Coming at the outset of this coronavirus emergency, Natural Products Expo West was first “postponed” from its March 3-7 scheduled dates. But on March 13, organizer New Hope Network announced it was canceling and rolling some of NPEW/Expo West into a bigger Natural Products Expo East Sept. 23-26 (hopefully) in Philadelphia.
“After consulting with key partners within the natural products community, New Hope Network has decided that, due to the developing circumstances around the COVID-19 virus, we will not move forward with hosting a rescheduled Natural Products Expo West event in Anaheim in 2020.”
The initial announcement, March 2, was hopeful that Expo West could be rescheduled for Anaheim or somewhere else in the West later this year.
“We are shifting our focus and resources toward making Natural Products Expo East 2020 (Philadelphia, Sept. 23-26) this year’s world-class innovation showcase and community gathering needed by the natural & organic products industry,” New Hope said.
So 2020 will be the first time in 40 years there has not been the natural and organic products show in Anaheim, Calif.
Because Expo West’s exhibitors include many small companies and emerging brands, New Hope established a $5 million fund “to support emerging brands significantly affected by the Expo West 2020 disruption, ensuring we help many of our most vulnerable and impacted community members.
"An independent advisory council has now been formed to help us establish criteria for how we best manage and most fairly disperse our $5 million fund. In addition, this council will be advising how to ensure we make Expo East 2020 the most valuable innovation and community event possible.”
That advisory council is led by industry veteran John Grubb, a former managing partner of Sterling-Rice Group and the current board president of Naturally Boulder, and it includes the heads of many prominent natural products companies.
“The advisory council convenes for the first time on March 16 and will aim to deliver guidance to the New Hope leadership team by the week of April 6.”
New Hope also established a FAQ page.
Coronavirus has caused the cancellation of a number of food & beverage industry events; we're keeping a tally for you on our Events Page.