I had the opportunity to head out to Expo West again this year and it did not disappoint. I came on a media pass again and helped out my friends at Simple Squares, too. That was a great mix! Becca joined me for her first Expo and we found a great rhythm. I think she’ll be back! If you’re interested in my finds, check out my Instagram “highlights” from Day 1 +2 and Day 3 (Instagram app only). [If you’re interested, here are my posts from 2016 (day 1 and recap) and 2017 (day 1 and day 2).]
I came out earlier this year so I could attend the Fresh Ideas tent (organic products). The “Hot Products” floors were open, too. That’s where the new companies are and where I hit upon my new “finds.” It’s definitely a sweet spot for me. We arrived around 1:00 and the Fresh Ideas tent was jam packed. We chatted with Navitas Organics and sampled a new cashew butter cup at Justin’s when we arrived so all was GOOD.
About 90% of the brands in Fresh Ideas had booths inside, so I went through fast. We chatted with Natierra Foods (try their yummy new chocolate covered dried fruit if you see it). I saw my friends from Vermont Village, Perfect Bar (try the new Brownie Bar!), Sejoyia (try the new Coco-Thins!), Nud Snacks (yay! finally available in the US!) and Sipp. I checked out Vive Organics’ shots (tasty), Big Tree Farms Organic Coco Aminos (very cool product – to replace soy sauce) and The Crafted Coconut (Coconut Oil + Honey Drops), Taste Republic GF pastas (BOLO in the refrigerated section of your grocery store) and more.
Then we headed to “Hot Products.” On the way, we checked out an awesome exhibit from Navitas Organics where you wound string around your favorite things to emphasize how you “Live Life Positively.” We also checked out Stonyfield‘s booth. They were giving out post cards to help us to encourage our friends and family to vote in the mid terms to “Make America Clean Again.” One trend I noticed throughout the show was cause based marketing. There were a lot of great things I can get behind!
There were two floors of Hot Products and they were very, very crowded. We started at the top level and just about made it through. We met Nutty Goodness right when we walked in. I’ve tried their fruit and nut snacks and loved the new flavors. More to come from them. I “found” Kuju Drip coffee packs. They help you create your own pour over set up anywhere – yes! I saw my friends from Ello Raw and admired their new look and got a photo with Becky, too!
I sampled tons of products! New faves included: Leaf Cuisine’s dairy free spreads, From the Ground Up’s new Cauliflower crisps and crackers, Hippie Snacks‘ Coconut Clusters and GoAvo Avocado Spread (a mayo replacement). I finally got to try Snow Monkey superfood ice “treat.” OMG! So delicious! Nothing But the Fruit rebranded and created a new fruit jerky and the Salted Watermelon, Jalapeno + Chia was amazing! I also finally tried Honey Mama’s chocolate and yes, I can see what the fuss is all about.
I saw lots of friends and old faves, too! I saw Noka Organics, Ryan from 4505 Chicaronnes (yummy new Cracklins), Erika from Good Zebra (new chocolate and peanut butter flavors coming soon!), The guys from Eat Your Coffee (new Peanut Butter out now!), Whole Me and many more.
We went down to look at the 100 floor and it was a zoo! We decided to call it a day at that. We went to get the car to head over to a dinner from my friends at LMS. It was sponsored by Rao’s Homemade. We were super excited to have delicious vegetable and pasta with Rao’s sauces after all of the samples. We also met some “official” expo bloggers and had a great time chatting with them. Check out Jenny and Maggie‘s Instagrams for more info on their blogs. We got great samples from Rao’s, True Made Foods (obsessed with their ketchup) and Ancient Nutrition, too!
Day 2
Friday, we got up bright and early for a run. About 1/2 a mile from the hotel, I totally ate it. Luckily only skinned knees ensued. My phone did not break (yay) but my HB Tune needs to be replaced. Better $20 than $400. And as The Husband said, at least I didn’t hurt my face. Our glasses are half full for sure!
We headed over to Expo in the AM. It was super busy and full of energy – and people. I went to help Kimberly at Simple Squares for a few hours. Then, I went to meet The Soulfull Project (check out my giveaway!) and put a pin on the great lakes to feed folks in Chicagoland area! I tried Cheribundi‘s new 100% tart cherry juice – it’s awesome!
I checked out a few things and another new products area to meet with Good Idea Drinks. They make sparkling water that helps to manage blood sugar when/after you eat. This product is the perfect intersection of my interests and my work. I met the scientist behind it. They add a blend of five amino acids to water (they have no taste) that have been shown to help manage blood sugar rise after eating. Check out the science. Very cool!
I looked around and saw some brands I know and some new finds! I met Joe from bar a fave bar brand JoJe. I tried the yummy flavors of Tea Crush and got some protein from DNX Daily Nutrition. They were psyched that I’d already “found” them. (Stay tuned for a full review). I enjoyed chatting with the guys from Suunte – a delicious, traditionally made kombucha. They make all kinds of stuff, so stay tuned for more. I had to help Kim some more, so I headed downstairs but not before grabbing some rebranded bars from This Bar Saves Lives.
I took another shift with Simple Squares. Last up for the day was a tour around with Covet PR. We visited Chosen Foods, Banza (love the new formulation of chickpea pasta!), Hope Foods (BOLO for the new guacamole – you’re welcome), Go Macro (BOLO for the new Blueberry Cashew!), Purely Elizabeth (excited to try their new functional oatmeal and reformulated bars with reishi) and Birchbenders (check out the Paleo waffles!). On the way back to meet Becca, I stopped by Honey Stinger. I’m going to be first on the block to try the new Organic Cracker N’ Nut Butter Snack Bars – YAY!
Here’s my Day 1 Haul:
And my Day 2 Haul:
I’ll be back with more on Day 3 (spoiler – I have another big bag of goodies to share). I’ll be sharing the wealth with some great giveaways from both days in the weeks ahead. Don’t want to wait? Check out my New Hope Blogger Box Giveaway through 3/15 here.
What sounds the best to you about my recap? Which products are you most interested in?
Please note: I was not compensated by any brand in this recap. I did get a lot of samples at no cost. All opinions are my own.