Save the date for next year’s NBJ/Newport Summit. The 2008 NBJ/Newport Summit will again be hosted at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point, California on July 23-25, 2008. Walter Robb, Co-President & Co-Chief Operating Officer of Whole Foods Market will be one of the keynote speakers at the 2008 event.

The 2007 NBJ/Newport Summit, a CEO-level conference and networking retreat held July, 18 – 20 at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point, California, served as a meeting place for key executives and thought-leaders in the $85 billion nutrition industry.

Attracting top executives and CEOs from around the world, the NBJ/Newport Summit included nine sessions devoted to the theme: Capturing Healthcare Dollars. In addition, two industry thought-leaders, Stewart Emery, co-author of Success Built to Last, and noted neurologist David Perlmutter, MD spoke to nearly 200 executives about how to prepare their companies for changes happening in the marketplace.

It seems a week doesn’t pass without a new AP story about China’s food safety problems. The media has really latched onto it. A Google search on “”Chinese Food Safety”" returned over 5.6 million results.

Beijing is currently deflecting blame to foreign media outlets.

Let’s be honest, fear sells better than hope….be it online ads, newspaper subscriptions or 30-second spots inbetween segments on your local & national news. Unfortunately, this is the bottom line.

When it comes to China-sourced ingredients, questioning the safety and efficacy is no new issue to the dietary supplement industry. It’s also becoming a hotter issue with organics, as Safeway’s O Organics line (containing organic products & organic ingredients sourced in China) was called into question at The Organic Summit.

The greater China product safety issue is certainly growing, and will likely renew the focus on Chinese-sourced raw ingredients for dietary supplements. Not that this hasn’t been an “”on-an-off”" issue for the last 10 years for the dietary supplement industry.

Stay tuned for NBJ’s upcoming report on the Chinese nutritional market. Call to pre-order your copy today - 303.998.9399

The 2007 NBJ Summit is starting to feel “”real”" around the office here. With a theme “”Capturing Healthcare Dollars”", I’m personally looking forward to hearing the discussions the conference sessions generate amongst attending CEOs.

Specifically, I’m looking forward to the Friday morning sessions:

• Consumer Driven Healthcare - Keynote David Perlmutter, MD
• Capturing Healthcare Dollars - Designing a New Paradigm
• Moderator: David Matteson, Executive Consultant, Early-Edge Direction
• Panelists:
  Paul E. Bendheim, MD, Chairman & Founder, Chief Medical & Scientific Officer, BrainSavers
  Robert Duggan, MA, Mac, President, Tai Sophia Institute
  Michael Levin, Founder, Health Business Strategies
  Gary Spirer, Founder, Ask Destiny Healthcare

As American consumers calculate their health care cost at nearly double that of other industrialized nations with results that are often inferior, the current model will be and must be changed. The nutrition industry has a great opportunity to meet these consumers~R needs, but is the industry ready with a model that is credible and safe?

Dr. Perlmutter is a physician, scientific researcher, writer, instructor, businessman and entrepreneur who has seen the healthcare system from all sides. An outspoken critic of the pharmaceutical industry, he understands what is happening in healthcare today and offers ideas, business models and cutting edge treatments for a new health paradigm.

He will define the scope of this opportunity and explain how companies can help consumers create health and wellness strategies.

In the Capturing Healthcare Dollars session, themes from the morning keynote will be expanded upon. A panel of industry experts/CEOs will discuss their thoughts on a new paradigm for healthcare. What is the size of categories with nutritional options? What are the economic issues driving these categories and where is the investment going to water new ideas? How can companies create brand equity against pharmaceutical drug options? We’ll hear the panels’ ideas and perspectives on this new paradigm as well as examples of companies that have successfully created market alternatives.

My wife and I recently welcomed a beautifuly baby girl into this world. As a result, I’ve been up close and personal with the U.S. healthcare system for the last 12 months…and let me tell you, there are some real disconnects there. I look forward to hearing more about the future of U.S. healthcare in the United States and the opportunities that exist for Summit attendees. Like the organic foods industry, the nutrition industry has come a long way…but there’s still a long road ahead.

P.S. The NBJ Summit is nearly sold out, so if you haven’t registered, there’s no better time than now. Click here to register.

What a great event. I spent the last few days connecting with old friends and making new ones. The Organic Summit turned out to be a truly special gathering of the organic industry core constituents.

The 10th Annual NBJ/Newport Summit is just 5 weeks away. It takes place on July 18 - 20 at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point/Monarch Beach, CA, and the current attendee list is filled with impressive industry entrepeneurs, investors, thought leaders and CEOs.

