First ever Newtopia Now reinvents the natural products tradeshow experience

Newtopia Now, the inaugural health and wellness event for the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry, organized by New Hope Network and held at the Colorado Convention Center, received over 7,000 registered attendees, 4,000 of which were registered buyers, creating a vibrant environment where connection and community were at the heart of the experience. With 560 exhibiting companies, including 180 companies exhibiting at a tradeshow for the first time, Newtopia Now successfully reimagined the traditional tradeshow by focusing on authentic interactions and purposeful discovery.

Newtopia Now is the immersive experience designed to foster deep connections and provide a platform for emerging brands and product innovation within the conscious products industry through four intentionally curated neighborhoods: Thrive, exploring the future of human health; Represent, celebrating diverse founders and multicultural products; Regenerate, championing sustainability and environmental impact and Glow; featuring conscious beauty and holistic wellness.

Attendees were introduced to a range of innovative activations, including the Thrive Café, Tasting Bar, Represent Kitchen and Glow Salon, all opportunities crafted to help buyers experience products in real-life applications and encourage engagement with sponsors and exhibitors. Beacon’s product discovery platform and the Newtopia Now show mobile app further informed connections before, during and after the show with product information and buyer criteria being incorporated throughout the event. A standout feature of the show format was also The Market, a unique experience where attendees could explore products through self-discovery in a natural, grocery store-like environment. Instead of traditional price tags, QR codes linked to Beacon Discovery profiles, enabling a seamless and educational experience.

Receptions throughout the Thrive and Regenerate neighborhoods offered attendees an occasion to mingle and sample functional beverages, zero-proof mocktails and tasty bites as consumer demand grows for mindful alternatives for snacks and refreshments.

The event also hosted speed networking sessions and curated one-on-one meetings through the event’s matchmaking program, Conscious Connections, designed to pair investors and retailers with emerging brands and products, offering a rapid and effective way to build valuable relationships. Additionally, to cultivate organic connections and further deepen the sense of community, attendees participated in offsite experiences such as yoga at Red Rocks Amphitheater, neighborhood-themed dine-arounds throughout Denver and a brunch for women in CPG at Ophelia’s.

“Conscious Connections made it easier to meet with the buyers that wanted to meet with us, which made our meetings that much more intentional,” noted Jessica Harvey, sales operations manager, Dr. Bronner's.

“Newtopia Now was everything we hoped for and more. The opportunity to sample our pizza with this audience and the connections we made were invaluable. The show was a game changer for our brand,” remarked Kristin Caman, founder and chief executive officer, Etalia.

Newtopia Now’s four stages, found throughout each of the neighborhoods, hosted an impressive lineup of content focused on inspiring and educating buyers, brands and other members of the CPG ecosystem looking to differentiate their businesses. Keynote speakers included culinary icon Carla Hall, Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner and The Vitamin Shoppe Chief Executive Officer Lee Wright. Additionally, the content lineup brought to the stage leaders from top retailers including Whole Foods Market, Target, Bristol Farms, Ulta Beauty, PCC and Thrive Market, sharing insights that would help brands not only get into those retail stores but also more effectively move their products off shelves.

“It has been an eye-opening experience to meet so many diverse and innovative brands that I had never seen before here at Newtopia Now. Although this is still a large conference, it felt more intimate, and I have been able to connect deeper with brands as a result,” shared Rick Burian, senior manager of supplier diversity, Ulta Beauty.

“Newtopia Now feels different, this feels like the conscious connections we are looking for with brands,” added Le’Spencer Walker, director of merchandising vendor development, Target.

Casey Gaston, executive leader of local and emerging brands for Whole Foods Market, noted on LinkedIn, “The energy at the show was incredible and I hope to see this kind of format, focused on new and emerging conscious brands and trends, continue. It was approachable, with excellent programming, and offered a lot of quality time and conversations for me and my team.”

Broadcast celebrity chef and entrepreneur Carla Hall expressed, “I am looking for products to move forward in the well-being space and this is a very captive audience to come and check out some of these things as I am looking for future partners.”

Veena Krishnan, co-founder and chief operating officer of Daybird, winner of the first-ever Conscious Beauty Pitch Event Presented by Giannuzzi Lewendon, exclaimed, “Newtopia Now is electric and interactive. A lot of the people who are passing through the neighborhood are going through with intention; they are the buyers we want to talk to, and they are looking for brands like us.” 

“Newtopia Now has proven the demand for authenticity and purpose in the natural products industry. From curating the space so likeminded brands and attendees would organically encounter each other, to the on and off-site mindful moments that brought us closer together, our community needs these intimate and intentional touchpoints. We are more than a place to do business, we are a platform for learning, growing, expanding and uniting, as we strive to create a positive market that supports more health for our environment and our people,” explains Danica Cullins, Executive Vice President of Health and Nutrition, Informa Markets North America.

True to New Hope Network’s ethos, Newtopia Now demonstrated its commitment to sustainability throughout the event, from replanting all trees featured on the show floor across the Denver area in partnership with The Park People Association, to donating unused samples and merchandise featured at the show via the program We Don’t Waste, allowing brands to give back to the local communities. The implementation of reusable serve ware system r.Cup, provided reusable plastic cups for large networking sessions, reducing trash and single-use plastic waste.

Newtopia Now is setting a new standard for industry events by blending innovation with intention. The event underscored the importance of creating conscious connections and building an experience that left a lasting impact on attendees. Buyers, retailers, brands and attendees can look forward to an even more impactful experience with all new community experiences packed into one day. As Newtopia Now continues to evolve, the event returns to Denver next year, August 20-22, 2025.

Stay informed for the chance to be part of the health and nutrition industry’s most purposeful gathering. For more information, visit newtopianow.com.

Source: Informa Markets