The 36th annual Natural Products Expo West & Engredea, the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event, experienced another record-setting year with 6.9 percent growth, playing host to more than 77,000 attendees. The event brought together an inspired community of industry members and more than 3,000 exhibiting companies, including more than 600 first-time exhibitors. The show, held March 9-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center, is produced by the recently re-branded New Hope Network.
For the second year in a row, the event’s exhibit space was expanded to encompass the entire Anaheim Convention Center campus. In addition to traditional exhibit halls, new exhibitors showcased hot products at the Hilton Hotel Anaheim.
Denise Day, marketing director at Boulder, CO-based Bhakti Chai said, “We are so excited to be here at Expo West to launch our new line. This event has been the perfect timing right ahead of our summertime new product launch when we will have even wider distribution for new items with many of the retailers we met with right here in Anaheim.”
The NEXT Forecast 2016 projects strong growth for the natural products industry. U.S. consumer sales of natural, organic and healthy products are forecasted to expand 64 percent from $153B in 2013 to $252B by 2019, including growth of 9 percent per year driven in part by new and emerging brands.
“Natural Products Expo West serves as a launching pad for innovation from entrepreneurial brands to more established companies looking to keep up with shifts in consumer demand,” said Carlotta Mast, executive director of Content and Insights, New Hope Network. “Evolving shopper tastes and values have positioned the natural products industry as a major force in what products end up on shelves from natural stores to more conventional supermarkets.”
The education program offered keynote presentations from Sam Kass, former White House personal chef, Erik Weihenmayer, author, adventurer and activist, and Martha Rogers, acclaimed author and business strategist.
The official Natural Products Expo West “Best of West: Press Award” went to Suja Organic Crushed Raspberry Probiotic Water. Runners-up include Vega Sport Performance Protein Chocolate and Justin’s Maple Almond Butter with Pretzels Pack. The winner of the NEXT Accelerator Natural Products Business School Pitch Slam was Veggie Fries.
Next up for Natural Products Expo is the East Coast event at the Baltimore Convention Center, September 21-24 in Baltimore, MD. Natural Products Expo West 2017 is scheduled to take place March 8-12 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
