Each year, the SupplySide West trade show in Las Vegas draws thousands of professionals, all eager to connect, learn, and grow their businesses. With over 18,000 attendees walking the bustling floor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, this event is far from a casual consumer gathering. It’s an essential platform for networking, sourcing new ingredients, and making valuable business connections.
Exhibitors with Clear Goals
For the 1,450 exhibitors present, SupplySide West provides an opportunity to meet new customers and strengthen existing relationships. Eric Guggenheim, Director of Sales at NP Nutra, emphasized the importance of personal relationships in their business strategy. He views the event as a chance to connect with both new and familiar faces in the nutraceutical world.
For others, the strategy is more dual-purpose. Rich Smith, National Sales Manager at Traco Packaging, explained that his company attends both SupplySide West and its sister event, Natural Products Expo West, to cover all angles of networking. While Natural Products Expo focuses on engaging existing clients, SupplySide West is key for lead generation and attracting new customers.
A Focus on Public Health and Safety
Beyond the business opportunities, some exhibitors attend with a larger mission in mind. For example, Corrina Strecker from NSF sees the event as a chance not only to attract new clients but to highlight the company’s commitment to public health and safety. As a certification organization, NSF helps ensure the integrity of the products that manufacturers put into the market, a crucial role in maintaining quality and consumer trust.
Promoting Regional Innovation
Onset Worldwide, a supplier of grain and seed ingredients, uses SupplySide West to support regional economic growth. Sponsored by the state of New Jersey, Onset promotes its products and creates leads, particularly since the event focuses on ingredient suppliers rather than direct-to-consumer products. Tom Merrow, President of Onset, noted that their participation has been extremely fruitful, yielding more leads than multiple other consumer-facing shows combined.
The Value of Maintaining Connections
For some long-time attendees, the value of the show goes beyond business transactions. Marlene Siegel, President of Ecuadorian Rainforest, explained how she cherishes the personal connections she maintains at the event, noting that seeing clients and sharing a warm hug can mean as much as making a sale.
Launching Innovations in the Ingredient World
For ingredient suppliers like dsm-firmenich, which was formed by the merger of DSM and Firmenich, SupplySide West is the ideal venue for launching new products. Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development, Penny Antonopoulos, highlighted that the show is a key event for engaging with contract manufacturers and consumer goods brands. Through these meetings, dsm-firmenich can share their latest innovations and assess ongoing projects with clients.
A Personal and Professional Hub for Networking
Ben Kelly, Co-founder of Algarithm, a company producing plant-based omega-3s, shared how attending SupplySide West has become both a personal and professional tradition. Living in Saskatchewan, Canada, Kelly sees the event as a rare chance to reconnect with industry colleagues. Beyond the personal perks, he views SupplySide West as the biggest lead generator for his company each year, emphasizing the significant role it plays in his business development.
For many professionals in the nutritional ingredient sector, SupplySide West is not just a trade show—it’s an opportunity to network, launch new products, and reinforce the relationships that drive success. Whether it’s for lead generation, innovation, or simply catching up with industry friends, the event continues to be a critical gathering in the world of nutritional ingredients.
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