Seasons Part 2: Reflections from Natural Products Expo East - New Hope Network Surpassed Expectations
A few weeks ago, I reflected on The Challenges and Silver Linings of COVID and the Celebration of My First Trade Show in 2 Years, which was last month’s 4-day Expo East in Philadelphia. Prior to the Expo, I was excited to attend - to see friends who’ve been absent for 2 years, to meet new connections, to meet new and emerging organic and natural food companies and to feel the energy that comes from live events. But, I had a bit of concern given COVID and the recent emergence of the Delta variant.
The Wait is Over!
New Hope Network, the industry-leading event planning company that organized Expo East, recently reported that the natural and organic industry is forecast to surpass $300 billion in sales by 2023 and $400 billion by 2030. This event is the East Coast’s opportunity to spotlight trends and new innovations as it brings together the entire industry. While health concerns were real, New Hope Network put together a comprehensive safety plan that included strict measures that allowed safe sampling, which is critical to a food-centric event.
As Expo East approached, many companies chose not to attend, for a variety of reasons (no judgment). Most attendees went in with low expectations and some had quite a bit of anxiety on whether it was worth the travel to Philly - would there be enough exhibitors and attendees to result in a viable event? Will attendees and exhibitors get a return on their investment? In years past, 1,500 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees would fill the event space. This year, a cozy 800 exhibitors and 15,000 attendees enjoyed a more intimate setting.
After a 2-year wait, I was all in! Carlotta Mast and the entire New Hope and Informa teams did an amazing job.
Through the Lens
As I reflected on the event through my Aperture lens, it was an overwhelming success for 2 reasons:
Bringing the industry community together for in-person gatherings, meetings, and sampling was critical to our mental state and the health of the natural and organic industry. I experienced a much less stressful environment, and people seemed more relaxed than at past shows.
The smaller size of the trade show provided opportunities for exhibitors, buyers, investors, and services providers (like Aperture CPG) to have more personal and intimate interactions. Many times, the sheer number of people at these big shows means you fight through lines of 4-5 people deep to just get into the exhibitor booth to grab a sample. Conversations are short and interaction is extremely limited. The smaller crowd at this year’s Expo East allowed for longer and more meaningful conversations.
On the flip side, I missed the frenzy, hustle and bustle, and being constantly on the go that comes with a bigger and better attended Expo East. I also gained a newfound respect for my kids, who have been wearing masks all day, every day, at school! Safety protocols were thorough and well-planned. In addition to masking at the event (which did, unfortunately, make it tough to recognize familiar faces), all Expo participants wore bracelets indicating whether or not they had been vaccinated or properly tested, and we showed ID every time we entered the convention center.
My Highlights
Here are some of my highlights:
Startup CPG Boat Party – Even the name is fun! This was my first in-person networking event in two years. It was put on by Startup CPG. I was a guest of Kim Biddle at Heart Creative, and I’m so glad I ventured to this party. Yes, being on a boat during the thunderstorms caused a bit of anxiety, but the event was well run. The food, conversations, and interactions were amazing! I met lots of new people and saw old friends from the industry.
Bottling Joy: Wellness Trends & Innovations in a (Post) COVID World - This excellent educational session featured New Hope Network's Todd Runestad, who led a fast-paced session exploring the new face of wellness in the U.S. The panel consisted of Sandra Carter, Founder of OM Mushroom Superfood, Jonathan Lawrence, Senior Director at Fresh Thyme, and Crystal Webber, MS, RD, Founder of Niche Nutrition. Todd added an element of fun, quirkiness, and humor as he led the panel discussion around innovative products, wellness trends, and supplement trends.
The Standouts
There were many innovative exhibitors at Expo East. A few stood out and are worth a share:
Fifth Season - Forget samples - They gave me an entire salad for my lunch. It was the biggest sample I’ve had at any trade show! I was able to connect with part of their marketing team and was immediately impressed with the product concept and company culture. Fifth Season’s salad in a box is packaged in an elegant yet impactful design and is packed with clean, locally sourced, fresh and tasty vegetables and protein.
TumiBee – If you love chai tea, TumiBee is for you! This authentic Indian family recipe has been passed down for generations and is a “turmeric and superherb Ayurvedic beverage mix made from premium whole food ingredients.” I even ordered my own jar right after returning from Expo!
Forage Kombucha – While I’m not always a huge fan of the sharp and fermented taste of kombucha, this product was one of the best I’ve had. It is smooth and clean with a subtle fermented style. As mentioned in their sales materials, Forage is approachable and easy to drink. It almost doesn’t taste like a true kombucha. Also, the packaging and artwork are incredible, filled with unique floral patterns and colors.
Hooray Foods - This San Francisco-based vegan bacon brand is smoky, like it just came off the grill. It’s crunchy and surprisingly tasty. The ingredient list is clean, with only 7 ingredients and no pig! The product was sampled in a BLT. Great new product.
Take Two Foods – I’d never had barley milk before and not only was it amazing, but it’s also made from upcycled barley. This Oregon-based plant-based company showcased four flavors - original unsweetened, chocolate, and vanilla.
Brewer’s Foods – Here is another upcycled brand, a cracker and chip company from Massachusetts. Brewer’s Foods tackles food waste by recycling grains from the craft brewer industry, hence their name. It comes in two tasty flavors - sea salt and rosemary.
Bon AppeSweet - There are so many amazing things about this new chocolate bar brand at the show. Not only is this company woman-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned, but the chocolate is plant-based using organic dates as the primary ingredient base. The new packaging is impressive and the taste of this product is super unique - yum!
Saucy Company - This North Carolina brand was right next to Bon AppeSweet and both booths were super busy with foot traffic. Prominently featured at the booth was its Progressive Grocer Editor’s Pick salsa - a medium spicy fire-roasted low fodmap item. In addition, the company sampled its other salsas and a brand new product, Saucy Company Signature Spice Blends. All products don’t include onion and garlic. Grab a bag of Brewer’s chips and dip into some Saucy!
Other brands that also caught my attention - Speka, Pocket Latte, SpectraSpray, Split, Ozo, Oaza, and Simply Good Jars
I’m glad I took a risk and attended Expo East. I actually wished I spent an extra day - I left feeling like I hadn’t seen and done it all! Even though the Expo East was smaller than in previous years, the conversations were rich, the networking was better than expected, and I was introduced to interesting companies I otherwise would not have met. I look forward to Philly next year in a hopefully post-COVID world!