What's Next from Natural Products Expo West

Last month I attended the Natural Product Expo West show in Anaheim, California to see how food trends have evolved since the show last year. There continues to be a lot of excitement from retailers, manufacturers, and growers about the future of the natural/organic category, and the benefits these products provide for the environment.

Top Food Trends:

1. Beyond Natural/Organic: Environmental messages are expanding fast and beginning to become table stakes.
2. Meat Substitutes: Beef replacement (Impossible, Beyond), beef reduction (Applegate), and pork replacement (mushrooms) concepts have grown in number and popularity.
3. CBD (Cannabis extract) is taking over: 150+ booths showing it this year vs almost zero last year – it’s being added to everything, EVERYTHING.
4. Growth of Frozen: Meals, snacks, pizzas, sides. The frozen category creates a convenient way to eat healthy when you’re busy.
5. Center store is not dead, it’s evolving (there were very few fresh offerings at this 12k+ manufacturer show).

Tradeshow Trends:

1. Interactions not samples: Booths are no longer sample stations, they are an opportunity to interact with buyers, and the industry, with engaging activities.
2. Beyond the booth: Outside of the show hours, manufacturers hosted meals (even breakfast), happy hours, community events, yoga retreats, kitchen takeovers, food truck meet-ups, and more in Anaheim near the show. Large vendors bussed people to Newport Beach and LA for more special evening events. 
3. Know the Audience: There are no end-consumers at this show, so it is important to create product/brand messages, booths, events, and interactions that appeal to the buyers, investors, and industry media who will attend.

I continue to be very excited about the future evolution of food, and can't wait to help brands innovate and grow to stay ahead of the trends.