Expo West 2012: 6 things to know before you go

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Natural Products Expo West’s website supplies everything you should know about the show, including registration procedures, floor plans and contact information. Also find the complete Show Directory, which details education sessions, events, and exhibitor info and booth numbers—exclusively online. Expo West ditched hard-copy directories in 2010 to lessen the show’s environmental impact. Bravo!

Create an Expo Plan

There’s so much to see and experience at Expo West, so predetermining which booths, seminars and networking soirees you hope to hit will help you maximize your time and energy at the show. The Create an Expo Plan tool at expowest.com lets you load agenda items and keep track of your schedule.

Determine distances and transportation

Don’t pay heftily for a cab that sits in traffic or miss a meeting because your hotel’s farther from the convention center than you’d thought. Map out locations in advance to determine when it’s best to walk, cab, shuttle or drive—keeping in mind you might be lugging bags or exhausted after a full day on foot. Find detailed area maps at anaheimconventioncenter.com.

Find your most comfortable shoes

As any Expo West alumnus will attest, shoes can either make or break your show experience. Heels, pointy toes or stiff loafers can make dashing from one end of the convention center to the other—and back again—a painful venture. Instead, choose sturdy, well-soled walkers that let your feet breathe and don’t chafe. If you buy new shoes, break them in pre-show.

Travel green

Whatever means of transport you use to get to Natural Products Expo West, you can offset your travel footprint by purchasing renewable-energy certificates from the Portland, Ore.–based nonprofit Bonneville Environmental Foundation (see expowest.com for details). If you drive, park for free at nearby Angels Stadium of Anaheim and then hop a complimentary biodiesel-fueled shuttle bus to the Anaheim Convention Center. You can also take an Amtrak or Metrolink train to the stadium from Los Angeles and other Southern California cities. And of course, when bebopping between the convention center, host hotels and area restaurants, walking is your greenest—and oftentimes most efficient—bet.

Go mobile at the show

To help attendees and exhibitors stay in-the-know and on-the-move, Natural Products Expo West and Engredea have unveiled a revamped mobile app  with a variety of new functions. Watch our video for tips on using the features.

Along with an interactive map of the exhibit halls, app users will be able to access complete, up-to-date information on sessions, speakers, exhibitors and events. The app, available for both Android and iPhone, allows you to create your own “Personal Plan” agenda and search for sessions and nearby events using the “Here & Now” function.

Download “Anaheim 2012” for free at the Apple App Store or Android Market, or at the new mobile websites m.expowest.com and m.engredea.com.

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