Natural Products Expo East Set to Return to Philadelphia Sept. 28 - Oct. 1; Natural Products Industry will Gather to Discover, Learn and Push the Industry Forward

Show pursues CarbonNeutral® Event certification for the first time among other
initiatives to further integrity, sustainability and purpose in the marketplace

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Informa Markets' Natural Products Expo East, part of the New Hope Network family of brands, is set to return for its second year at its new home at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Sept. 28 through Oct. 1. Celebrating its 37^th occurrence, the event is expected to draw 1,100 exhibitors and more than 20,000 registered attendees to reconnect with colleagues, learn from experts and see first-hand the latest innovations coming soon to retail stores.

The show floor will be filled with brands that highlight the future of food and wellness and a robust agenda of live and virtual education sessions will span topics from social sustainability to the future of organic to consumer insights and a plan for retail success. Keynotes will include the State of Natural & Organic presentation and a talk by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist, policy expert, co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab and co-creator and co-host of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet.

The show environment will continue to foster New Hope's values of integrity, sustainability and purpose. In addition to best-in-class health and safety protocols, Natural Products Expo East will feature new, returning and expanded initiatives.

Show highlights include:

New Hope Network's sustainability commitment extends this year as Expo East will seek to achieve CarbonNeutral® Event certification for the first time. Efforts entail reducing the event's greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible and compensating for the remaining carbon emissions the show emits (from travel, hotel stays, energy-use, waste, etc.) through the purchase of high-quality ICROA-approved carbon offsets.

This certification is administered by Climate Impact Partners, a global standard to deliver clean, conclusive, and transparent carbon neutral programs for over 20 years. The carbon footprint of the event is verified by a third-party company, Bureau Veritas.

"I'm excited that Natural Products Expo East will pursue this certification as an extension of our comprehensive sustainability program. As a cornerstone of the natural products industry and a leader in event sustainability, we must continue to build upon our efforts and ensure the impacts of our trade shows are in line with our core values," said Lacey Gautier, Vice President of Events, Informa Markets' New Hope Network. "We have worked to reduce our carbon footprint for many years and this certification further solidifies our commitment to ensuring the environmental impacts of our trade shows are as minimal as possible and unavoidable emissions are offset through reputable carbon reduction projects."

"I'm always very excited about Expo East. In my mind, it's the people that make up our natural products community," shared Michael Kanter, Co-Founder of Cambridge Naturals. "At this show I get to connect with passionate, purposeful people (new and old colleagues) from all over the country and world who not only want to grow their businesses, but also have a deep interest in creating a better planet, country and healthier hometowns.  That's a big deal for me!"

New this year, Natural Products Expo East will host Food Tank's Food Sustainability Summit, a fast-paced afternoon where attendees will hear from leading sustainability experts and change makers tackling food waste, climate change, conventional agriculture and more. Taking place Friday, Sept. 30 from 2:00 to 6:00pm ET, the agenda will include a screening of the short film The Art of Sustaining, a panel discussion and reception, all fostering discussion and engagement on the topic of what a more sustainable tomorrow looks like. Portions of the event will also be livestreamed.

Accessibility, diversity, inclusion and community are at the forefront when planning for Natural Products Expo East. New Hope Network will activate on its Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) values and again partner with (included), a membership collective for BIPOC executives in the CPG space, to continue to advance diversity and inclusion throughout the event.  Highlights from these efforts include conference session collaborations, complimentary Natural Products Expo Virtual (NPEV) memberships for (included) members, networking events and onsite exhibit space and tabletop features.

Project Potluck, whose mission is to help People of Color build successful companies and careers in CPG, is also an integral partner to the show, advancing both organizations' goals to increase access, visibility and representation and develop the next generation of CPG leaders.

The Natural Products Expo ETHOS Initiative (Equality, Trustworthy, Humanity, Open-Hearted, Safety) is intended to help prevent harassment and ensure the safest, most inclusive event environments possible at the shows. Efforts include sexual harassment training for all New Hope Network staff prior to arriving in Philadelphia, making educational sessions available pre-show for all attendees and exhibitors on the Natural Products Expo Virtual platform, an alcohol-free zone at both live concerts, a "see something, say something" campaign and a partnership with WOAR in Philadelphia whose mission is to end sexual violence.

"Hosting an inclusive, safe and successful event is our top priority as we look ahead to gathering the natural products community in Philadelphia for Natural Products Expo East," continued Gautier.

Natural Products Expo East is produced by New Hope Network and is co-located with BioFach America and Harvest Festival.

Industry members unable to travel to Philadelphia are invited to participate through the Natural Products Expo Virtual platform. New on-demand content will be added following the in-person show.

Follow @NatProdExpo on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! Visit @Natural Products Expo on LinkedIn to join in on ongoing conversations. Natural Products Expo is a business-to-business trade show and is not open to the public.

New Hope Network is at the forefront of the healthy lifestyle products industry. With solutions for the complete supply chain from manufacturers, retailers/distributors, service providers and ingredient suppliers, the network offers a robust portfolio of content, events, data, research and consultative services. Through all its actions, New Hope Network aims to cultivate a prosperous high-integrity CPG and retail ecosystem that creates health, joy and justice for all people while regenerating the planet.

For more information visit www.newhope.com.  

Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. We provide marketplace participants around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, targeted digital services and actionable data solutions. We connect buyers and sellers across more than a dozen global verticals, including Pharmaceuticals, Food, Medical Technology and Infrastructure. As the world's leading market-making company, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.

SOURCE New Hope Network