NFM Staff

March 8, 2009

3 Min Read
What’s cool on the show floor

Fiesta of fun at Frontier Natural Products Co-op

On Saturday afternoon, music flowed from the Frontier Natural Products Co-op booth (3532), as Frontier employees and even some passersby practiced their dance moves under the guidance of a salsa instructor. Live music was provided by Roger Espinoza, a Los Angeles-based guitarist with a riveting repertoire of flamenco and classical pieces.

The concert and dance lessons were all part of Frontier’s Expo West show angle. “Fiesta of Flavor is our theme for this year’s booth,” said Ellen Bouchard, brand manager for the bulk category. “We have the bright colors going, the fancy hats and maracas, and all of our specials through the weekend are related to Mexican spices and seasonings. We definitely have fun at Frontier.”

This spirit of fun was evidenced by the handful of dancers, which quickly swelled to—well, to a larger handful. What the dancers lacked in numbers they more than made up for in sheer enthusiasm, and soon attendees lined the aisle, listening. Few ventured onto the dance floor, but they did provide a steady pulse of handclaps and the occasional shout of encouragement to the salsa dancers. When the first long improvisation ended, Espinoza received a hearty ovation.

Mitchell Clute
Contributing writer
Natural Foods Merchandiser


Free makeovers and facials freshen Expo faces

Whether you’re shopping for a new makeup line for your store or just looking to ease some show-floor stress, make your way to the personal care booths offering free makeovers and facials.

Makeup artist Lauren Nicole at the Humphrey’s booth (3815) will give you a skin-type consultation and then, using the line best suited to your skin, will quickly cleanse and tone your face, finishing with a moisturizer.

At the Larenim Mineral Makeup booth (3734), marketing coordinator Krista McCloskey tests out eye shadows and powders on passersby. After a long day on the show floor, who could pass up a little professional freshening up?

Hilary Oliver
Senior editor
Natural Foods Merchandiser


Expo for the whole family

For exhibitors launching kid-friendly snacks, personal care and supplements, feedback from the elementary-school set is an important piece of the puzzle. And this year at Expo West, there are an abundance of youngsters ready to give their opinions.

“Chocolate!” murmured pint-sized Meena Balani, as she scraped the last bits out of a sample cup. Attending Expo with her retailer mother, Megha, and sister and brother, Meena had sampled Emergen-C, gummy bears, potato chips and even snagged a stuffed teddy bear.

“I’ve seen a lot more vitamins for kids—omega-3s,” said Megha Balani, who co-owns Balani’s Snack & Food Service in Castaic, Calif.

“My boys are celiac, and they’re really enjoying the gluten-free cookies and treats,” said Valerie Christy, attending the show with her sister’s company, Earth Mama Angel Baby.

Patrick Sweigert, manning the Revolution Foods booth, said, “We just had one girl grab the hippity-hop (a bouncy ball for sitting on) and try to run away with it.” Marketing Manager Katie Sobel added, “The last day of [Expo] East there were more kids, but there seem to be way more here now. It’s really helpful for us, for the kids to get to experience [our products] in front of their parents.”

Hilary Oliver
Senior editor
Natural Foods Merchandiser

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