fans to Secaucus. About the same number are expected this year. It will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at The Meadowlands Expo Center, 355 Plaza Drive.
A full list of vendors and schedule of entertainers and presenters is available at thecocholateexpo.com.
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.