Natural and organic brands looking to secure a listing with Holland & Barrett International will get another exclusive opportunity to pitch their latest innovations to the retailer’s senior buying team at Natural & Organic Products Europe trade show, which returns to London ExCeL on 22-23 April.
Holland & Barrett’s buyers, including Lucy Pottinger, head of category for ethical beauty and aromatherapy, Lisa Sinclair, head of category for VMS, and Nick Janda, senior category manager for sports nutrition, will have plenty of new innovations to choose from for 2018. More than 700 exhibiting companies are confirmed for this year’s event, and each has the chance to enter their new natural and organic food, drink, health, beauty and natural living products into the Innovation Pitch Live contest.
Competing exhibitors (those shortlisted before the show) will have five minutes to impress the judges when they take their turn to ‘pitch’ on the Natural Products Talk Theatre stage.They’ll also have to win over an audience full of visiting buyers and retailers in the process, as their votes may help swing the judges’ decision.
New start-up Turmerlicious was among the six exhibitors vying for a (potential) listing last year.Within months, its products joined the retailer’s range of more than 8,000 SKUs.
“As a business that is known for bringing innovative health products to the high street, we were delighted to get the opportunity for another live pitch session at this year’s Natural & Organic Products Europe. Several brands we’ve met at the show in this way have gone onto have successful ranges in more than 750 stores across the UK and Ireland, and this year we are hoping to find more original and brilliant creations this industry has become known for,” said Pottinger.
Natural & Organic Products Europe’s event director Carol Dunning said: “As a show, we’ve been supporting new start-ups in the health and wellbeing sector for over twenty years. We’re delighted to be working closely with Holland & Barrett, once again, to offer our exhibitors an exclusive opportunity to fast track their way to meet their buyers and, potentially.
“It was standing room only in the theatre last year – and our visitors got to see some amazing presentations of the latest new products. If anything, this year’s competition is going to be even more intense – as more exhibitors are preparing to take part.”
The Innovation Pitch Live is open to all companies currently booked to exhibit at Natural & Organic Products Europe 2018 (across all feature areas: The Natural Food Show, Natural Health, Natural Living, and Natural Beauty & Spa Show). To enter (and check terms and conditions), please visit www.naturalproducts.co.uk/holland-barrett-pitch-buyer.
More than 11,000 attendees are expected at the show, including representatives from Boots, Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, Suma, Revital, John Lewis, Debenhams, Superdrug, Lloyds Pharmacy, TK Maxx, Aldi and Fortnum & Mason.
Bron: Pitch perfect at Natural & Organic Products Europe 2018