A First-Timer's Expo West Recap

💙 The Branded Moment 💙

Over 3,000 brands came together in Anaheim this past week, filling 7+ Expo Halls with some of the coolest brand showcases.

It’s a mix of experiential + trade + sampling.

But Expo West isn’t about just what happens on the trade show floor.

Before the Show

Expo West requires months of prep for both attendees and brands. Each activation is meticulously crafted and thought through.

In addition, the pre-parties are no joke. There are a PLETHORA of events popping up around LA in advance of the conference as people begin to roll in from every corner of the earth.

Tip: If attending Expo, it could make sense to allocate some time for the pre-events and knock out important meetings before the real show starts.

The Show

Expo technically starts on the second Tuesday in March, but the exhibition floor doesn’t open until Wednesday.

There are panels, meetings, keynotes, networking events, education sessions, and more.

The exhibition is the main event. Comprised of over 3,000 booths, brands from all over the world come to show off their products and interact with consumers, buyers, press, and potential partners.

I could probably walk the floor for 10 hours and still not see everything I’d want to see.

It is the craziest display of CPG you could ever imagine…

Learnings

As a first-timer, I have SO MANY LEARNINGS. I’ll try to group them based on whether they are specific to Expo or not.

Learnings for All Brands:

• Neon signs crush.

• Music actually matters. Get a boppin’ playlist, and the people will come.

• Expo West is definitely just as much a consumer event as it is B2B. I see both angles for why consumer brands want to show up. Instant visibility to 70k healthy food consumers AND retailers, manufacturers, and partners. I see the value for sure.

• Who you staff your booth/activation with matters. If you staff your activation with BAs who look like the consumer, it will attract your consumer.

Expo-Specific Learnings:

• It’s actually really hard to meet up with people if you don’t have a pre-determined time. It’s hard to coordinate schedules + find an actual space for meetings. I’d recommend meeting up before or after.

• Parking is awful. If you find a lot with a space, take it. We tried to buy our spot in advance one day, and it ended up taking almost an extra hour to get in given all the closed streets on our way there.

• Size doesn’t matter. The best booths weren’t necessarily the biggest. It’s about your interactivity & sample.

• If you are a newer brand, try to make your sample something you could takeaway. There are literally THOUSANDS of samples available. I saved my stomach room for the brands I really wanted to try. I took almost every takeaway sample offered, and that’s how I’ve discovered most of the newer brands that I’d buy again.

Some Notable Activations…

Best Sample: Ithaca Hummus x Graza or Van Leeuwen

I love the idea of debuting an innovation at Expo. I got to experience the new Ithaca Graza Hummus, and it was awesome. Van Leeuwen gave out ice cream scoops of their iconic flavors. Always a win.

Best Giveaway: Belgian Boys Pink Tote

Everyone at Expo would agree that Belgian Boys had the #1 giveaway. They sold out on the first day in hours, and the line at 10AM on the dot (when Expo opens) the next day, was insane.

Tip: Want to win the tote race? Spend a little extra on your bag, and people will go nuts.

Most Interactive Booth: Bitchin’ Sauce

Bitchin’ Sauce recreated a 50s diner vibe with an actual MC and an attendee cam that played from the ceiling of their activation. The energy, the samples, and the giveaways were A+. We stayed… awhile.

Best “Casting”: Simple Mills

A lot of the Simple Mills booth workers (yes, probably the employees) looked like moms who you’d trust for healthy food advice. It actually made me want to trust the brand even more. Who you choose to represent your brand in front of 70k consumers matters.

One new product I tried this week 👉 Definitely didn’t try anything new…

One new campaign I’m loving 👉 Alex cooper x NSWL - It’s so smart. And it’s such a good partnership that I have to wonder who’s paying who…

One new piece of content to listen to 👉 Claudia Oshry x Forbes - Super interesting to hear creators talk about their journey + how they run their business.