It’s that time of year again. The industry is gearing up for travel to the east coast for Natural Products Expo East. Extra excitement is in the air, as Expo East makes it way to Boston for the first time.

All the excitement for Boston aside, NBJ (as usual) will be active on the education front at Expo East, presenting at 4 separate sessions. It will be a long show, but we hope to see you at one of the select education sessions listed below:

12noon Thursday, October 16th: Nutrition Business Journal’s State of the Industry

Come join Patrick Rea, NBJ Publisher & Editorial Director, lead a team of industry experts and thought leaders in the nutrition industry for a presentation and discussion of the most relevant issues facing the nutrition industry today. Hot new products, sales figures, forecasts and thoughts on what is worth seeing at the show will all be discussed in this session, which will include an extensive question and answer component.

Panelists will include:

Bob Burke, Principal, Natural Products Consulting Institute

John Grubb, Managing Partner, Sterling-Rice Group

Thomas Aarts, Chairman of the Editorial Advisory Board, Nutrition Business Journal

Room Level 2, Room 253 BC

8am Thursday, October 17th: Nutrition Capital Network/Nutrition Business Journal Investor Forum

Designed for investors in the nutrition, natural products, healthy foods and green products industry, this NCN Investor Forum will present current perspective on industry trends and the investment climate, case studies of representative recent deals, and a qualified list of companies exhibiting at Natural Products Expo East that are also interested in raising capital. The Forum is free and open exclusively to investors registered for Expo East.

The NCN Investor Forum includes:

Introduction to Expo East and show floor orientation

Overview of industry trends and recent financings and transactions

Details of current deal structures in vogue for private investment transactiona

Slide-by-slide snapshot profiles of selected exhibiting companies seeking investment capital with booth locations

Presenters include:

Tom Aarts and Grant Ferrier, Nutrition Capital Network

Patrick Rea, Nutrition Business Journal

John Barrymore and Scott Winship, 6Pacific Partners

Registration is free to qualified attendees from investment firms or strategic investors

You must be registered to attend this event. Please click to fill in the brief investor registration form

Room: 252B

10:30am Friday, October 17th: Healthy Foods International Market Overview

More than 95% of American consumers say healthy foods are part of their life. Join Healthy Foods International and Nutrition Business Journal Editorial Director, Patrick Rea, for a comprehensive look at the newest areas of growth in the booming health and wellness market. Retailers and manufacturers will benefit from this follow-up to compelling exclusive research presented at the 2008 Healthy Foods International trade show, which analyzes needs in the consumer market and the potential solutions provided by retailers and manufacturers.

Room Level 2, Room 260

8am Wednesday, October 15th: Canaccord Adams Healthy Living Investor Conference

The $62 billion domestic Natural Products industry remains the growth engine of the US food, beverage and service industries. The Healthy Living conference returns to Boston (Naturally Boston) in conjunction with the relocation of the Natural Products Expo, the leading tradeshow in the Natural Products industry.

This year’s presenting companies will span the food, beverage, nutrition and wellness service industries. 24 public and private companies will present. A topical lunch panel will be held, featuring experienced CEOs who have each built, sold and are again building a new business. Canaccord Adams has partnered with Nutrition Business Journal and the Nutrition Capital Network to add to the depth of the market knowledge and breadth of presenting companies

24 public and private companies to present, including:

Attune

Corazonas Foods

Cuisine Solutions (FZN)

The FRS Company

Garden of Life

Green Mountain Coffee (GMCR)

Hain Celestial (HAIN)

Late July Organic Snacks

Lifeway Foods (LWAY)

Martek Biosciences (MATK)

NBTY Inc (NTY)

Neptune Technology & Bioresource (NTB: TO)

Nutraceutical Intl (NUTR)

Ocean Nutrition

Organic to Go (OTGO)

Planet Organic Holdings (POH: TO)

Reed’s Inc. (REED)

Sahale Snacks

Senomyx (SNMX)

SunOpta Inc (STKL)

United Natural Foods (UNFI)

NBJ State of the Industry

Date:

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST

Location:

Renaissance Hotel, 606 Congress Street, Boston, MA

Agenda:

7:30 - 8:00 Breakfast & Registration

8:00 - 8:25 Welcome & Introduction: Scott Van Winkle, Managing Director

8:30 - 11:55 Company Presentations

12:00 - 1:25 Lunch Panel: Guidance from Successful Entrepreneurs

1:30 - 5:00 Company Presentations

3:30 - 5:00 Knowledge Session: Trends in Healthy Living M&A and Equity Capital Markets; Financing Your Healthy Living Business

5:00 Cocktails & Networking

To register and for more information, please contact Nadine Miller, Marketing & Communications Manager (617) 371.3842 or nadine.miller@canaccordadams.com

Consumers understand the connection between healthy food and a healthy life. As a result, they are driving mainstream food companies to offer healthier foods with quality ingredients, good taste and health authenticity.

Right before Natural Products Expo East, the Healthy Foods Conference will address business and product development issues related to healthy foods on October 14th & 15th.

To learn more about why you should attend the Healthy Foods Conference, watch the video below from Len Monheit, President & Editor of NPICenter.com.

I hope to see you there.

-Patrick

Here’s why. Click on the video below and watch Peter Wennstrom layout the debate on functional & health food that will be discussed at the Healthy Foods European Summit on October 6th and 7th in London.

Mark your calendars, The 2009 NBJ Summit will take place July 22-24, 2009 at the beautiful St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point California.

Over two hundred and fifty of the nutrition industry’s key executives and thought-leaders participated in the NBJ Summit networking retreat held at the majestic St. Regis Resort, July 23-25, 2008. The event showcased many world-class speakers and sessions and attracted top executives from around the world, to discuss issues impacting businesses in the $93 billion nutrition industry and how to prepare their companies for changes happening in this dynamic marketplace.

Keynote Walter Robb, Co-President and COO of Whole Foods Market, provided closing remarks on the future of the industry from his leadership position in the billion nutrition and natural products marketplace. He commented on the supplement and functional foods segment and its future direction within Whole Foods Market, retail and the industry in general.

The U.S. nutrition industry grew 10.7 percent in 2007 to $93 billion according to the recently released 2008 Nutrition Industry Overview issue of Nutrition Business Journal. Natural and organic product sales fueled most of this expansion, but the maturing U.S. supplements sector posted better growth than it has seen in a decade.

NBJ has deep ties with Vitamin Angels and their work to provide vital nutrition in the form of supplements to developing countries, communities and individuals in need. In fact, NBJ’s co-founder and Chairman of the Editorial Advisory Board, Tom Aarts, sits on the Vitamin Angels board of directors and recently took a trip with VA to Honduras.

On Thursday, October 16th starting at 6pm, Vitamin Angels will host their 3rd Annual Celebration of Angels Event at the Harvard Club of Boston Main Clubhouse on 374 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA.

To purchase tickets, please call 805.564.8400 or go here.

Vitamin Angels is one of the humanitarian relief groups in the nutrition industry that truly saves lives around the world and I strongly suggest it is worthy of your support.

This celebration will coincide with Natural Products Expo East, an event you should attend if you’re reading this blog.

-Patrick