Expo West 2023

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245,000 steps, 30 miles, and what feels like hundreds of samples later, Expo West - or "the marathon," as we like to call it - was unforgettable.

Attending Expo West, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of  industry players, is an experience like no other. All of the time, effort and spend put into organizing a booth is as clear as day, and we hope all the brands that participated had a rewarding show. Our team arrived home feeling energized by reconnecting with long-time partners, making new connections, while discovering innovative and delicious products.

We're grateful for our friend, Indie CPG's 2023 Expo West survival guide, which equipped us with knowledge of which trends and brands to look for while roaming through the maze-like halls.

We want to shout out some of the many innovative new products and flavors launched by our brand partners. Here are just a few highlights:

JOYRIDE rebranded (previously Project 7) and released peach gummy rings, a better-for-you nostalgic treat.

Dr. Perfy, a soda by Perfy, a refreshing take on another old-school classic.

Just The Fun Part expanded their line to include several new flavors, such as strawberry white chocolate and peanut butter milk chocolate.

RIND launched "Remix," their new trail mix-style product, expanding beyond just fruit to include nuts for the first time

Daily Crunch added a Dill Pickle and Pomegranate Rose, both very fun and distinctive flavors, to their sprouted nut medleys

Renewal Mill introduced their first cake/cupcake mix to their growing baking mix line, a collaboration with Perfect Day

Belgian Boys launched their limited edition pancake cereal, a nod to the viral TikTok trend - and had a giant cereal prop staged front and center to ensure you didn’t miss out on the experience!

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Sustainability was a key theme at Expo, with many brands responding to the rising consumer demand for eco-friendly products. Some notable examples include:

Packaging: Both Ocean's Halo and Gimme relaunched their seaweed snacks in flat pouches without the standard plastic tray insert, which not only minimizes plastic usage but is also more economic from a logistics standpoint.

Regenerative Farming: Our friends at Lil' Bucks are working with A-Frame Farm, a regenerative organic farm located in Minnesota, to source buckwheat for their delicious sprouted snacks. In what's excitingly becoming a growing movement, other brands that are integrating regenerative sourcing into their products include Alter Eco, Moonshot, Imlak'esh Organics, GoodSam Foods, Quinn Snacks, Purely Elizabeth, Diaspora, and many more.

Upcycling: Upcycled products contain ingredients that wouldn’t traditionally be consumed by humans (ie: spent grain from brewing beer), in an effort to combat food waste and carbon emissions. The Upcycled Food Association (UFA) has become a major presence at recent Expo shows, featuring dozens of certified upcycled brand members at their booth, including our partners Renewal Mill, Pulp Pantry and Riff.

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Other trends included new-age sodas and sparkling beverages, expanded plant-based offerings beyond chicken and meat alternatives, the championing of algae and kelp, mushroom everything, and so much more.

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Our team is already looking forward to the next show! If we missed you and you're interested in partnering with SnackMagic, please email our team at brands@snackmagic.com