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A food industry trade show is a critical component for a brand’s launch and sustained success. In just three years, 2011–14, U.S.natural and organic food sales grew from $28.1 billion to $42 billion, according to www.statista.com. As a result, conglomerates and retailers are attending natural foods trade shows in search of new products such as yours. The Natural Foods Expo West 2012 reported 60,000+ people in attendance and had more than 3,000 exhibitors. Every year the number increases, and this is the biggest show of the year.

SHELF CHECK 17

Recognize Trade Show Opportunities

To a wandering spectator, food trade shows are a wonderland of delicious smells, free samples, and visual stimulation. Branded bags are everywhere. But for you they are a place to reach your buyers, retailers, individual store staff, distributor reps, brokers, and retail customers. Expos are three days long, and they can be a real learning opportunity. It can be overcrowded during the major hours, so give yourself enough time to explore.

This can be a lucrative and exciting environment in which to launch your brand. For existing brands it’s an opportunity to update packaging and/or launch new items, expand territories, and sell case stacks.

Every show booth has an assigned badge scanner to obtain contact information and input orders. Obtaining new contacts is as easy as scanning attendees’ badges; most attendees are willing to oblige. Upon the show’s conclusion, one can download contact lists and order history to a portable USB drive. Use all the digital tools at these shows to your advantage!

How to Reduce Your Costs of Trade Shows

There are hundreds of trade shows. Costs for a table or booth at major shows such as KeHE’s summer and winter selling shows; UNFI’s winter, holiday, spring, and summer Tabletop Shows; Fancy Food Show; Expo East; and Expo West range from $2,000 to $6,000. You can plan months in advance to keep costs low. On the other hand, if you don’t watch carefully you may find yourself spending money not in your budget.

Logistical costs are nearly evil. Be cautious. For example, your materials are sent ahead to a particular trade show. You are pleased to see when you arrive at your booth that your boxes are delivered. Your smile quickly fades when you see a bill for $2,500 for that service. Shop around. Get quotes early. Also, keep in mind that logistics don’t set up your booth for you. They simply deliver your booth to you at the trade show. Often you need to hire at least one person to help you set up your booth. This helper can be a local demo person (brand ambassador). The costs don’t stop there, though. Your hotel, meals, and brand ambassador will cost upward of $3,000. Budgeting $10,000 for a trade show is not outrageous. It’s about average.

Immediately take advantage of all distributors’ discount programs. KeHE has various discounts such as one for any vendor with fewer than 300 points of distribution (i.e., 300 accounts ordering product) or fewer than six months’ time with KeHE. UNFI also gives a discount for new items with fewer than six months in distribution.

Carefully plan how to be seen at a show. When buyers and retailers have eight full halls of manufacturers it becomes easy to miss one. For example, the Natural Foods Expos East and West offer an array of different types of booths, all at various budgets. Established manufacturers often have elaborate displays, many with numerous working parts. Now you could spend up to $20,000 just for your booth, furniture, and location.

For example, it’s true that for extra attention and visibility hanging signage is a proven way to attract people from a distance. Using ceiling signage is something for an established brand that “owns” their retail space. You may not be ready for it now but it could be a future goal.

The New Products section is an economical way to stand out early. A location in this section is only a few hundred dollars and is usually front and center. Buyers and retailers always review this section with notepad in hand, jotting down brand names and booth information. UNFI, KeHE, and Natural Foods Expo shows have stellar New Products sections. Make your new product display clean but with just a little pop of brand personality.

Trade show union labor prices are steep. But you can take a cost-cutting route that can save you as much as $2,000. I suggest bringing as much as you can with you to the show setup. For a much smaller fee than a shipping company will charge, add a couple of bags to your flight. Ship remaining equipment and supplies to your hotel along with a dolly. Often hotels will charge a micro fee to hold a package for a guest.

Hotels? Again, shop early. These can run about $150 to $300 per night. Show-discount rooms might be a little cheaper, but make sure you are happy with the room first. Staying at a trade show hotel is highly advisable. After a ten- to twelve-hour day, time is precious.

Typically, all legitimate trade show hotel deals are offered on the trade show site. But be wary. I once worked with a manufacturer who informed me they had a discount show rate for the Hilton they found on another site. When I called the Hilton, no such reservation existed. The manufacturer was too green to realize this alternate site was a scam.

How to Maximize Selling Potential at Trade Shows

You will need effective and engaging sales sheets, and I recommend you prepare a couple of versions. I suggest one generic version for potential new distributors or possible direct sales. The second version is distributor specific with item numbers. Ensure ingredients and certifications are listed on all sales sheets. Include your contact information and websites as well as Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media connections.