The elite networking that The NBJ/Newport Summit affords is truly one of a kind. By allowing CEOs and industry thought leaders to come together and get away from the day-to-day, The NBJ/Newport Summit stimulates the “”strategic conversation”" that every CEO must have to thrive in our competitive marketplace.

10 years ago, I attended the first Newport Summit in Newport, RI. It was a great event in a fast growing industry. Competitors shared cocktails, the seeds of joint ventures were planted and a great time sailing was had by all.

This year, the attendee list once again proves that there’s no other place to network in the nutrition industry like The NBJ/Newport Summit.

Those attending, speaking or sponsoring the event include:

Anthony Alamada, President/CEO, IMAGINutrition
Dupuis Angers, President, Dupuis Angers & Associates Inc.
Tim Avila, President, Zsweet
Dennis Ayo, Senior Vice President, MTS Medication Technologies
Elliott Balbert, Executive Chairman, Natrol, Inc.
Justin Banner, VP Corporate Strategy, Xango, LLC
David Barnes, Director, R&D, Standard Process, Inc.
Brad Barnhorn, Chief Executive Officer, Global Nutrifoods
Heather Bellamy, Vice President, Flying Horse Communication
Ryan Benn, CEO, Renaissance Herbs, Inc
Michael Bentley, CEO, Sierra Mountain Minerals Inc.
Debbie Blockinger, Sr. Manager Public Affairs, Xango
Mark Blumenthal, Executive Director, American Botanical Council
Wayne Bos, President, CEO, Natrol, Inc.
Dave Boyd, Director Of Global Operations, Pure Fruit Technologies
Mark Braman, President and CEO, Efficas, Inc.
Thomas Brancato, NAFTA Head of Sales & Marketing, Nutrition, Lonza
Barbara Brueckner, Innovation Manager, Mattson
Ramona Cappello, President & CEO, Corazonas Foods, Inc.
Barry Charnay, VP Marketing & Sales, Bioneutra Inc.
Robert Craven, President, New Organic Ventures
Michael Degennaro, Global Head of Food & Nutrition, Lonza
Paul Dijkstra, Executive Vice-President, Interhealth Nutraceuticals, Inc.
Elise Donahue, CEO, Airborne
Robert Duggan, MA, Mac, Tai Sophia Institute
Stewart Emery, Co-author Success Built To Last/Founder Belvedere Consultants
Ephi Eyal, President, IFP, Inc.
David Foreman, President, Herbal Phamacist Media
Scott Forsberg, Director of Bioactive Science, A. M. Todd Botanical Therapeutics
Bob Freeze, VP Public Relations, Xango
Marco Galante, Principal, J H Chapman Group LLC
Leslie Gallacher, Dir. New Market Development, Xango
Wayne Geilman, Senior Researcher, Pure Fruit Technologies
Gilbert Gluck, President, Cyvex Nutrition, Inc.
Mike Gold, CEO, Flying Horse Communication
Lisa Goold, President/CEO, Reddrox
Robert Guthrie, VP, CRS Division, KGK Synergize Inc.
Najla Guthrie, President/CEO, KGK Synergize Inc.
Jennifer Haberman, Technical Key Account Manager, Lipid Nutrition
Peter Hafermann, President, Aloecorp, Inc.
Hope Hale, Sr. Marketing Manager, Omegapure
Derek Hall, Vice Chairman And CEO, Econet, Inc.
Jim Hamilton, VP, Human Nutrition & Health, DSM Nutritional Products, Inc.
Bruce Harvey, Western Regional Manager, DSM Nutritional Products, Inc.
Melody Harwood, Senior Scientist, CANTOX Health Sciences
Steve Hatchett, President, Cornerstone Research & Development
Peter Hefele, Senior VP Business Development, Vitaquest/Garden State
Dr. Robert Hesslink, Director of Research and Development, Imagenetix
Clyde Higgs, VP, Business Development, North Carolina Research Campus
Jeff Hilton, President/CMO, Integrated Marketing Group
Karen Hilton, IMG
Thomas J. Hoolihan, EVP & General Counsel, Econet, Inc
Elzaphan Hotam, VP Business Development, Enzymotec
Loren Israelsen, CEO, LDI Group, Inc.
Michael Jeffers, Vice President, JLM Chemicals, Inc.
Jim Jordan, Executive VP Operations, Pharmavite Corp
Rick Kaiser, Vice President Sales, Bioriginal Food & Science Corp
Don Kim, President & CEO, Unigen, Inc.
