Previewing Expo West 2024

It’s almost time for this year’s rendition of Natural Products Expo West and organizers expect a record crowd of 70,0000+ people to make the trip to Anaheim, California to get a glimpse of the latest natural and organic offerings in the food, beverage, health and beauty categories.

As always, Seed will be well-represented at this year’s event, with Steve Paljieg and Maggie Liddell being among those in attendance.

I was fortunate enough to catch up with them to get their thoughts prior to their trip.

 

What made you decide to attend Expo West?

Steve: Expo West is special. Food and beverages are both a professional and personal passion for me. I love working with innovators in the space and hope that my culinary and craft cocktailing hobbies bring some extra energy (and a little extra insight) into the work I do with them. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me at Expo West this year!

 

Maggie: Like Steve, Expo West presents an opportunity for me to dive into things that are exciting on both a personal and professional level. Nourishing the mind, body and soul has been a focus for me and my family for years. I believe that what you put in your body has the potential to either keep you healthy or make you less susceptible to illness, it can help fuel your brain or it can cause brain fog, it can bring you joy or spur depression. And this goes beyond the raw ingredients—how products are grown, processed and combined can help or hurt too. I’m excited to learn even more about all of this at Expo West and to be able to translate that into insights for the companies we work with at Burke and Seed.

 

Why do you think that it’s important for Burke and Seed to be there?

Steve: For over 22 years, Seed has been a leader in innovation and brand strategy. More than 50% of our work is with clients, big and small, in the food and beverage space. Our clients count on us to be on top of emerging trends and to use that knowledge to help them stay ahead of the market and their competition. Expo West is a great place to observe new food and beverage trends and to see how innovators are using them to shape the new products consumers are seeing today. Seed regularly attends Expo West, and it never fails to provide ample learning and inspiration.

 

Maggie: Building on what Steve said, we know it’s not enough to say you are “natural” these days. It needs to be backed up by real evidence and application that is authentic for your brand. Our clients are often trying to understand what this means for them. We need to have full awareness and understanding of the latest trends to help them find those cross-sections of consumer needs, brand position and innovation, where potential exists to bring new and exciting options to their customers. Expo West gives us a great launching point for that, ensuring we know what our clients can expect to see in the near future, what consumers are saying is important to them, and key innovations that could impact the market in the coming years.

 

We’ve talked a lot about trends. Which trends or topics will you be paying particularly close attention to at the show?

Maggie: While women have historically held the purchasing power for most household purchases, we are seeing a recent shift in how they use that power to focus on the things that truly matter to them. Women’s health is one of those areas. Whether we are talking about destigmatizing women’s health issues or gaining a better understanding of the things that really matter to women, I love seeing these walls being broken down. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this comes through at Expo West!

 

Steve: That’s a great one, Maggie! Personally, I’m particularly interested in clean cuisine, especially how expressions like Natural, Organic, Allergen-Friendly, Plant-Based, and Sugar-Free are being interpreted and expressed as innovations tailored to different consumer segments—like infants, toddlers, children, tweens and teens. I’m also curious to learn more about how today’s clean-consuming adults are using their interests and passions for “clean” eating to shop and select products for themselves and those they love and care for.

 

This has been great. Thanks for your time. Any last thoughts or other things you are looking forward to?

Steve: Connections feed and nourish the innovation process. Expo West provides an all-you-can-eat buffet… providing the opportunity to connect with thought leaders, product champions, entrepreneurs, ingredient experts, etc. … Bon Appétit, all! See you at the Expo!

 

Maggie: Steve, when you mentioned “all-you-can-eat,” I was sure you were going to reference the limitless samples at the show! Besides the aforementioned samples, I’m excited to meet and talk to the companies on the forefront of helping consumers see how natural products and healthful living go hand in hand… Those that are helping educate consumers on what this means for them and innovating to find new ways to address the needs of real consumers who are striving to live more naturally and healthfully. You can’t ask for a better opportunity to do that than Expo West.

 

Going to Expo West? Steve and Maggie would love to connect with you there. Feel free to email or reach out to them via LinkedIn.

Written by Adam Siegel. In addition to being the Editor of The Accelerator, Adam is a Senior Strategist at Seed Strategy where he draws upon his diverse experience in advertising, research, brand management, new product development and copywriting to help clients craft breakthrough innovation and brand strategy.

And be sure to follow Seed Strategy on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more updates on our adventures at Expo West.