Naturally Good Expo 2021 is in the books, drawing large crowds of retailers, distributors and media despite the difficulties of COVID and the latest Victorian lockdown.
The two-day event over May 30 and 31 took over the Sydney International Convention Centre to present more than 220 national exhibitors and 17 business speakers in categories of food, beauty, health and homewares, becoming a one-stop shop for wellness.
The event has been running since 2015 and made an important comeback after missing 2020, although the Victorian lockdown meant many exhibitors were unable to attend the event last minute.
“Given the cancellation of last year’s expo due to COVID, we were on high alert throughout the year. However, the crowd turn-out was fantastic with exhibitors saying they were constantly busy with distributor enquiries and meetings,” said Naturally Good’s Commercial and Digital Innovation Manager, Lynn Ormiston. “This year has been unprecedented given all the challenges however we did our utmost to put on a COVID-Safe event and the feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive.”
“The snap lockdown was really unfortunate considering how much effort exhibitors go to, although majority of Victorian exhibitors were able to make it across to NSW in time, pulling out all stops to get here. Additionally, numerous Victorian distributors weren’t able to make it, however we have provided their contacts to inquiring businesses and will continue to work with these impacted brands,” she continued.
Hair, beauty and personal care was a strong sector at the expo, with many vitamin and nutrient infused products on show. Sustainability was key across the event, and innovative and unique products, foods and beverages – think gut immunity boosting foods containing black garlic, cricket powder, turmeric, seaweed, camel milk and bone broth – were front and centre.
The event also gave voice to the annual Pitch Fest, a platform for businesses to offer their ideas and innovations across varied categories. Queensland business I Am Grounded was named the 2021 winner for their use of upcycling the natural by-product of discarded coffee fruit into sustainable snacks and for providing economic opportunities for impoverished coffee producing communities.
The speaker sessions featured a collection of important wellness and sustainability leaders, with topics pertaining to business, retail, marketing, engaging with customers and so much more within the natural lens.
“The expo continues to grow each year with the number of trade visitors and sheer volume of brands exhibiting. This a reflection of high market demand in the natural products space. We also had a fantastic turn out for our comprehensive Business Summit program on May 28, and had great feedback from exhibitors, visitors and partners. We look forward to planning next year,” Lynn said.
The 2022 event is already set for June 6 and 7 next year, coming back to the ICC. Don’t miss out on this glimpse into everything innovative, important and eco-friendly at Naturally Good.
For more information visit www.naturallygood.com.au
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