Natural Products Expo

Our tradeshow booth design & build for Molly's Suds makes the most of its 10’ x 10’ footprint at Natural Products Expo West 2025. With a custom washer & dryer cabinet facade that spotlights their most popular products, the intentional use of accent lighting, and an fun, retro-inspired laundry room vibe executed through on-brand graphic artwork, this exhibit cleans AND presents powerfully ?? The bold canopy and checkered flooring really ties the space together, proving that there’s no duds for these suds. Whatever the ask, we guarantee to make every square foot count! Griffin McElwain #NPEW2025 #ExpoWest2025 #NaturalProductsExpoWest2025 #MollysSuds #ExhibitDesign #ExperientialDesign #Tradeshow #TradeshowBoothDesign #CleanPowerfully #LiveFearlessly

What excites me most these days? Female founders! I wish I could simply say founders, but with only 2% of investments going to women-led companies, it’s crucial to highlight the distinction. That said, these women aren’t just founders, they’re powerhouses, driving #innovation and transforming the way we think about and consume #food. At Natural Products Expo West, I had the chance to sit down with native Peruvian and #Indigenous entrepreneur Sarela Herrada, co-founder of SIMPLi, a company committed to making #regenerative organic ingredients more accessible. In our conversation for vegconomist - the vegan business magazine, Sarela shared insights on - Why regenerative organic sourcing is the future - How brands can prioritize both sustainability and affordability - The role of women in leading this shift toward better food systems Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/ghSAQC8U What female-founded (food) brands are inspiring you right now? #FemaleFounders #RegenerativeAgriculture #BetterFoodFuture photo credit: SIMPLi

My first time at Natural Products Expo- Here’s What Stood Out I get the hype now. This industry is insanely friendly, open-minded, and full of people who genuinely love what they do. It’s not just about selling products—it’s about community, creativity, and connection. Big Takeaways: ?? Booth Design: Some brands had insane builds, while others were scrappy DIY setups. There’s a real opportunity for fabrication teams to help smaller brands level up. ?? Brand Activations: Most relied on in-house teams, but many were missing real traffic-driving strategies. We had great conversations about how outside teams (like ours!) can boost engagement and ROI. ?? The Vibe: It’s rare to see an industry where everyone’s so open to sharing and collaborating. Expo West isn’t just a trade show—it’s an ecosystem of people who actually want to help each other grow. ?? Rain or Shine, Expo West Knows How to Party! The energy didn’t stop when the show floor closed—amazing music, great events, and a community that knows how to have a good time. Had an amazing time working with Everyday Dose, and we’re already excited for 2026. If you were there, what stood out to you? Let’s connect. #ExpoWest #ExperientialMarketing #BrandActivations #EventMarketing #Community #GoodVibes GoInspo?

Expo 2025 done! ? Our first expo was 6 months after we launched at Whole Foods Market in 2023. We had been going through months of production trials with custom machinery that kept failing to work. We were bleeding money. I was afraid we would not make it. But we took a leap and signed up for Expo and got one of the last booths left. We showed up with a $400 backdrop to a dingy spot in a corridor. None on my newly assembled Expo team - my part time assistant, her best friend, her cousin and my yoga teacher - had ever attended a food event, including me. Then magic happened. We became Nexty finalists. Albertsons made us Top 5 Pick of the Expo. Kehe sent their press team and named us top pick of Day 2. We snagged a pitch session for Sprouts and got onboarded. All of our retail launches for 2024 happened because I met the buyers directly - Target, Sprouts, Albertsons, Kehe, Raley’s, Hy-Vee, World Market, and retailers in the Middle East. It was a game changer. So Expowest has been amazing for our business. For a little bootstrapped startup 2.5 years in like ours, buying an expensive booth and hiring a crew to build is not an option (from $25k-$100k and beyond). We keep it scrappy while striving for an elevated aesthetic - I designed the booth (all white with just logo) and merch (gold recycled plastic totes) myself so no cost for a designer, our vinyl flooring $150 from Home Depot, our booth setup LED lighbox $2k from last year that we reuse for all our shows and build ourselves. We wheel in our own samples. Our dear friends from BOBABAM helped us break down and pack up all the gear. Even with that, the cost of the booth space itself, samples and merch flying out our team with hotels and airfare adds up. Not going to lie it is a bear to do the set up DIY. Why go through all of this? Because this is where I get to see all of our dear partners. My cherished advisors. My fellow founders. Meet investors. Meet new leads. Where I get to hug our first buyers who took a chance on us. And where this year, I got to bring our growing team together for our first team dinner ?? To all the new startups wondering if it is worth it, if they can afford it, I say yes. There is always a way. You may not have the most blinged out booth, may not have the most expensive merch, but it is the energy and the love you bring to the space that create memorable moments. I think that is what matters most. Bravo to the Issei team and thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth ?? #Natural Products Expo Allie Hausladen Batsell Abbey Appel Ian Cook Madison Robertson Robin G. Kristan G. Kari Pedriana Leo (Chris) Kasuya Sam Hurster Kelly Rodriguez Doug Kinneberg Nate Herrington Brian Khoddam John Linehan Ronald Escopete Margaret Allen Katherine Gamao Ayyub Bokhari Logan Langberg Russell Barnett Bill S. Samara Pollak Daniel Ramos Morales Madison Pascual (Denomme) Duncan Alney Stefano Cazzaniga, MBA Tyler Morgan Tiffany Graham Michelle Schwenk E.J. Fortenberry