Behind the Expo: Robert Decker, client services manager

With more than 3,000 exhibitor booths, 510,000 square feet of show floor and tens of thousands of attendees, it takes a team of dedicated professionals with diverse skills to ensure that Natural Products Expo West is an all-around success. Representing education, operations, client services, sales, marketing and more, these and other New Hopers work behind-the-scenes—for months and sometimes even years in advance of a show—to make sure each expo runs smoothly, and to support New Hope’s mission statement to cultivate a prosperous, high-integrity CPG and retail ecosystem that creates health, joy and justice for all people while regenerating the planet.

This Expo West Show Scoop series highlights some of the many people at New Hope Network who make it all possible.

In this interview, Robert Decker, client services manager shares his experiences from Expo West and how the Client Services team can help brands.

In one sentence, tell me about your job at New Hope? I started as a temp in 2019 and that role ended in March 2020. I came back in July 2021 as a Client Services Specialist.

What do you love about your job? I love working with food and ingredient brands, from new upcoming brands to household names!

What do you wish people knew about your role? Client services works with a variety of Informa brands, from Nutrition to Engineering to Construction. For all shows, I love seeing how the convention center goes from a chaotic mess of forklifts and pallets to neat and orderly booths, essentially overnight!

What’s your favorite thing about Expo West? I've only been to one EW, so not sure.

What’s the one thing you cannot live without at EW? A floor map.

Favorite Expo shoes? Some classic gym shoes!

What are you most proud of about the work you do on EW? The exhibitors that ask a lot of questions always say, "Sorry to bug you," but I know that they need some extra guidance. I would much rather they call me every day and have a great show than show up and feel like they wasted their time and money.

What does the natural products industry mean to you? The natural products industry allows me to feel in control of my health. I cook a lot from scratch and I feel that knowing natural ingredients and products make my life a lot more interesting!