With the arrival of a new, more environmentally aware decade, 2020 is set to be the most influential year yet for the natural products space in Australia and throughout the world.
Returning to Sydney’s International Convention Centre on Monday 1st June and Tuesday 2nd June for a sixth year, the Naturally Good expo is billed as being more innovative than ever, featuring more than 370 exhibitors and 15 presentations showcasing the hottest products and trends.
Partnering with key industry bodies Australian Organic, Australian Natural Therapies Association and Complementary Medicines Australia, industry visitors at the B2B event will be able to check out the most diverse businesses, retailers and producers across the food, beverages, beauty, personal care, health, home and lifestyle sectors.
It’s predicted trends towards health and wellness, and plant-based products will continue to forge ahead this year demanding more innovation than ever before. With awareness of environmental issues higher than ever, it’s expected consumers will increasingly put more thought into their purchases.
Jon Perry, group event director, Naturally Good, said in particular, sustainable living brands will generate keen interest with their focus on organic authenticity, transparency and ethics. Product wise, the high-growth meat and dairy alternatives sectors are expected to continue growing as will the natural cosmetics and hemp products space.
Critical event
“Consumers are now clearly demonstrating that they are willing to pay a premium for natural, organic and healthy products,” Perry said. “The Naturally Good expo is therefore fast becoming a critical event for brands and retailers looking to take advantage of this trend.
“It’s beneficial nowadays for retailers to stock natural and organic products, as those stores will always draw in more customers as opposed to stores that don’t stock such items. So, it’s worthwhile for business owners to learn more about the industry’s ‘natural advantage.’”
Exhibitors include leading food brands such as Spiral Foods, Ceres Organics and The Healthy Chef. Returning will be the Start Up Zone, featuring the most innovative products from emerging brands that launched over the past two years including Cobram Harvest, Nutty Bay and My Provincial Kitchen.
Meanwhile, new for 2020 will be a seminar stage dedicated to the beauty and living sector – one of the fastest growing areas within the natural and organic space. This stage will feature key brands including Weleda, Dr Bronner’s and Grants of Australia who will share their journey and explain how they are responding to ever-changing consumer demand.
The Natural Health zone will feature close to 40 exhibitors showcasing vitamins, supplements, herbal remedies and complementary medicine products. Key exhibitors in this space include THS Nutrition, Fiji Kava, Kiwi Manuka, Bluegum Pharma, Glimlife Hab Shifa and Oborne Health Supplies.
Trade visitors will also hear from experts such as Anastasia Lloyd-Wallis from Retail Doctor Group; Michael Fox from Fable Food; Chris Mackey from Retail Veteran and Action Business Coach; Ann Cattelan from Go Vita Distributors; Niki Ford from Australian Organic; Sarah McKee from Nielsen Connect and Thomas King from Frontier Foods . The free to attend speaker series will cover emerging consumer trends, tips from retailers, insights into key consumer segments and marketing strategies and more.
Pitch Fest
This year’s Pitch Fest competition will be held on the show floor allowing all trade buyers to sit in on the industry’s most enthusiastic product pitches alongside industry judges and hear live from the masterminds behind these emerging brands. Judges for this year include Emma Coath from Rocket Seeder, as well as Lucinda Hankin from Grok Ventures.
The Business Summit will also be held Friday 29 May. Aimed at manufacturers and brands in the natural and organic space, the summit will cover consumer strategy, capital raising and ecommerce, as well as the always popular topic of upcoming trends and insights in 2020.
Natural – the new norm
“The natural way of living is fast becoming the new norm,” said Perry. “The expo continues to grow year on year with trade visitors and sheer volume of brands exhibiting. This a reflection of high market demand for natural products – the natural way of living is fast becoming the new norm. It’s a great opportunity to learn from experts, see emerging products and build long-lasting connections.
“Last year we had a fantastic turn out for our comprehensive seminar program and had great feedback from exhibitors, visitors and partners alike. We expect nothing less from this year.”
Don’t miss the Southern Hemisphere’s largest natural, organic and healthy products trade show and learn more about maximising ‘the natural advantage’. Register today to reserve your place.
• Naturally Good takes place at 1-2 June 2020. ICC Sydney. For more information visit: www.naturallygood.com.au