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Sunbelt
Shows was organized in 1988 as a sole proprietorship to produce the
first National Fiery-Foods Show. The owners were Dave DeWitt and
Mary Jane Wilan, a husband-wife team. The company was incorporated
in 1990 and produced additional shows including the Miller
Motorsports Expo and the Albuquerque Home Show. The National
Fiery-Foods Show moved from hotel venues to the Albuquerque
Convention Center and grew quickly from year to year. After starting
with 37 exhibitors in 1988, by 1994 the show had 123 exhibitors in
30,000 gross square feet. By 1998 the show had switched to larger
halls twice and had 265 exhibitors in 60,000 gross square feet.
Fiery-Foods
Magazine launched in late 1996 as a tabloid trade publication,
and the Fiery-Foods SuperSite at www.fiery-foods.com was launched
the same year. Later, the word "barbecue" was added to
both the magazine and the website to expand the coverage. In 1997,
the first Scovie Awards Competition was held.
In
2001, Fiery-Foods & Barbecue Magazine was
re-launched as a consumer publication and gained national newsstand
distribution, though it still has controlled circulation to the
fiery-foods and barbecue industries.
Sunbelt
Shows, Inc. continues to produce the annual National Fiery Foods
& Barbecue Show, publish
the magazine and this website, and produce the Scovie Awards
Competition. |
