With more than 3,000 exhibitor booths, 510,000 square feet of show floor and tens of thousands of attendees, it takes a team of dedicated professionals with diverse skills to ensure that Natural Products Expo West is an all-around success. Representing education, operations, client services, sales, marketing and more, these and other New Hopers work behind-the-scenes—for months and sometimes even years in advance of a show—to make sure each expo runs smoothly, and to support New Hope’s mission statement to cultivate a prosperous, high-integrity CPG and retail ecosystem that creates health, joy and justice for all people while regenerating the planet.

This Expo West Show Scoop series highlights some of the many people at New Hope Network who make it all possible.

In this interview, Kim Shaw, show director shares her experiences from Expo West and how the Show team can help brands.

In one sentence, tell me about your job at New Hope? I move the needle forward each day making sure we are on schedule for deadlines, new initiatives and partner relationships. Overall, making sure the departments are talking to each other and that we are delivering the best experience for our guests. Some may say I'm a professional cat herder.

What do you love about your job? I love working with the team. Our team is so dedicated to making this show the best it can be and I love watching all that come together when we are on-site.  

What do you wish people knew about show management? I wish people really understood the time, commitment and sacrifice our team puts into making Natural Products happen. I don’t know that people really grasp what goes into it from something small to where a sign goes to how do we layout the show floor.

What’s your favorite thing about Expo West? The work leading up to the show can be very challenging, but once you are there onsite, seeing the energy and excitement all our staff, attendees and exhibitors bring as well as the show come together it makes all the challenging times worth it. 

What’s your least favorite thing about Expo West? There are so many great retailers, partners and vendors we work with leading up to the show to make it all happen, however there is usually not enough time onsite to meet with everyone in person.

What’s the one thing you cannot live without at EW? A portable phone charger because you are always on the go!

Favorite Expo shoes? All my sneakers, particularly my Veja shoes.

Favorite restaurant in Anaheim? Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen.

What are you most proud of about the work you do on EW? I am very proud of the efforts our team is taking to create a more inclusive natural products industry. We are always keeping diversity and inclusion at the forefront when planning our event. 

What does the natural products industry mean to you? A community that is committed and passionate, coming together to offer a healthier lifestyle to people.