In a record-setting 15th anniversary event, more than 9,700 dietary supplement, food/beverage and cosmeceutical executives from 64 countries met Oct. 10 to 14 at The Sands Exposition Center and The Venetian Resort Casino for SupplySide West 2011. This year’s exhibit hall featured 1,340 booths—a 9-percent increase over the record set in 2010, confirming SupplySide West as the world’s largest event for healthy and innovative ingredients.
“Our 15-year anniversary is an absolute reflection of how the industry has grown," said Peggy Jackson, executive vice president of VIRGO’s Health & Nutrition Network. “We thank everyone in the industry for their continued support. It’s truly an honor and a pleasure to develop and grow this event for the industry."
Professionals from Alacer, Arbonne International, Arizona Nutritional Supplements, Arthur Andrew Medical, Bayer Health Care, Bio-K + International Inc., Bolthouse Farms, Clif Bar, Country Life, Cytosport, Danone Research, Doctor’s Best, Fusion Formulations, Garden of Life, Hansen Beverage Company, Irwin Naturals, Isagenix International, Jamieson Laboratories Ltd., Jarrow Formulas, Life Extension, Marlyn Nutraceuticals Inc., Mars Chocolate USA, Metagenics, MonaVie, Natrol Inc., Natural Alternatives International Inc., Nature’s Sunshine Products, New Chapter, Nordic Naturals, NOW Foods, Nu Skin/Pharmanex, Nutraceutical Corp., Optimum Nutrition, Ortho Molecular Products, Perrigo, Pharmavite, POM Wonderful, Rainbow Light, Reliv International, Sara Lee, Schiff Nutrition, Schwabe North America, Shaklee Corporation, Swanson Health Products, Twinlab, USANA Health Sciences, Wellington Foods and many more leading companies attended.
"This show just keeps growing and growing, which is great to see," said Joe Archer, vice president of sales and marketing for All American Pharmaceuticals. “Our customers are coming by for face-to-face meetings and closing deals."
“[SupplySide West 2011] is the most awesome show yet, and I have been coming for six years," added Dan Wing, vice president of operations for Irwin Naturals.
“I loved the positive energy and enthusiasm found in all the booths and the willingness individuals had to explain their offerings in full detail while answering all of my questions," said Shane E. Durkee, senior vice president, research and development, Schiff Nutrition International Inc. “It is amazing the level of knowledge everyone has regarding the details of their products, both from a potential claim perspective and from a technical feasibility perspective. I walked away from the show with no less than 10 new ideas to explore in detail."
The official SupplySide GMP training courses on Oct. 10 and 11, presented by NSF-DBA, kicked off SupplySide West. Many industry professionals participated in the interactive, hands-on courses examining documentation management and FDA inspections.
The two-day workshop “Functional Food Product Development: Market, Regulations, Bioactive Compounds and Their Utilization," presented by Smart Short Courses, was the first pre-conference educational offering.
On Oct. 11, more than 240 golfers played in the Golf Classic, sponsored by Pharmachem Laboratories, held at the Revere Golf Club for the fifth consecutive year. A luncheon followed the Golf Classic, and trophies were awarded for individual achievement and top team scores. “It was a beautiful day spent with great company," said Colin McIntyre, general manager, Pharmachem Laboratories. “[It was] a job well done by everyone."
Two workshops, the “Superfruit Update: Science, Consumers and the State of The Category" half-day workshop, and the “2nd Annual Palm Fruit Bioactives Workshop: Advancing Market Potentials of Palm Bioactives through Scientific Discoveries" full-day workshop, developed and sponsored by Malaysian Palm Oil Council, were offered on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
The Manufacturers Welcome Reception, co-sponsored by Lesaffre Human Care and Draco Natural Products, on Tuesday evening offered participants the opportunity to meet, network and enjoy Venetian-prepared fare the evening before exhibits opened.
The expo hall opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 12 with 1,340 booths, featuring more than 900 exhibiting companies, the largest SupplySide West exhibit hall to date. Thousands of executives walked the show floor from 10am until 5:30pm on Wednesday and on Thursday from 10am to 5pm.
From 1pm to 4pm, Integrative Healthcare Insider presented the workshop “Health Practitioners and Supplements: Channel Data, Strategies and Opportunities for Growth," which was sponsored by EpiCor®.
On Oct. 12, VIRGO offered a live Town Hall Meeting on the new dietary ingredient (NDI) draft guidance, which drew an overflow crowd. The Town Hall, sponsored by EAS Consulting Group, opened with a video message from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and featured a presentation by Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., director of dietary supplement programs, Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and a panel of association representatives from the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Natural Products Association (NPA), and United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA). A Q&A session with audience participation followed the presentations.
“We recognize how important this issue is to our audience and industry and believe it is our responsibility to provide such forums," said Jon Benninger, vice president, business development, VIRGO’s Health & Nutrition Network. “This Town Hall was just one part of our strategy to provide the best content we can around this and other key issues affecting the business."
