IHA News Release

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Contact: Deborah A.Teschke
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
847-692-0110

Paula Deen Charms Audience with Her Charmed Consumer Keynote Address

The restaurateur, Food Network star and entrepreneur advised her audience of nearly 300 to “…remain true to yourself.” She further explained, “I don’t keep up with what other people are doing. I don’t follow trends.” Interestingly, co-presenter Katie Lee Joel emphasized that Deen has become a trendsetter, bringing Southern culture back in style across the U.S.

For the past 19 years since starting her first Bag Lady business offering bag lunches to a clientele that she described as “…people who were chained to their desks and couldn’t find decent place to eat during lunch,” Deen as been effectively promoting her version of Southern Hospitality. She insists that indeed, she still represents the consumer she aims to please and that she is really all about “making people feel good.”

With her Lady and Sons restaurant in Savannah, Ga., and recent opening of another in Harrah’s Casino, Tallahassee, Fla., Deen commented that love of food is one of the common threads of her life, along with family, laughter and love. “Those are the things that make life good,” she expressed. Still, she noted that the restaurant business has the highest failure rate of any business in the U.S. She offered, “To be in this business, you sacrifice so much, but that if that is your passion, no one can stop you.”

Her passion for her many ventures, including her reputation as top restaurateur, best selling author of six books, winner of two Emmy Awards, magazine publisher, partner with Smithfield Foods and most recently with Meyer Corporation, highlight her entrepreneurial, dedicated zeal. Vendor partner, Smithfield, introduced Deen as “… an American Hero, who accomplished the American Dream of success, has paid her dues and worked hard.”

When asked by Joel how she does it all, Deen explained that her team has been essential to her success. She explained, “When you see a successful person, believe that there is a fabulous team behind that person. I adore my team; they are like my family.” Another key to her success has been her connection with people, what she terms “the extraordinary ordinary consumer.” She further explained that this has actually kept her focused through her many businesses.

Deen relies on her own sensibility in knowing when an idea is right for the consumer. “I go from my gut feeling, while my business partners go by the numbers. I am still a consumer, just like everyone, and if I don’t like something, I won’t have anything to do with it.” She further warned, “Customers are very savvy. If you are passionate, they see it.”

She sees her own future in remaining true to the food she loves. “My food will always remain close to how I remember my grandma’s restaurant and my mother’s table.” She is currently working on a Deen Family cookbook this year, along with her first children’s cookbook due out in October. She is also planning to develop products for children, inspired by the birth of her first grandchild, Jack.

Deen’s family continues to provide business ideas and feedback, along with her sizable fan club. That public loyalty was evident today, as Deen charmed the audience with her topic, but also her warm and welcoming personality. They gave her standing ovations both before and after her keynote address, which was presented seated, in a low-key conversation with Joel. Summarizing her feel-good approach to charming the consumer, America’s best loved culinary authority explained that her personal life mirrors her business life. “I love cooking what other people love, stirring up good memories.”

The 2008 International Home + Housewares Show runs March 16-18 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The largest marketplace of housewares and homegoods in the world features more than 2,000 exhibitors, including 400 new companies, and attracts 60,000 attendees, including more than 23,000 retail buyer from around the world. For more information about the Show, visit www.housewares.org.