Natural & Organic Products Europe 2016 opens this weekend
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Thousands of buyers from around the world are preparing to visit Natural & Organic Products Europe trade event this weekend for the biggest European showcase of natural and organic health, beauty, food and eco-living products.
Opening at London ExCeL at 9.30am on Sunday 17 April (and closing at 5pm on Monday 18 April), the show’s 20th anniversary edition will bring together 650 leading exhibitors with representatives from all the major supermarkets and multiples, specialist suppliers, international wholesalers and distributors, pharmacies, restaurants and contract caterers, hotels, salons and spas, plus 1000s of independent retail outlets.
Pre-registrations are currently tracking significantly ahead for 2016, with a who’s who of buyers and key decision makers preparing to visit.
Among them are Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, Holland & Barrett, Waitrose, Tesco, Ocado, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Amazon, Boots, Superdrug, Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, John Lewis, Infinity Foods, Harrods, Costco, Iceland Foods, The Health Store, TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer, Abel & Cole, Pret A Manger, EAT, Glendola Leisure, Suma, Revital, Fenwick, Love Lula, Naturisimo, The Organic Pharmacy, The Hut Group, LloydsPharmacy, Whitworth Chemists, Ibis Styles, The Savoy, Hilton Worldwide, Pizza Hut Restaurants, Spirit Pub Company, BaxterStorey, Sodexo, Compass Group, Elior, Brakes, Wessanen UK, Carrefour, and Life Europe AB.
Over 10,000 attendees are expected over the two days.
“Newness is crucial to our business, and nowhere in the UK is there more innovation that is relevant to my business than this show,” says Al Overton, head of buying at Planet Organic.
“The Natural Food Show is an exciting event that Pret’s food team always looks forward to attending. It’s always brimming with ideas and inspiration,” says Caroline Cromar, group director of food at Pret A Manger.
“Each year the show gets better, with the new brands we meet. The best thing about Natural & Organic Products Europe is the amount of choice that is available,” says Melissa Broomes, senior buying manager – health, beauty & baby at Ocado.
“Natural & Organic Products Europe is the show that we know will be worth visiting in the UK every year,” says Nicole Milloy, product manager at Naturisimo.
“Natural & Organic Products Europe is great for us because it brings suppliers from all over the world to our doorstep, and gives us a chance to see, touch and taste the latest innovative new products, which could help our customers live healthier lives,” says Lysa Hardy, chief commercial officer at Holland & Barrett.
Over 650 innovative suppliers
As its biggest edition yet, Natural & Organic Products Europe is set to launch thousands of new natural and organic products – including supplements, botanicals, superfoods, personal care and beauty, eco-household, and food and drink – onto the European market.
New show features for 2016 include international pavilions from Demeter Italy, the Philippines, Thailand, Armenia & Moldova, Turkey, Peru, and Bulgaria. They join returning pavilions from Greece, France, Italy, Poland, and the USA.
There are also pavilions dedicated to the Soil Association and Organic Trade Board (new), Soil Association Organic Beauty (new), NATRUE (new), Venus Beauty, The Vegan Society, and the HFMA.
The full exhibitor list is available online at www.naturalproducts.co.uk/exhibitor-list.
New Products Showcases
New for 2016, the show has introduced a second New Products Showcase dedicated to Natural Beauty & Spa innovations. Combined, they currently include over 320 entries (and rising), across 13 categories.
Visitors to the showcases on opening day will also be able to vote for their favourite new products, with the winners to be announced the following morning at the prestigious Natural & Organic Awards Europe, hosted by Dragons’ Den investor Deborah Meaden.
Free Keynotes & kitchen demos
There’s handy tips on how to whip up a host of dishes to suit every palate and conscience at this year’s Natural Food Kitchen. Practical insights and panel discussions from leading natural and organic industry commentators in the Natural Products Talks (retailer-focused) Theatre. Whilst big name beauty experts will be discussing the new trends, ingredients, and innovations in the Natural Beauty & Spa Theatre (sponsored by Kinetic Natural Products Distributor, and supported by Organic Monitor).
Session/speaker highlights include:
- Francesco Mazzei, chef patron at Sartoria in London’s Mayfair
- Robert Ortiz, Michelin-starred head chef at Lima restaurant in London
- Paul Lindley, founder of Paddy's Bathroom and Ella's Kitchen
- Exclusive Soil Association Certification updates, including Organic Market Report
- Live pitching session featuring senior buyers from Holland & Barrett
- Beauty buyers panel featuring Mark Steel (Waitrose); Lucy Pottinger (Holland & Barrett), Joanne Hill (Amaranth), and chaired by Amarjit Sahota (Organic Monitor)
- Taking the temperature of health food retailing in 2016 (hosted by Natural Products News)
- A start-up story – Deborah Meaden, Amy Wordsworth (Good Bubble) and Michelle Thew (Cruelty Free International)
- VHMS panel session featuring Graham Keen (HFMA), Robert Taylor (HFMA), Shona Wilkinson (NutriCentre), Andrew Thomas (BetterYou), Dr Robert Verkerk (ANH-Intl), nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville, and chaired by Jim Manson (NPN).
For full timings and session details, please visit www.naturalproducts.co.uk/seminars.
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