Phoenix Media Network

What Phoenix Media Network does

Phoenix Media Network is a privately held B2B media and events company serving the global fresh food industry, founded in 1985 by Jim Prevor and Ken Whitacre. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, the company operates three award-winning print magazines (Produce Business, Deli Business, and Cheese Connoisseur), digital publications (PerishableNews.com, ProduceBusiness.com, DeliBusiness.com), and a portfolio of annual trade shows and conferences including The New York Produce Show and Conference (celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2025), The London Produce Show, The Amsterdam Produce Show, the Global Trade Symposium, and the Ideation Fresh Foodservice Forum. The company also runs professional share groups, custom publishing services, market intelligence and consulting, and educational programs such as the Foundational Excellence Program with Cornell University and the Culinary Student Immersion scholarships.

The revenue model is multi-stream and sales-led. Direct sales representatives manage territory-based accounts across the fresh produce supply chain — growers, shippers, distributors, transportation providers, retailers, and foodservice operators — selling magazine and digital advertising, e-newsletter sponsorships, trade show booths, conference sponsorships, and share-group memberships on multi-year contracts. CRM is managed through a proprietary platform referred to as Media OS. Secondary revenue comes from recurring share-group subscriptions, custom publishing engagements, and confidential market intelligence consulting that leverages 40 years of industry relationships. International operations are housed in Phoenix Media Network, Ltd. (UK), Phoenix Media Network B.V. (Netherlands), and Asesoria Yentzen Consulting SPA, with physical offices in Boca Raton, Chicago, London, and Amsterdam.

Customer-facing infrastructure spans print distribution, web publishing, live events, social channels (Facebook and LinkedIn), industry awards programs, and educational partnerships with Cornell, University of Delaware, Rutgers, Wageningen University, Institute of Culinary Education, Johnson & Wales, and Le Cordon Bleu. Jim Prevor has received the Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity from SIIA and has been recognized by The Evening Standard, The Sunday Telegraph, The Times of London, and The Wall Street Journal as a leading food-industry commentator. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds in the source material, and no publicly available revenue.

Name

Phoenix Media Network

Legal name

Phoenix Media Network Inc.

Website

https://phoenixmedianet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phoenix Media Network is a 40-year-old, privately held B2B media and events company serving the global fresh food industry through print magazines (Produce Business, Deli Business, Cheese Connoisseur), digital publications, and trade shows in New York, London, and Amsterdam.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Trade Media and Events

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM), Specialty & Niche Channel Distribution (Religious, Comic Shops, Specialty Retail) (MPAJAKAH)

Keywords

• B2B trade media
• Fresh food publishing
• Produce industry events
• Trade show conferences
• Specialty food consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Boca Raton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Print Publishing: Award-winning magazines including Produce Business, Deli Business, and Cheese Connoisseur generating revenue through subscriptions and advertising
2. Digital Publishing: Online publications including PerishableNews.com, ProduceBusiness.com and DeliBusiness.com offering unique analysis and perspective on the fresh-food industry
3. Trade Shows & Conferences: Trade show booth sales, sponsorships, and registrations for events including The New York Produce Show and Conference, Global Trade Symposium, and Ideation Fresh Foodservice Forum
4. Professional Share Groups: Peer-to-peer non-competitive share group meetings hosted by each member every six months covering Retail Produce, Deli, Floral, Wholesale, Fresh-cut segments
5. Research, Data & Market Consulting: 40-year relationship with fresh food companies providing market intelligence and strategic consulting to help clients achieve their goals
6. Custom Publishing: Customized publications produced for clients leveraging Phoenix Media's buying capacity and industry expertise

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Phoenix Media Network is a B2B media and events company that publishes print magazines (Produce Business, Deli Business, Cheese Connoisseur) and online platforms (PerishableNews.com, ProduceBusiness.com, DeliBusiness.com), and operates annual trade shows and conferences serving the global fresh-food industry. It also provides professional share groups, custom publishing, market consulting, and educational programs for produce, deli, and cheese industry professionals.

Product overview

Phoenix Media Network operates a multi-platform media and events company serving the global fresh-food industry. The portfolio consists of three award-winning print magazines (Produce Business, Deli Business, and Cheese Connoisseur), two digital news platforms (PerishableNews.com and ProduceBusiness.com), and five major annual conferences and forums (New York Produce Show, Global Trade Symposium, Ideation Fresh Foodservice Forum, Foundational Excellence Program, and Professional Share Groups). Supporting services include the University Interchange educational program, Culinary Student Immersion scholarships, Custom Publishing, and Research & Market Consulting. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, with international presence in the UK and Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Produce Business: Flaghship publication of Phoenix Media Network, a B2B magazine serving the global perishable food industry since 1985, covering produce, retail, wholesale, and foodservice sectors.
• Deli Business
• Cheese Connoisseur
• PerishableNews.com
• The New York Produce Show and Conference
• Global Trade Symposium
• Ideation Fresh Foodservice Forum
• Foundational Excellence Program

