The 38th annual Natural Products Expo West and Engredea, the world's largest natural, organic and healthy products event, experienced another record-setting year hosting more than 85,000 attendees including industry pioneers and a new generation of innovators shaping the future of healthy products. The show, produced by New Hope Network, a part of Informa, was held March 7-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center and brought together 3,521 exhibiting companies, including more than 600 first-time exhibitors.

New Hope Network again increased the event’s campus to encompass the entire Anaheim Convention Center, extending exhibits into the newly expanded North Halls that held more than 800 companies. Education sessions and social events were held throughout campus at the Marriott and Hilton hotels, as well as in the Grand Plaza and Arena Plaza.

“The show provides a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow retailers, discover great new products, build upon existing relationships and participate in programming that always helps deepen my understanding of some of the most significant issues facing our industry. I always return home with tons of ideas about how to grow my business and improve my product mix. I can’t wait for Baltimore!” said Danielle Vogel, founder, Glen’s Garden Market.

Natural Products Expo West and Engredea is the preeminent show for spotting trends in the food and CPG industry. New Hope Network’s content and research team tracked the top 10 trends and related products emerging this year in a digital roundup and gallery available at newhope.com.

“The spirit of Expo West has always been innovation. The expansion into the North Halls allows us to support more entrepreneurial brands than ever before. Our education programming is uniting both legacy attendees and first-timers around the future of the industry and its impact on the planet. The conversations happening at Expo West are often catalysts for change well beyond the natural products industry,” said Adam Andersen, senior vice president, events, New Hope Network. 

The winner of Natural Products Business School’s Pitch-Slam was Dr. Brite. A full list of the winners of the 2018 NEXTY Awards can be found online. This year’s Hall of Legends ceremony, celebrating the individuals who have made significant contributions to the natural products industry, also honored the first NEXTY Gold award winners: REBBL, Lotus Brands and Back to the Roots. New Hope recognized these brands for their innovation, integrity and inspiration—representing the pinnacle of the natural product industry’s future.

The conference featured a robust education program including keynote presentations by award-winning actress, social advocate and mom of three, Jennifer Garner and organic industry pioneer John Foraker, co-founders of Once Upon a Farm; and national bestselling author and internationally recognized expert on food systems, Anna Lappé. The new Esca Bona Story Stage featured keynote speaker Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia Inc. and Patagonia Works.

“There’s a lot of exciting news that came out of the show this year, from progress in regenerative agriculture to the social impact goals Once Upon a Farm announced. This is the work that proves what kind of impact the food industry, both big and small, has on the world,” said John Foraker, co-founder and CEO, Once Upon a Farm.

New Hope Network and the Climate Collaborative, an initiative of leading organizations, brands, and retailers working together to address climate change, hosted the second annual Climate Day event with featured keynote address by climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech University. The 2018 Expo West education sessions included the first-ever CBD Summit, an in-depth look at the opportunities and challenges that exist for the hemp-derived cannabidiol market; and the Disrupted Retail Summit, a discussion around the changing consumer purchasing habits and opportunities at retail and online.

Natural Products Expo West 2019 will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center, shifting exhibit halls dates to Thursday through Saturday in the main halls and Wednesday through Friday in the North Halls. Natural Products Expo East will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center Sept. 12-15, 2018. 

Source: New Hope Network marketing