The Nordic Organic Food Fair, now including The Good Food Fair, and The Natural Beauty & Health Show concluded its highly anticipated annual trade event with a resounding success. The two-day exhibition, held at its new venue Kistamässan last week on 9-10 October, attracted a vibrant community of big-name retailers and buying professionals from across the region. The show welcomed 3,264 attendees across the two days.
This included senior professionals from Arla Foods, Axfood, Brand Organic, Coop, Cosmetic Treasures, Dagab Inköp & Logistik, Debio, Do It Organic, Food Collective, Goodlife Norge AS, Hälsokraft, Hemköp, ICA Sverige, IKEA, IMCD Finland, Kalino Food, Kesko, Lidl Sverige, Life Europe, Martin & Servera, Natural Trade Brokers Ltd, Orkla Foods Sverige, Persano Group, Radisson, Scandinavian Airlines System, Simmering Copenhagen, SOSTRENE GRENES IMPORT, Solhjulet, Stockmann, Sunclass Airlines, The Whole Company Food, Tree of Brands, Unilever Sverige, and Vitafood.
“We are thrilled with the overwhelming success of this year’s event which took place at its new venue in Stockholm!” says Event Director, Melina Viking.
She continues: “Nordic Organic Food Fair and the Natural Beauty & Health Show annually attracts a wide variety of retailers looking for new and inspiring brands, and this year was no exception. It was great to see the show floor buzzing with passion and dedication from our exhibitors and attendees, because this is where lasting collaborations and new business connections are made! Thank you to our visitors, exhibitors, speakers and partners, we look forward to continuing to support and promote the organic and natural products industry for many years to come.”
The event was a celebration of the latest trends and innovations in the organic food, natural beauty, and health sectors – which included its new area The Good Food Fair for 2024. Attendees were invited to explore 450 diverse natural, organic and sustainable exhibitors, as well as attend insightful seminars across two theatres – The Main Stage and The Beauty Bar.
As well as a bustling show floor, the co-located events featured two live cooking competitions, an ’Innovation Showcase’, speed-dating opportunities with beauty brands, a live Pitch to the Buyer’ session with MyCare, a beauty influencer event – and much more.
Standing room only talks with Lidl, Coop, ICA and Axfood
Seminar highlights included a comprehensive discussion on innovative strategies, sustainable practices, and the evolving consumer trends driving the retail sector forward. Industry giants Lidl, Coop, ICA and Axfood attracted a packed and captivated audience as they shared insights on the future of sustainable food and retail.
Commenting on the show, speaker and visitor Mattis Bergquist, Head of Sustainability at Coop Sverige says: “The Nordic Organic Food Fair is of great importance for enabling people to meet in person rather than online. When you meet individuals face-to-face, you can truly experience the products by tasting, touching, and feeling them firsthand. Moreover, the opportunity to shake hands with another person and express your enthusiasm directly adds a personal touch that is invaluable. Therefore, gathering at the fair is truly essential.”
“Nordic Organic Food Fair is a place filled with so much life and energy. There is a strong drive and will to increase organic products on the market, and it’s exciting to be part of that momentum,” says Anneli Bylund Sustainability manager at Lidl Sweden.
Julia Levi, the Regulatory Product Compliance Leader at IKEA, captivated the audience with her engaging presentation titled “Navigating the Intricacies of Plant-Based, Vegetarian, and Vegan Products.” In this interactive session, Levi outlined the nuanced distinctions among these dietary categories and their impact on IKEA’s consumer preferences. The talk concluded with a Q&A and an enriching discussion that encouraged audience participation and further exploration.
“Being at this show is a way to foster green innovation. The dialogue, the atmosphere of debates, and the discussions and panel sessions are beneficial to attend, providing valuable insights to take back and reflect upon,” says Julia Levi, Regulatory Product Compliance Leader at IKEA.
“Nordic Organic Food Fair is a place filled with so much life and energy. There is a strong drive and will to increase organic products on the market, and it’s exciting to be part of that momentum”
MyCare selects all 6 brands for further talks
The show hosted an exciting ‘Pitch to the Buyer’ session with leading retailer, MyCare Nordic. Six brands including Gentle Day, Happybrush, Kooky, Bagert, Mulieres and Palse were selected to pitch their products in front of the MyCare buying team LIVE on stage. The pitches were so compelling, the buying team decided to select all 6 brands for further talks about a potential listing.
Tärje Pennsäter, Head of sales at MyCare says: “The show is a perfect exhibition for us as a distributor. The exhibitors are there for the same reason: to conduct business and share their knowledge and products with a new customer audience. The opportunity for us, with our chains Hälsokraft in Sweden and Kinsarvik in Norway, to participate in this way means a lot. The exhibition provides insights into the industry and its trends moving forward; we always want to be at the forefront in the Nordics, and this show is essential.
We also want to take the opportunity to express our big thanks to all the suppliers and producers who took the time to present their products to us.”
Innovation Awards
The Innovation Awards celebrated the best new products at the Natural Beauty & Health Show & the Nordic Organic Food Fair, which were presented by Event Director Melina Viking, and Senior Sales Executive Aaron Fletcher, at the end of day one. The shortlisted products were voted for by visitors across a range of categories – from Best New Vegan Product to Best New Cosmetic Product.
The products were then judged by industry experts, including Charlotte André (Organic Sweden) and Nina Anderson (The Vegetarian Society) for the food categories. The health products were judged by Jan Wiberg from Life and the beauty awards were judged by Dr Mark Smith (NATRUE) and Lillemor Svensson (NOC Sweden).
For more information and to view the full results, visit www.nordicorganicexpo.com/news/the-innovation-awards-2024-the-results.
Nordic Natural & Organic Expo 2025
Nordic Organic Food Fair (with The Good Food Fair) and the Natural Beauty & Health Show will return to Kistamässan on 12-13 November 2025 under the umbrella name Nordic Natural & Organic Expo.
To keep up to date with the show and to book a stand for 2025, please visit www.nordicorganicexpo.com.