Bob King, CEO, A. M. Todd Botanical Therapeutics
Larry Kolb, President, US Operation, Technical Sourcing International
Jim Krejci, CEO, Lifevantage Company
Rick Kroetsch, Consultant, Alive Publishing Group Inc.
David Lakey, President, Bergstrom Nutrition
Joe Laplaca, Senior Vice President, DSM Nutritional Products, Inc.
Brad Larson, Marketing and Business Development Manager, Capsugel
Charlene Lee, EVP and General Manager, Cyvex Nutrition, Inc.
Jay Lee, President, Beijing Gingko Group, North America
Rob Leighton, CEO/President, Thompson Brands/Adona
Nicole Lemus, Director of Sales, Century Foods - Hormel
Michael Levin, Md, Founder, Health Business Strategies
Dan Lifton, Maypro
L. Douglas Lioon, President/CEO, Douglas Laboratories/Hvl
Jesse Lopez, President & CEO, Source One Global Partners
Fawn Lopez, Source One Global Partners
David Lough, General Manager, Pillbox Japan
Ian Lucas, Executive Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing, ONC
Shaheen Mageed, Director of Marketing, Sabinsa Corp.
David Matteson, Early-Edge Direction
Kathy Mcknight, VP Sales & Marketing, Natural Factors
Julian Mellentin, New Nutrition Business
Ron Millender, VP & General Manager, Capsugel
Bruce Miller, Executive Vice President, Marine Nutriceutical Corp.
Rob Miotke, Pharmachem Technologies
Alex Moffett, CEO, Renaissance Herbs, Inc
Takeo Mogami, Advisor Biochemicals Div, Kikkoman Corporation
Len Monheit, President/CEO, NPIcenter
Thomas Newmark, CO-CEO and President, New Chapter
Corey Norton, Director of Sales, A. M. Todd Botanical Therapeutics
Todd Norton, President, Sabinsa Corporation
Robert Orr, President, ONC
Ajay Patel, President, Verdure Sciences/Geni Herbs
David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, and medical director of the Perlmutter Health Center
Matt Philips, VP Sales and Marketing, BI Nutraceuticals
Jethren Phillips, Chairman, New Organic Ventures
Walter Postelwait, Vice President & General Mgr, Blue Pacific Flavors
Gary Powers, President, Ortho Molecular Products
Al Powers, President, Now Health Group
Bruce Remund, COO/Partner, VMI Nutrition
Jeff Reynolds, CEO/Partner, VMI Nutrition
Kristen Reynolds, Assoc. Director/Marketing and Sales, KGK Synergize Inc.
Karl Riedel, President, Nature’s Life
Diana Robinson, Director Of Business Developme, Aisling Capital
Lisa Sabin, VP, Business Development, Consumerlab.Com
Olav Sandnes, President, Marine Nutriceutical Corp.
Roya Sayyah, Technical Sales, Blue Pacific Flavors
Michael Scamarcia, Director Of Sales, Standard Process, Inc
William Sears MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine
Tracey Seipel, Research Director, Biologic Health Solutions Pty Ltd
Behnam Shojaee, President, Froid
Suzy Short, VP Marketing, Zsweet
Gary Spirer, Ask Destiny® Healthcare
Amanda Steele, Dreamers Brand New Brands
Pietro Stefanutti, Pharmachem Technologies
Scott Steinford, VP, Sales, Embria Health Sciences
Amy Summers, Pitch Publicity
Hy Sung, President And CFO, Econet, Inc.
Keyvan Taheri, CEO, Wellements, LLCLC
David Thibodeau, Managing Director, Canaccord Adams
Jim Thornton, CEO, Botanical Laboratories, Inc
Thomas Tolworthy, CEO, The Vitmain Shoppe
Larry Tree, President/CEO, Weil Lifestyle, LLC
Jay Udani, CEO, Medicus Research LLC
Peter Van Stolk, Founder and CEO Jones Soda Co.
Richard Weis, VP-Business Development, Omegapure
Robert Whitelaw, Director of Sales/Marketing, Capsugel
Donald Wilkes, President/CEO, Blue Pacific Flavors
Greg Williford, VP Client Services, Vitatech International, Inc
Roger Wyse, Managing Director, Burrill & Company
Steve Yamada, President/CEO, Maypro Industries, LLC
Anthonly Zolezzi, CEO - Co-Founder, Pet Promise, Inc.
Preston Zoller, Dir. of Business Development, Inverness Medical Nutritionals Group

Hopefully, I’ll see you in Dana Point in July.

All the best,