Natural Products Expo East Gathers Brands, Retailers and Industry Members to Reconnect and Discover What's Next in Natural & Organic Products

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Informa Markets' Natural Products Expo East, part of the New Hope Network family of brands, safely and successfully hosted the industry September 22-25 in its new home at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Celebrating its 36^th occurrence, the event drew over 800 exhibitors and over 15,000 registered attendees to reconnect with colleagues, learn from experts and see first-hand the latest innovations coming soon to retail stores.

As the first industry trade show to return since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Expo East provided a valuable opportunity for in-person discovery, drawing retailers from stores such as Kroger, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Dawson's Market, Freshly and many more, who sought out the hottest products in organic and natural foods; clean beauty and home products; and supplements and ingredients.

Steven Jamieson, HBC Merchandiser, PCC Markets, said, "As a retailer, it was important to come to Expo East this year to show up for our community. We really wanted to be able to let vendors know that we're here looking for new products. The keynote was really uplifting at a time where retailers are overexerting to be there for our communities. When I had to step out of the keynote yesterday, I was able to pull it up on the app and continue watching the live stream."

The expo floor was filled with brands that highlighted the future of food and wellness. According to New Hope Network's Nutrition Business Journal, the natural and organic industry is forecast to surpass $300 billion in sales by 2023 and $400 billion by 2030, driven by conscious consumers who place a premium on ensuring their health and well-being while increasingly looking toward social responsibility and sustainability.

According to PopZup Popcorn CEO & Founder Julie Lapham, "At Expo East, we are finding like-minded brands and like-minded retailers. This is where people are looking for better options and this is where we can find resources to help us grow. The excitement is overwhelming and the quality of the people is just spot on, it's exactly who we want to meet. The number of people we're meeting has exceeded our expectations. The show has been well attended with great quality people and great information."

An overview of consumer trends at the show can be found online, covering everything from plant proteins to waste reduction. A gallery featuring winners of the prestigious NEXTY Awards, representing what tomorrow's healthy living landscape will look like, can be viewed online. The winner of the Pitch Slam was first-time exhibitor Fila Manila.

The event featured a full agenda of education sessions spanning topics from brand-building to investing to amplifying BIPOC voices through increased diversity & inclusion. Keynotes included a talk by Shawn Achor, bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage and Big Potential, and the State of Natural & Organic presentation that examined the industry's performance category-by-category.

New Hope Network partnered with (included), a membership collective for BIPOC executives in the CPG space, to step-up diversity and inclusion throughout the event. Said Ryan Pintado-Vertner, Founder of Smoketown, "We've seen New Hope Network invest in anti-racist training and commit to increase people of color's access to the show. One of the areas of progress that we've seen is that there are more people, particularly white people in positions of power and authority, who were willing to have a conversation that's vulnerable and honest about what it means to be anti-racist, where they are relative to that goal, and what they could do to close the gap."

"Being together again with our community was important on several levels, from the fun of catching up with old friends to making those magical Expo connections that always seem to materialize when this group of people convenes to do business," said Carlotta Mast, Senior Vice President at Informa Markets' New Hope Network. "We were thrilled to see the people and products that make this fast-growing industry so special, including first-time exhibitors and our long-time supporters and sponsors. During these four very busy days we were reminded why we do this work – to bring more health and wellness to people and planet."

In addition to best-in-class health and safety protocols, New Hope Network stepped up the event's sustainability commitment with enhanced efforts around waste diversion, energy consumption and carbon offsetting, mindful procurement and community engagement.  

"Hosting a safe and successful event this year was our top priority and we are grateful to our community for partnering with us and adhering to health and safety guidelines so that we could make this much-needed event happen for our industry members," said Lacey Gautier, Group Show Director, Informa Markets' New Hope Network. "The support we received from the Philadelphia community made this possible and we are thrilled and honored to call the city home."

Expo East celebrated its move to Philadelphia with a partnership to donate leftover food and beverage products from the event to local food rescue Philabundance as well as through supporting Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia. Expo East estimates the event will bring a $26 million positive impact to the city's economy during a typical year.

Industry members who were unable to travel to Philadelphia were invited to participate through the Natural Products Expo Virtual platform. New on-demand content will be added following the in-person show. Natural Products Expo East is produced by  New Hope Network and is co-located with BioFach America and Harvest Festival. Natural Products Expo West 2022 will be held March 8-12 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Natural Products Expo East 2022 will take place September 28-October 1 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Follow @NatProdExpo on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! Visit @Natural Products Expo on LinkedIn to join in on ongoing conversations. Natural Products Expo is a business-to-business trade show and is not open to the public.

About New Hope Network
New Hope Network is at the forefront of the healthy lifestyle products industry. With solutions for the complete supply chain from manufacturers, retailers/distributors, service providers and ingredient suppliers, the network offers a robust portfolio of content, events, data, research and consultative services. Through its mission of growing healthy markets to bring more health to more people, New Hope Network helps businesses identify the people, products, partnerships and trends that create better opportunities and connections. For more information visit www.newhope.com. 

About Informa Markets
Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. We provide marketplace participants around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, targeted digital services and actionable data solutions. We connect buyers and sellers across more than a dozen global verticals, including Pharmaceuticals, Food, Medical Technology and Infrastructure. As the world's leading market-making company, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.

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SOURCE New Hope Network