Naturally Good Expo (5-6 June) showcased more than 270 exhibitors from around the nation in the areas of food, beverages, beauty, health, socially conscious products, homewares and more at Sydney’s International Convention Centre.
Naturally Good Product Manager Sinead Kavanaugh says the expo, now in its eighth year, was once again a great success.
“This year’s theme was The Natural Way to Retail and we are thrilled that so many brands made those all-important connections in order to get their products onto shelves,” she says.
Pitch Fest
The annual Pitch Fest competition sponsored by Wiise was described as “fiercely competitive” featuring some of Australia’s “most innovative” brands pitching to a range of experts. Peter Francis of Eco.pup was named the winner with other nominees Sip Co, Max + Tom, Fierce Inner Strength, and Sensoriam all applauded for their passion and innovation.
Pitch Fest judge Christine Pitt from Food Futures Company says Mr Francis of Eco.pup, which develops hygiene products for dogs including shampoos and conditioners in spray bottles, impressed with his compelling presentation.
“A clear problem was outlined regarding the skin problems dogs suffer and an innovative solution was presented in the product,” she says. “We also saw that there would be traction in the brand and that investors would be interested.
“All of the nominees had strong stories to tell in terms of sustainability and were able to communicate impactfully with consumers. It was a really exciting line-up and a very close competition.”
Summit and Speaker Series
This year’s presentations at both the Summit and Speaker Series featured expert insights from some of Australia’s “most knowledgeable” leaders.
Sessions included ‘How healthy do we really shop?’, presented by Healthy Life Chief Health Officer Simone Austin; ‘Retail talk – opportunities, challenges and hard truths’, a panel discussion featuring the likes of Coles Business Category Manager – Breakfast & Health Melissa Matteo and Woolworths Merchandise Manager – Health & Wellness Shruti Gupta; and ‘State of the market – what’s selling in Australia and why’, presented by Circana Director – Health & Lifestyle Jarna McLean.
Awards
Australia’s most innovative producers in the natural health space were lauded with top honours at the 2023 Naturally Good Awards.
From a strong list of nominees, winners were announced at an awards cocktail night at the ICC.
Ms Kavanagh says the quality of entrants this year exceeded all expectations.
“The standard of products and brands is phenomenal considering the natural health space has become such a competitive space,” she says.
Looking ahead
Ms Kavanagh says the expo continues to grow each year with the number of trade visitors and sheer volume of brands exhibiting.
“There’s such high demand currently for products in the natural products space, with the market predicted to grow even further over the next five years,” she says.
“We’re thrilled at the great feedback from exhibitors, visitors and partners all round. We look forward to planning next year.”
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