A. Vogel, Solgar Nordic, Nature Treats, New Nordic International, Amy’s Kitchen, The Health Store, and Green People, are just a few of the founding exhibitors confirmed for Natural Products Scandinavia’s inaugural event on 14-15 October 2012 at the Malmö Expo Centre in Sweden.
With seven months to go before the opening day, Natural Products Scandinavia’s organiser Diversified Communications UK reports that over 60% of the show’s 3,000m2 exhibition space has now been sold. Event manager Karl Morgan believes the strong exhibitor uptake reflects how seriously key brands within the Nordic natural and organic products industry are taking the show.
“For leading innovators like A. Vogel, Solgar Nordic and New Nordic to commit so early, clearly demonstrates the confidence that the natural healthcare products sector has in the Natural Products Scandinavia concept,” says Morgan. “And it’s not the exhibitors that are continuing to show their support, many leading Nordic health store chains – including Life Europe AB, Matas, and Hälsa för Alla – intend to send key buyers and store managers to the event this October.”
Given the Nordic region’s continued strong growth in the sales of dietary supplements, remedies, natural beauty products, and organic produce (at 132EUR per inhabitant, Denmark has the highest sales of organic products of any country in the world), the show aims to fill a significant gap – and a real need – for a dynamic international showcase for this important market.
Torben Damm, secretary general of the Danish Health Products Association, welcomes the launch, saying: “Our industry has for too long missed a professional trade show and industry forum to promote and strengthen the trade of health foods and food supplement products throughout the Nordic countries. HBL encourages all suppliers and manufacturers to support this important initiative.”
It’s a view shared by many major trade associations and industry professionals based across the Nordic region, including Gunnel Åkerman, managing director of Life Europe AB: “As the largest chain store of health and nutritional products in Sweden, we look forward to and welcome this new initiative. Furthermore, we see the need for an annually recurring trade fair where professionals within the Nordic market can come together.”
Bolstered by the growing international reputation and skilled marketing expertise of its organiser Diversified Communications UK, which has enjoyed continued success with its annual Natural & Organic Products Europe trade event in the UK, Natural Products Scandinavia will provide a unique industry forum tailored specifically to meet the needs of the Nordic market. In addition to a central exhibition showcasing over 200 leading companies and thousands of natural, organic, Fairtrade, vegetarian, vegan, free-from, and eco-friendly products – from beauty and VMS, to sports nutrition and organic food – the event will also feature a packed programme of seminars, workshops and networking meetings.
The Nordic natural and organic products industry’s first-ever dedicated trade event, Natural Products Scandinavia has already attracted a host of key Nordic brands, including Octean, HKC Egenvård, Biosym, Midsona Group, Great Earth Scandinavia, New Nordic, Solgar Nordic and A.Vogel, who are looking forward to the opportunity of meeting new Scandinavian distributors on their ‘home ground’:
“I’ve known the organisers of Natural Products Scandinavia for many years through the participation of Bioforce UK at their Natural & Organic Products Europe event in London, which was always well organised and has a good reputation within the industry,” says Bioforce International’s CMO, Hermann Geiger. “The A.Vogel brand and its leading products like Echinaforce or Herbamare were launched in the Scandinavian countries in the late 1960s, and therefore it is a must for us to be in Malmö.”
“We are looking forward to meeting both our existing and new customers from Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway all under one roof, and in addition to our A.Vogel stand we shall also be hosting a seminar about our latest scientific research,” says Geiger.
To exhibitors attending from further afield, the newly-launched Natural Products Scandinavia offers a unique proposition for international manufacturers and suppliers looking to strengthen and expand their trade presence in this lucrative natural and organic market. Among them are Harmony Cone and Amy’s Kitchen from the USA, Frenchtop Natural Care Products BV from The Netherlands, and Bioline from Belgium. Whilst from the UK, confirmed exhibitors include leading health food wholesaler The Health Store; Organico Realfoods, distributers of organic pastas, sauces, tomatoes, olives, condiments, dips and spreads, marinades, and grissini; Clearspring, which specialises in organic, premium and traditional Japanese and European foods; Natures Aid, the UK’s first manufacturing company to be granted a Traditional Herbal Registration (THR); traditional soft drinks specialist The Original Drinks Company; Green People, creaters of organic skin care, shampoos, deodorants, natural sun lotions, and organic makeup; and Seagreens, with its food supplements and ingredients made using wild harvested seaweed from the remote islands of the Scottish Outer Hebrides.
• For more information visit www.naturalproductsscandinavia.com
