Informa Markets' New Hope Network hosted the final Natural Products Expo East show in Philadelphia September 20-23. The 38th occurrence of Natural Products Expo East drew more than 1,000 exhibitors, including 425 first time exhibitors, and nearly 16,000 registered attendees from retail, food service and across health and wellness. Attendees saw the hottest new products and trends that will shape the future of CPG as demand for natural and organic products is higher than ever with the industry is on track to surpass $300 billion in sales in 2023.

At the show, New Hope Network announced the sunsetting of Expo East coincides with a positive and transformative development for the natural and organic products industry – the introduction of Newtopia Now, an entirely new event format next year that leverages a more tailored and intentional approach to connection and product discovery. 

“We are humbled and grateful that for nearly 40 years Natural Products Expo East has launched new ideas, relationships, companies and alliances,” said Carlotta Mast, SVP & Market Leader, Informa Markets’ New Hope Network. “The only thing constant is change and, after talking with many of our buyers and brands, we’ve learned that the time is right for changing how we serve the industry by launching a new event in 2024 that will provide brands of all sizes, especially early-stage brands, with new opportunities to share their stories and products.”

The final Expo East served as a valuable meeting place, drawing retailers from stores such as Target, Kroger, ALDI, Whole Foods, Walmart, Fresh Thyme Market, Cambridge Naturals, and many more, who were looking for everything from the latest foods and beverages to supplements and home products that are good for the planet and the consumers. 

Retailer Terry Brett, Owner of Kimberton Whole Foods, said, “I very much enjoyed the show - the energy was the best yet since moving to Philly. The keynotes were excellent and meeting with old friends made it all the better. I look forward to seeing the changes next year in Savannah.”

New Hope Network introduced impactful new ways for exhibitors and retailers to have a more productive event through the launch of the new and improved Beacon Discovery platform, a more efficient and effective way for buyers and brands to make meaningful connections at the show and beyond, and a partnership with VerticalXchange that created a brand-to-buyer matchmaking program. New Hope also introduced show floor tours this year, curating relevant connections and delivering a customized VIP experience through introductions to leading innovators, hot new products and emerging trends.

The Expo East show floor was used in creative ways and attendees found new pavilions and interactive content, meeting and networking areas and a large keynote stage. The co-located Innovation Experience provided an immersive learning environment where buyers, brands and investors explored companies that use unique ingredients, cutting-edge manufacturing processes, groundbreaking sustainability solutions and inventive business models to develop roadmaps for purposeful innovation. 

“The first day was really good for us because the Innovation Experience area was new, so a lot of people came over to walk through. We barely had time to look up and several buyers who came through were really interested in hearing more about how to upcycle fish,” said Innovation Experience exhibitor Laura Zahody, Marketing Director at Blue Circle Foods. 

The keynote Innovating with a Purpose: A Conversation with Author, Mindfulness Coach and Entrepreneur Jay Shetty explored how to balance technology with humanity and why to double down on your purpose throughout the innovation journey. Vision 2030: Insight’s from Today’s State of Natural You Can Use to Grow for Good was an interactive keynote with leading industry voices and data to help attendees understand how the growth trends and challenges of today could shape a more prosperous, inclusive and regenerative future for CPG, food and retail. 

To bring more focus to the important dietary supplement category and provide focused connections between supplement exhibitors and buyers, New Hope hosted a new Supplement Symposium featuring a keynote from legendary mycologist and author Paul Stamets. Livestreams of education highlights can be found online in the show agenda. 

Attendees were treated to a variety of fun opportunities to socialize and network at evening concerts with Brett Dennen and Wyclef Jean, and an unforgettable farewell celebration in the expo halls on Saturday to close out the show. 

New Hope Network continued its valuable partnership with (included), a collective of BIPOC founders and executives in consumer-packaged goods, highlighting product innovation from minority-led brands at the (included) exhibit space on the main show floor and sponsored events highlighting industry-wide JEDI initiatives.

The event production team is constantly learning, developing and creating more ways to create a planet-forward trade show with main focus areas in waste diversion, energy/carbon offsets, water, procurement/materials and travel. New 2023 efforts included avoiding single use plastics through a partnership with r.Cup to bring reusable cups to various events throughout the campus partnering with ChicoBag to provide official show bags made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

“For every show we strive to find new ways to produce events that represent our values around prosperity and health for all. Each year we get closer to that goal as a show and an industry and I am so proud of our efforts to support people and planet,” said Lacey Gautier, VP Events, Natural Products Expo. 

The prestigious NEXTY Awards, representing the most progressive, innovative, inspiring and trustworthy products, were announced live on the show floor. A gallery of this year’s 24 winners can be viewed online here. The winner of the Pitch Slam was superfood rice brand Jasberry. 

Follow @NatProdExpo on Instagram and Tiktok! Visit @Natural Products Expo on LinkedIn to join ongoing conversations and check out the @New Hope Network’s YouTube to catch up on video content. Natural Products Expo is a business-to-business trade show and is not open to the public. Natural Products Expo West 2024 will take place March 12-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.