New Hope Announces New Safety Measures for Expo East

Carol Ortenberg Sep. 6, 2022 at 5:09 PM

With Natural Products Expo East arriving Sept. 28 in Philadelphia, conference host New Hope Network has introduced a set of guidelines to improve the safety of attendees and create an atmosphere of respect at the event.

The guidelines were issued following reports of sexual harassment at last spring’s Expo West event.

New protocols include:

Sexual harassment training for all New Hope Staff.
An optional, on-demand, educational session hosted on the event’s virtual platform.
Both live concerts at day’s end will also have a “dry bar” as an alternative to alcoholic options.
Signage at the convention center, staff contact cards and the show’s mobile app will include details about how to call or text a number to “alert” New Hope staff about unsafe, hazardous or unprofessional behaviors.
WOAR Philadelphia, a local nonprofit with a mission to end sexual violence, will be in attendance at the show.
New Hope will staff a 24-hour hotline for anyone that finds themselves in an “uncomfortable situation.”
There will be increased security presence at all New Hope-affiliated events.
All attendees and exhibitors must accept a conduct statement as part of registration.

The guidelines are part of New Hope’s efforts to face down concerns about sexual harassment at their conference that were aired on social media following Expo West last year. At the time, a pair of attendees, food brand founder Miriam Elghani and industry marketer Kati Phillips, posted that they had been propositioned, harassed, and subjected to unwanted sexual contact during the event. Elghani also noted at the time the wider issue of misogyny within the industry. Hundreds of comments poured in to support two women.

In response to the allegations, executives from New Hope, which is owned by parent company Informa Markets, said in a statement that they were “saddened and deeply disappointed to learn of the sexual harassment that several women reported experiencing” and promised to return with a meaningful list of changes. New Hope’s first change was the establishment of its ETHOS initiative (equality, trustworthy, humanity, open-hearted, safety) early this summer.

“[ETHOS] is a comprehensive program that includes increased security, training, advocacy support, the communication of our expectations and guidelines for how we will address harassing and inappropriate behavior, and a call to the industry to hold one another accountable and engage in community events in a way that, not only eradicates ugly behavior, but that also manifests kindness, trust, collaboration, partnership and all the things that make a community safe, inclusive and a productive place to do business and move an industry forward,” said New Hope SVP and market leader Carlotta Mast, via email.

The show will see a 20% increase from the security presence at Expo East 2021, Lacey Gautier, VP of events at New Hope, told NOSH in an email; eight members of WOAR will also cycle through the show over its four day span.

While the increased security personnel will only be at the conference center or New Hope branded events, many gatherings take place outside of the convention center, Gautier acknowledged.That’s where the hotline and “where community and accountability are even more critical,” she noted. The hotline will be answered by New Hope staff and, depending on the situation, conference personnel or emergency services will be called.

Reached by email, Elghani said that she appreciated the efforts put forth by New Hope, and believes they will benefit attendees. Elghani further suggested that the online educational session be made mandatory, and that New Hope crack down on badge switching between attendees and non-attendees who might only be interested in partying.

However, she added, the response should be seen as the “first step on a long road ahead,” for the industry overall.

“There is a greater societal issue at play here,” she said, “so it’s certainly not something New Hope or myself can change with one viral post or one ethos statement.”