Products and services

• Produce Business Magazine Award-winning flagship B2B magazine covering marketing, merchandising, management, and procurement issues in the global fresh produce industry, distributed to retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators, growers, and shippers.
• Deli Business Magazine Industry publication covering deli department operations, trends, and business strategies in the fresh foods sector for deli operators, suppliers, and retailers.
• Cheese Connoisseur Magazine Publication dedicated to the cheese industry, covering artisan producers, trends, and business insights for cheese retailers, distributors, and specialty food producers.
• PerishableNews.com Digital news platform providing analysis and perspective on the broader issues and wider scope of the worldwide fresh-food industry.
• New York Produce Show and Conference Annual December trade show held in New York that serves as a hub for produce import, export, wholesaling, retailing, and foodservice/catering industries.
• Global Trade Symposium Specialized thought-leader exchange event focused on international produce trade, held in New York.
• Ideation Fresh Foodservice Forum Foodservice-focused forum held in New York that advances the industry in increased sales of fresh produce through innovation and networking.
• Professional Share Groups Peer-to-peer non-competitive share group meetings hosted by each member every six months, covering Retail Produce, Deli, Floral, Wholesale, Fresh-cut, and other fresh-food industry segments.
• Culinary Student Immersion Program All-expense-paid scholarships for culinary students worldwide to attend conferences, create produce-centric dishes, assist celebrity chefs with demonstrations, and network with industry professionals.
• Research, Data and Market Consulting Confidential consulting services drawing on 40-year relationships with fresh food companies and market intelligence to assist companies with strategic objectives.
• Custom Publishing Customized publication services that leverage Phoenix Media's buying capacity and industry expertise to produce print and digital content tailored for clients in the fresh-food trade.
• University Interchange Program Program inviting university agriculture research arms to unveil latest research oriented toward marketing produce and increasing consumption, with scholarship programs for students to attend events and receive mentorship.
• Foundational Excellence Program Career fairs and continuing education program offered in conjunction with Cornell University to further the collective knowledge base of the fresh-food industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the largest produce-specific magazines in the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership through the University Interchange Program, inviting agricultural research arms of universities to unveil the latest research oriented toward marketing produce and increasing produce consumption. Includes scholarship programs for deserving students of Ag schools.
• University of DelawarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership through the University Interchange Program with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
• Rutgers UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership through the University Interchange Program with the Food Science department.
• Wageningen University (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean educational partnership through the University Interchange Program focused on food and agricultural research.
• Institute of Culinary EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary Student Immersion program providing all-expense-paid scholarships to top culinary students worldwide to attend conferences and interact with industry exhibitors.
• Johnson & Wales UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary Student Immersion program partnership with the university's culinary arts programs.
• Le Cordon Bleu (Chicago)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary Student Immersion program partnership with the prestigious culinary school.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Questex: Questex is a B2B media and events company serving multiple industries including food, hospitality, and retail — comparable to Phoenix Media in its vertical trade show and trade publication model, though at much broader scale.
• Informa Markets: Informa is a global B2B media and events giant that runs major food and fresh produce trade shows and media brands (e.g., Fruit Logistica via Messe Berlin partnership). It competes in the same international produce trade show and B2B advertising space as Phoenix Media, but with vastly broader scale.
• Winsight (Informa): Winsight is a B2B media and events company serving the foodservice and convenience retail industries — adjacent verticals to Phoenix Media's foodservice and deli coverage, with comparable trade show and print magazine operations.
• BNP Media: BNP Media is a large independent B2B media company publishing food and beverage trade titles. It competes for B2B food advertising spend with Phoenix Media and operates a similar multi-title, events-adjacent portfolio model.

Direct peers

• Meister Media Worldwide: Meister Media publishes B2B trade magazines serving horticulture, fresh produce, and specialty agriculture — including Greenhouse Grower, American Vegetable Grower, and Florida Grower — making it a direct competitor in the produce trade publishing space.
• Blue Book Services: Blue Book Services is a long-standing credit and business-information service for the produce industry, similar in role to a niche trade publisher. It operates Produce Blue Book and related directories, overlapping with Phoenix Media's industry-intelligence and listing functions.
• Farm Journal Media: Farm Journal acquired The Packer, the leading produce trade publication historically competing with Produce Business. Farm Journal's broader portfolio of agriculture B2B media and events overlaps directly with Phoenix Media's vertical focus on fresh food and produce industry advertising and events.

Emerging players

• AndNowUKnow: AndNowUKnow is a digital-first produce news and media outlet covering the fresh produce industry. It competes with Phoenix Media's PerishableNews.com for digital advertising and audience in the same vertical, but lacks print and live event franchises.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/659280844212265
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phoenix-media-network-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Phoenix Media Network