Once the show floor gets busy you will want to work your area. If you have a team, one of you can actively work your booth while others work the floor. Your entire team should focus on making as many contacts as possible. Personally walk people over to your booth. You can even hire extra booth labor. Trade shows are chaotic. Buyers and retailers cannot visit every booth. Make it a mission to target specific retailers and buyers and accomplish it.

Four weeks prior to the show, add to your email signature the particular show name and booth information. Every email you write should have something like this: “See you at Natural Foods Expo West Booth #1234, Hall D!” This is a crucial and ambitious step toward getting new contacts.

Contact every potential retailer and buyer as well as existing customers to inform them you are at Expo and they need to see you there. Set up as many meetings as possible at the show. It’s a good time to strengthen your relationships with existing accounts and solidify new ones. Trade shows can be a bonding experience with your buyers and retailers.

Whatever fliers or promotion you want to have outside your booth must be cleared with the show first. I worked with a manufacturer who wanted to promote a celebrity autograph signing at their booth. They gave a pile of fliers to a demo girl and sent her into the crowds. An hour later she came back to inform us she had been shut down. Apparently the manufacturer didn’t want to pay the associated fees for this kind of promotion and just went ahead without permission. It happens all the time. But you can’t get away with it, so don’t do it.

The Big Trade Shows

Each year many trade shows, large and small, occur around the country. In the following you will find descriptions of very large ones that draw thousands of people.

Natural Products Expo West

Deal-making atmosphere: high

Expo West is the most anticipated show of the year! Their attendance is over sixty thousand with over three thousand exhibitors. New products and new relationships, along with legacy brands and longtime partnerships, create an energy that resonates through Anaheim Convention Center and drives the industry forward. The show continues to grow in size as well. Natural Products Expo West now encompasses over 1.2 million gross square feet and houses more exhibiting companies as the natural and specialty foods pavilion continues to sell out. The NEXT New Product Pavilion hosts hundreds of first-time exhibitors and trending products. Beyond the exhibit floor, attendees are encouraged to connect and collaborate by taking part in outdoor events, including a farmer’s market at the Fresh Ideas Organic Marketplace, community celebrations at the Evenings on the Plaza, and off-site tours. If there is one show to hit every year, this is the one.

WEBSITE: WWW.EXPOWEST.COM

Natural Products Expo East

Natural Products Expo East presents the organic and healthy-lifestyle industry with thousands of products from passionate manufacturers as well as inspiring and practical education and networking events. The Natural Products Expo East is located in Baltimore, Maryland. Expo East boasts one of the highest numbers of show floor orders.

WEBSITE: WWW.EXPOEAST.COM

KeHE Summer Selling Show

KeHE’s summer selling show is an extremely well-attended show. However, this show is not attended by the general public. The people you meet there are all potential deal makers. Sure, it’s great that some of them may pick up your product at their local stores, but that’s not why you are there. You are there to be in front of the big buyers. I have had tremendous success with sales at these KeHE trade shows, mainly because KeHE shows offer scanners that take orders on the floor. This process made it simple to input new orders, new customers, and data mining. I have had sales in excess of $10,000 in a few days.

The KeHE summer selling show is held annually in early February in various cities throughout the country. KeHE has the best parties of any trade show! This translates to socializing with your buyers and retailers, as well as strengthening the industry.

WEBSITE: WWW.KEHE.COM

UNFI Winter, Holiday, and Summer Tabletop Shows

UNFI Tabletop Shows provide UNFI customers direct one-on-one access to suppliers. Customers have an opportunity to see and sample new items, plan promotions, and place orders. Like the KeHE shows, UNFI also provides scanners for order taking. There are also educational sessions where retailers can gather for information on topics such as customer service, trends, non-GMO issues, and much more.

WEBSITE: WWW.UNFI.COM

Fancy Food Show

The Fancy Food Show is one of North America’s largest specialty food and beverage marketplaces. This is the show where distributors and retailers look for specialty and natural products that they may not see at a typical trade show. Sure, there are mainstream products at the Fancy Food Show, but there also is a vast selection of gourmet foods that you have never seen before. It’s an exciting place to be!

The Fancy Food Show brings in more than 40,000 attendees from more than 80 countries and regions per show to see 260,000 innovative specialty food products.

Only Specialty Food Association members can exhibit at the Fancy Food Shows. You can see retailers, restaurateurs, distributors, and other innovative new food and beverage products. This show is attended by the majority of the major food-buying channels and the influential members of the trade and consumer press and other related businesses.

WEBSITE: WWW.SPECIALTYFOOD.COM

Trade shows can seem like a circus! No doubt one can make you feel like the tightrope-walking bear. However, they also can get all eyes on you and people wanting you to succeed. These shows are absolutely essential to your success, so maximize them to the best of your ability. It’s an investment into your product’s future.