The fourth annual PBW attracted retail and food service buyers who met with exhibitors and sampled hundreds of new plant-based food brands.
Plant Based World Expo North America (PBW) returned to the Javits Center in New York on September 7 and 8, 2023.
Attendees at the only 100% plant-based B2B industry event sampled delicious new plant-based products, heard from knowledgeable and inspiring speakers, and attended exclusive networking opportunities. There were 3,168 registrants, including a substantial increase in qualified retail and food service buyers walking the expo floor.
“The positive energy and excitement was palpable from the minute the show floor opened,” said Ben Davis, Content Chair and Strategic Advisor, PBW. “We’ve gotten fantastic feedback from buyers, exhibitors, and sponsors. Overall, exhibitor satisfaction has increased, and more than 50% of exhibit space has already been reserved for the 2024 show, including country pavilions from Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Thailand, Spain, and more.”
Trends at the 2023 Plant Based World Expo included:
- Healthier plant-based snacks and prepared foods using sustainable ingredients like hemp, jackfruit, acai, algae, and seaweed.
- Global culinary creativity and chef-crafted products from countries including Italy, Brazil, Denmark, Peru, France, the UK, Thailand, Australia, and Canada. Products included plant-based cheese with truffles from Italy, plant-based croissants from France, and organic certified and vegan Dutch stroopwafels.
- More collaborations and training opportunities between food service institutions, chefs, and product manufacturers.
- Exceptional mushroom-based meats, snacks, and jerky from MyForest Foods, Green Wolf Foods, Popadelics, and Myco Technology.
- Exciting new plant-based seafood products from companies such as BeLeaf, Jinka, and Mind Blown Seafood.
This year, exhibitors from more than 200 global companies in more than 250 booths showcased their plant-based products, handed out delicious samples, met buyers, and kept the show floor buzzing for two days. “The experience has been very positive, and we’ve met some wonderful buyers,” said exhibitor Janessa Steenberg, Founder of Panacheeza. “We landed a huge deal today and have already reserved our spot for next year. After being at Plant Based World, we can fulfill retail space and food service.”
Henrik Lund, CEO of Naturli Foods echoed a similar sentiment: “The quality of the people we talked with this year has been exceptional. They are decision-makers and stakeholders, and I loved the Hosted Buyer Lounge, where PBW arranged meetings with the exhibitors and buyers. PBW is one of the best places to showcase plant-based products.”
Buyers at the show were also enthusiastic about their experiences, citing great connections and the chance to learn about new products to bring to their customers. Additionally, exhibitors and buyers raved about the one-to-one meeting opportunities set up by PBW via the Hosted Buyer Program and the Food Export International Buyers Mission, which all combined resulted in nearly 400 meetings between 40 key buyers and more than100 exhibitors over three full days.
“The Hosted Buyer program was fantastic, and I walked away with a good, solid list of brands to seriously consider,” said Fedele Stella, a buyer with Fairway Market. Chris Chagnon, Assistant Category Manager at Hannaford Supermarkets, said he also had an overwhelmingly positive experience and “was impressed with the innovation and variety of products on the Expo floor.” He also expressed enthusiasm for the Hosted Buyer Program, which “allowed for meaningful conversations in an informal setting.” Thomas Clark from Clark Distribution said PBW was more focused than other large natural product trade shows, allowing him to have more meaningful and valuable conversations.
Don’t forget to save the date for next year’s show, September 11-12, 2024. PBW also offers the only hosted buyer program that is free of charge and exclusive to exhibitors. Learn more about exhibiting here.
Plant Based World Expo is North America’s only 100% plant-based event designed exclusively for food service and retail professionals, distributors, investors, and manufacturers. PBW combines a world-class conference with an exhibition showcasing thousands of innovative plant-based food products and brands from around the world, plus high-level networking and tasting opportunities. PBW is the official tradeshow of the Plant Based Foods Association.
Plant Based World Expo is produced by JD Events, dedicated to creating targeted and innovative industry-leading events that deliver results. The company brings together highly qualified buying audiences, education-rich content, and high-level networking opportunities — all geared toward increasing collaboration in the markets it serves.
