Natural Products Expo West: Tips and Tricks
Natural Products Expo West & Engredea continues to be the leading trade show in the natural, organic and healthy products industry, attracting thousands and thousands of industry professionals and a few thousands of exhibitors to the Anaheim Convention Center every March.
This year I am honored to be a part of the Official Expo West Blogger Team with some amazing people!
There are only 19 of us, and it’s an honor to be able to work alongside this group. Some of my awesome and super-talented friends are on this blogger team this year including: Erica (Celiac And The Beast), Stephanie (Sweets 4 Epi Girl), Leah (Mamavation) Kathlena (The Allergy Chef), Lindsay (Fit And Awesome), and Colleen (FODMAPLIFE). I am looking forward to meeting the rest of the team this week!
Look for their special #ExpoBlogger badge holders, and follow the #ExpoBlogger hashtag on social media to track their show experience and the cool natural products they spot. Meet the Expo West 2018 blogger team! These top natural-living and health bloggers will be attending the education sessions and walking the show floor in Anaheim.
This is my busiest time of the year with so many great expos, conferences and conventions in the last month: ShiftCon, Influential Summit, GFAF Expo and now Natural Products Expo West. I know what Santa feels like in December! It's a great feeling, too, by the way!
I have attended Expo West twice (and Expo East twice), and now this is my 5th Expo with New Hope. I’m just as excited as I was my first Expo. What I love about these events is the connections and relationships that are made, formed and built with amazing brands, people and other influencers.
I also had the honor of being on the Expo West Influential Team in September 2017 with a great group of girls!
After every Expo, I post a post show blog with my Top 10 Favorite Finds of the expo. Not everything is Top 8 Free, but they are all free of at least a few common allergens. Many of these favorite finds have become staples in our house:
Expo West 2017’s ... Watusee Foods Popped Chickpeatos
Expo West 2017’s ... Malk Organics
Expo West 2017’s ... The Maple Guild
Expo East 2017’s ... Hilary’s Millet Medleys
Expo East 2017's ... Vital Proteins Collagen Creamers
Here are some past show recaps:
I’m always pumped to see what’s new in the industry.
I’m on the hunt for products that are:
Cane sugar free
organic
nonGMO
Paleo
Whole 30
Top 8 Free
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Vegan
Made with real food
Health & Beauty
If it is your first time at Expo West (or Expo East), here are few tips...
What you should bring:
Comfortable Shoes (on your feet all the live long day)
A light jacket/sweater (just in case)
Business cards
A backpack (purses get in the way)
Mints/mouthwash
Chapstick
Phone charger/cord
Snacks (if you have food allergens & cannot nibble the show floor safely)
Other Expo West Tips:
Plan ahead: get an idea of the show using the floor map on NewHope’s app. Check where booths are before you set appointments.
Set a few appointments with companies you want to connect with. Be careful that you don’t set appointments too close together, especially if they aren’t somewhat near each other. See tip #1
Eat breakfast: you will be sampling food all day, but it's good to start the day right with something healthy.
Stay hydrated! Make sure you’re drinking lots of water throughout the day
Don't eat everything in sight.
Are you not able to make it to Expo West, but want to join in on the fun and win some cool prizes from the show? I am one of the panelists for an Official Expo West Twitter Party that's happening Thursday, March 8th at 8:45am (PST)! You can see all the information HERE or by clicking on the photo below!
Tune in and follow the hashtag #ExpoWestTrends and you could win a bunch of prizes! There will be a lot of winners! Don't forget to follow me, here.
I hope to see you there!
