Headed to Expo West? Here's How to Make the Most of It

f you're a CPG brand founder looking for the right event to showcase your product and meet potential customers, investors, and partners, then Expo West is the perfect event for you! This annual trade show takes place each spring in Anaheim, California and brings together over 3,000 natural products companies from around the world. Here’s everything you need to know about Expo West and why it might be worth attending. Expo West is 3 months away, and it's never too early to start planning!

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What is Expo West?

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Expo West is an annual trade show focused on natural products. The event is attended by over 78,000 people including brands, retailers, suppliers, industry experts, investors, and media outlets. The main focus of the show is to provide natural product companies with opportunities to build relationships with other industry players and learn about the latest trends in their field. The expo also offers educational seminars on topics such as sustainability, marketing strategies, and product development.

Attending Expo West can offer a wealth of benefits to CPG brand founders. For starters, it’s a great opportunity to network with other professionals in your field. You’ll have a chance to connect with key players like distributors and retailers who could help get your products onto shelves faster. You can also make connections with journalists who may be interested in writing about your brand or interviewing you for an article. Plus, there are typically workshops that cover important topics like how to create effective marketing campaigns, how to find a co-manufacturer, and how to create a sustainability plan.
                                   
Finally, attending Expo West gives you a chance to show off your product or service in front of thousands of potential customers or partners, including grocery buyers, distributors, and press. Many attendees come looking for something new so they can stand out from their competitors; if you have something unique that no one else has then this could be your opportunity to shine! Whether you plan on exhibiting or walking the floor, be sure to bring plenty of samples so you can wow as many people as possible with your product. Plus don't forget all the free goodies that come along with being at the expo - you can plan on bringing a whole carry-on full of samples home!

Making the most out of Expo West

Expo West is an invaluable resource for any CPG brand founder looking for ways to grow their business and reach more customers. With its diverse range of exhibitors and attendees from all areas of the natural products industry, Expo West provides an unparalleled opportunity for networking as well as learning about new trends in the market. But it can be a huge financial and time investment gone to waste if you don't come prepared to maximize your time there! Here are a few sure fire ways to getting the most out of Expo West.

Plan Out Your Schedule Ahead of Time

Expo West is a very large event - with over 3,000 vendors, it can be overwhelming! It’s important to plan out your schedule ahead of time so that you can maximize your experience and get the most out of it. Make sure to research all of the events taking place during Expo West (such as seminars and networking events) that might be interesting or beneficial to you. Once you have identified these events, create a schedule so that you can make sure to attend as many as possible. If you're a brand looking to connect with other brands for partnership, mentorship, or general networking opportunities, it's important to familiarize yourself with the exhibitor list and floor plan.
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Organize Your Branding Materials

You will want to make sure that your branding materials are organized and ready for Expo West. This includes things like business cards, brochures, posters, flyers, etc. You should also create a list of the items that you need to bring with you and make sure they’re packed beforehand so that nothing gets left behind. Additionally, if you have samples of your product or any other promotional material that you would like to give away at the event – make sure they are ready before arriving at Expo West!

Connect With Other Brands & Attendees Beforehand

Reaching out in advance is key when it comes to making connections at a large event like Expo West. You can do this by connecting with attendees via social media or email before attending the event. This way, when you do run into each other at Expo West – there will already be an established connection which makes it much easier (and more enjoyable) to network with one another! Additionally, if there are any specific  individuals that you would like to meet at Expo West – reach out in advance and let them know who you are and why meeting up could be mutually beneficial for both parties involved.  You're best off scheduling a 15 minute in-person meeting between events.

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Summary

Attending Expo West is an incredible opportunity for CPG brand founders looking for exposure and networking opportunities within their industry. However, it’s important that attendees come prepared with an organized plan in order to maximize their experience at this large-scale event. By doing research on the events taking place during Expo West beforehand, packing all necessary materials ahead of time, and reaching out in advance – CPG brand founders will be able set themselves up for success at this exciting event!

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