BREAKING: Natural Products Expo East Cancelled

Citing the “continued impact of the COVID-19 crisis on events and travel,” New Hope this afternoon cancelled Natural Products Expo East 2020, which was to be held September 23-26 in Philadelphia. The decision marks the second pandemic-related cancellation for New Hope this year, having pulled the plug on Natural Products Expo West 2020 in March.

The 2020 conference was to be the first Expo East held in Philadelphia, a move from its previous Baltimore location. New Hope stated that the 2021 edition of the event will be held next September.

In a post on the conference’s website, New Hope noted that the organization had spent several months creating a detailed health and safety plan for the event, but did not feel that it could adequately put together a conference and trade show that would meet attendees’ and sponsors’ needs. In making this decision, the company conducted surveys to gather feedback from both brands and buyers, with the latter’s responses weighing heavily in the decision to cancel the event.

“Community members, including retail buyers, are not confident they will feel safe traveling to or attending a large event in September,” the post stated. “A potential lack of buyer participation, along with the show changes we would need to make to ensure the health & safety of the Expo East community, would have prevented us from delivering the quality experience and return on investment our exhibitors, sponsors and the broader community deserve and that we strive to provide.”

To fill the void left by the event’s cancellation, New Hope also announced the launch of a digital event and content series called Spark Change, which will be designed to help brands gain exposure and awareness within the industry. The program, which starts in August, will allow brands to get in front of investors, buyers and consumer influencers via “digital storytelling and product sampling.” Retailers, the post states, will be able to quickly view newly launched innovations and sort by theme, trend and product category.

The organization also emphasized that its Natural Products Expo Connect Platform, a directory of brands and products, can be used for buyers to connect with brands and find new products.

New Hope stated that Expo East exhibitors should contact their account managers regarding credits or refunds for exhibit space, though declined to promise one or the other. Furthermore, the FAQ answer suggests that brands may be encouraged to use this credit to engage with Spark Change.

“The cancellation of Expo West and now Expo East has impacted all our businesses in significant ways,” the website states. “We are particularly excited to discuss with you how our new Spark Change initiative will help fill the product discovery, education and networking voids that have resulted from the cancellation of our events.”

All paid additional badges and educational sessions will be refunded and all hotels booked through conference hotel provider OnPeak will also be automatically cancelled and refunded.

Expo East is the latest food and beverage industry trade show to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Specialty Food Association also cancelled its upcoming Summer Fancy Food Show, though the National Association of Convenience Stores is still planning to move ahead with its October conference in Las Vegas.