PHOENIX--More than 3,600 industry executives from dietary supplement, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies gathered May 1 to 3 for the SupplySide East International Trade Show and Conference at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J. Participation was up 30 percent this year to 3,607, the exhibit hall included 254 companies occupying more than 322 booths.

"The main reason I come to SupplySide is to find the next new, big, hot ingredient, and I found lots of great things this year. What has really caught my interest is how many companies are talking about the clinical trials they're doing. This attention on science is really coming out now and it's just fantastic for us."
--Shane Durkee, director of nutritional science and business development, Bayer Health Care

"From Natrol's perspective, SupplySide gives you a cutting-edge look at what's happening in the industry and what's coming up on the market. It's a very well done show and one of my favorites; I wouldn't miss it. This is a great gathering of top industry manufacturers. You are seeing the real evolution of science and branding."
--Elliott Balbert, executive chairman, Natrol

SupplySide East began on Monday with the Golf Classic, co-sponsored by Marco Hi-Tech and INSIDER. More than 100 golfers participated in the networking event, held at the exclusive, private Green Brook Country Club. Trophies were awarded for individual achievement and top scores for each course and the awards luncheon following the tournament.

"All of the participants were extremely appreciative of the higher level of quality that the sponsors were able to arrange on their behalf. It was nice to see everyone enjoying the great golf and food while networking with industry professionals to start SupplySide East on a very positive note."
--David Garner, executive vice president, Marco Hi-Tech

The exhibit hall opened on Tuesday at noon and held more than 3,600 participants, making it the largest SupplySide East to date. Thousands of executives walked the exhibit hall until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday and then again from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

"The show has been fantastic, we've had traffic all day long and it is, as always, a wonderful event. We see pretty much every one of our major customers and they come year in and year out. It's just an exceptional event for us."
--Frank Assumma, marketing director, Natural Health Science

Networking events offered participants additional venues to build new business relationships and meet with industry peers. More than 200 executives from around the globe participated in the International Welcome Reception, sponsored by KGK Synergize and OptiPure/Soft Gel Technologies. For the first time, the Opening Reception was held in the exhibit hall from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; the event was co-sponsored by DSM and Natural Health Science. The Appreciation Party ended the three-day event with food and drinks in the exhibit hall on Wednesday afternoon and was sponsored by Kougen, Kyowa Hakko, Lonza and Shanghai Freemen Americas.

"We've been supporting SupplySide even back when we were Roche Vitamins. This event has been and continues to be very important because of the networking opportunities. It's a very important show to bring new launches and I've seen customers from all over the country here. This is important for us as our focus has changed beyond just vitamins and carotenoids into exciting new ingredients."
--Joe LaPlaca, senior vice president, DSM Nutritional Products

The three-day Education Program offered scientific research, marketing strategies and regulatory updates. Co-sponsored by Embria Health Sciences and EPAX, the seminars featured speakers from National Institutes of Health (NIH), American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA), U.K. Health Food Manufacturers Association, Tufts University School of Medicine, The Lewin Group and more. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) delivered the Featured Presentation to end the day of seminars on Monday.

The keynote presentation was given by trends forecaster and expert analyst Phil Lempert. Co-sponsored by BASF and INSIDER, Lempert shared insight into future consumer trends with a humorous delivery. When it comes to tapping into a broad consumer market, for example, Lempert suggested companies turn to the continued success of the Rolling Stones, who reach across generations with their appeal. At the same time, Lempert pointed out the diversification of ages and ethnicities in the United States, and noted launching a single product--like Coca Cola, for example--and expecting it to have great universal response is outdated.

During SupplySide East, INSIDER magazine, the show's official publication, celebrated its 10-year anniversary with free travel vitamin box giveaways and anniversary cake in the Virgo Publishing booth on Wednesday afternoon.

A two-day VendorWorks program gave participants presentations to choose from on ingredient science, manufacturing information, formulation knowledge, marketing insight and much more.

The Science at SupplySide Poster Presentations gave attendees a convenient means to review new science and research. The posters were displayed in the exhibit hall during exhibit hall hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Presenters were available on Wednesday afternoon to answer attendee questions and share additional information.

"It's one of the few opportunities to get everyone in the same place--customers, media, suppliers--to really maximize their time. It's a great platform for so many types of contacts."
--Jeff Hilton, founder/president, Integrated Marketing Group

For more information on SupplySide East 2007, scheduled for April 30 to May 2 in Secaucus, N.J., or SupplySide West 2006, which will take place Oct. 18 to 20 in Las Vegas, visit www.supplysideshow.com or call (800) 454-5760.

The following photos are available upon request: Phil Lempert delivering keynote, seminar rooms, networking receptions, golf tournament, exhibit hall and registration area. If you are interested in additional photos, please e-mail your request to asharman@vpico.com.

Virgo Publishing produces the SupplySide Trade Shows and Conferences, the Focus on the Future Executive Conference and Retreat, and the online training Web site nutrilearn.com; and publishes Natural Products INSIDER, HSR: Health Supplement Retailer and Food Product Design magazines.

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