VIRGO, an information distribution company focused on the most innovative and complex business-to-business markets that fuel the U.S. and world economies, today announced that the number of attendees and exhibitors for its 2013 SupplySide West global expo and conference had explosive growth in 2013, breaking all the previous records set.

This year’s show saw an 11 percent increase from 2012’s record breaking turnout. There were nearly 12,000 leaders and decisions makers in attendance from the global dietary supplement, food, beverage, animal nutrition, personal care, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and sports nutrition marketplace.

 “We have a great responsibility as the gathering place for these global markets where companies large and small come together to explore possibilities, discover suppliers and solutions, drive innovation and bring these products to market,” said Jon Benninger. “The people and companies at SupplySide West are leading the way in health, sustainability, product innovation and economic growth.”

The 2013 Expo Hall floor was the show highlight and the largest yet, featuring over 1,700 booths offering more than 10,000 ingredients, technologies and services. Industry members came from around the world to develop their next product to drive revenue, market share and consumer loyalty.  Among the hot ingredient trends seen on the show floor were an emphasis on natural colors and flavors; probiotics with GRAS affirmation and for use in a wider range of product applications; omega-3s from both vegetarian and marine sources, particularly in higher concentrations; and botanical ingredients supported by more testing and greater transparency in the supply chain. Other key topics included strategic approaches to a global supply chain and sustainability, and investments in IT, infrastructure and R&D.

SupplySide West also featured a dynamic education program—underwritten by BASF Nutrition & Health—that explored some of the most important topics affecting the dietary supplement, food and beverage marketplace. The education program included more than 35 hours of education in the Natural Products INSIDER track for dietary supplements and the Food Product Design track for food and beverage. One key highlight was the featured speaker presentation by the director of FDA's division of dietary supplements, Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., who underscored the agency's concerns about new dietary ingredients (NDIs) as well as its position that compounds found in botanicals are not necessarily considered to be part of the "food" supply. A standing room only crowd of more than 600 people assembled for Dr. Fabricant’s presentation.

In addition, attendees participated in another 78+ hours of Workshops, Summits and training including sold out sessions for GMP training in collaboration with NSF International, pre-conference summits focused on Animal Nutrition and Beverage and finally the popular post-conference workshops with sessions around Omega-3, Probiotics and Tocotrienols. In fact, the Animal Nutrition Insights and Beverage Insights Summits offered a tangible representation of the extension of the SupplySide event into these key markets, and delivered in-person content on market trends, regulatory considerations and more that complemented the brands' online footprints.

Further, the SupplySide Why stage, located in the Expo Hall, brought some of the industry’s most influential thinkers directly to the bustling show floor. Key presentations included a discussion by attorney Marc Ullman on concerns with NDIs and potential legislative action in that area; FDA's Fabricant emphasizing the agency's interest in GMP compliance; Anthony Bennie, Clear Conscience Pet, taking on the topical issue of pet treat contamination that is currently vexing federal agencies; and Jeff Hilton, founder of BrandHive, who delved into considerations around re-branding efforts—a timely topic given moves by several suppliers to rename and rebrand their companies with launches at the show. The SupplySide Why stage also hosted the debut of the second SupplySide Global Experience Documentary Film, in which VIRGO's award-winning team visited China to tell the story of the innovation and investment taking place in Asia.

The most critical information from the Education Programs and the pre-conference Summits was captured on DVD to extend value from the board room to the supply chain. The DVDs start from just $49 and offer deep-dive content to help move the business forward. They can be ordered online at store.supplysideshow.com.

Special events also drew great interest. The second annual Editors Choice Awards reception, sponsored by Draco Natural Products, was held on Wednesday night. The SupplySide content team selected five consumer packaged goods (CPG) products in 15 categories for the short list recognizing achievements in innovation and market significance. The categories were: animal nutrition, antioxidant supplements, beverages, digestive health, functional food, hair care, multivitamin, nutricosmetics, omega-3, packaging design, skin care, specialty supplements, sports nutrition and weight management. A gallery of the winners is now available at supplysideshow.com/galleries.

“We were very honored to be nominated for the SupplySide Editor’s Choice Award. The reception was an amazing experience to be honored alongside some of the top innovative brands today,” said Ruben Navarrete, Chief Operating Officer, Nutrition By Design. “It was truly rewarding to also be able to meet and build relationships with others in the industry. We hope to be back next year.”

On Thursday night, more than 2,000 SupplySide visitors headed to TAO for the SupplySide West Opening Reception. Sponsored by DSM and benefitting Vitamin Angels, the reception allowed industry colleagues to connect in a more informal environment, while also donating to support Vitamin Angels' efforts to reducing severe child vitamin deficiencies globally.

SupplySide West 2013 was the largest show to-date, upholding SupplySide West as the world’s largest healthy and innovative ingredients tradeshow.

Statistics and facts include:

“SupplySide West was bigger and better than ever. As usual it was an incredible resource for identifying new and exciting nutraceuticals with potential inclusion in new and existing products. It was also an invaluable opportunity for networking,” said Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, Director of Category Management of Twinlab Corporation.

SupplySide West 2014 will take place October 6 to 10 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas. The exhibit hall will be open October 8 and 9. Dana Hicks, senior vice president of events and SupplySide director, noted: "We are extremely excited looking ahead to 2014, locating SupplySide West at Mandalay Bay and the MGM properties. On-site booth reservations for SupplySide West 2014 increased by 9 percent over last year and we have sold-out 86 percent of the 2014 expo hall.  The Mandalay Bay Convention Center offers a state-of-the-art facility with more than 1.7 million square feet of meeting space, which SupplySide needs. As SupplySide required more than 600,000 sq. ft. of meeting space in 2013, Mandalay Bay offers long-term growth. MGM properties also offers 4 hotels under one roof. We will have rooms available at The Excalibur, The Luxor, Mandalay Bay and THE hotel, offering economy to luxury hotel rooms, at every price point."

The next SupplySide event is SupplySide MarketPlace 2014, scheduled for June 2-3 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Visit supplysideshow.com or call (800) 454-5760 for more information.