Tues, March 2 – Fri, March 5, 2027 | Anaheim, CA
Expo West 2027 is a big moment. We’re here to help you show up ready. From booth costs and floor plan strategy to design ideas that actually pull people in and the deadlines you don’t want to miss.
This is your guide to navigating it all: before, during, and after the show.
Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) is the largest natural, organic, and healthy products trade show in North America, and it shows. Organized by New Hope Network and held annually at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, Expo West brings together 60,000+ attendees and 3,000+ exhibitors across natural foods, supplements, personal care, and specialty products. It’s big, it’s busy, and it’s where brands come to be seen.
Expo West 2027 takes place March 2–5, 2027, with exhibit halls open March 3–5. This marks the 46th edition of the show, so yes, it’s been around a long time, and this show really matters.
This is a trade-only event, which means the people you meet aren’t just browsing. They’re buyers, distributors, health practitioners, food service pros, investors, manufacturers, and press. Real conversations. Real opportunities. Real outcomes.
What sets Expo West apart is the mindset of the audience. Buyers aren’t just looking at what your product is. They care about how it’s made, where it comes from, and what your brand stands for. Certifications, sustainability, ingredient integrity, your story. It all plays a role. And it changes how you need to show up.
There’s also no shortage of moments to make an impression. The New Product Showcase puts your latest SKUs in front of thousands of buyers in one concentrated space. The Hot Products awards spotlight what’s breaking through. With Fresh Ideas Organic Marketplace and Natural Products Expo East tied into the broader ecosystem, this show has layers.
If you’re in the natural, organic, or better-for-you space, this is where your audience shows up. One roof. A lot of noise. A real opportunity to create a moment of connection that sticks.
60,000+
Attendees from across the natural products industry
3,000+
Exhibitors across multiple halls and venues
3 Days
Exhibit halls open (plus education day)
45+ Years
Running since 1981
Exhibiting at Natural Products Expo West is an investment. Done right, it is one that pays off well beyond the show floor. We’ll help you think through it the right way so you can show up with confidence and make it count.
Your total budget will depend on booth size, location, build complexity, and how much sampling infrastructure you need. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but there is a smart way to plan.
Booth space at Expo West is priced by booth type. A standard inline booth (10×10) runs about $9,400 for space alone, with a corner premium adding roughly $1,500. Peninsula and island booths are priced per square foot and start around $120 per square foot, which means a 20×20 island can land close to $50,000 just for the floor space. First- and second-year exhibitors may qualify for reduced rates, which can make a meaningful difference early on.
From there, we help you build the full picture. A good rule of thumb is to plan for your total exhibit investment to be around three times the cost of your floor space. That covers design, fabrication, graphics, shipping, installation, staffing, travel, sampling infrastructure, and on-site services like electrical and lead retrieval.
The goal is not just to spend. It is to spend with intention. We focus your investment on the moments that matter most so your space works harder, connects faster, and drives real results.
Beyond the booth space itself, GES (the official services contractor) charges separately for on-site services including electrical, floor cleaning, material handling, cold storage, furniture rentals, and internet. These costs catch first-time exhibitors off guard. For a food and beverage show like Expo West, you’ll also need to budget for sampling infrastructure: refrigeration, hand washing kits for open sampling, and waste management. Plan for these costs early. GES offers a discount deadline roughly four weeks before the show, and prices increase for orders placed after that date.
Want to understand what your full Expo West exhibit investment will look like?
We can walk you through the complete budget picture. →
Our team helped General Mills receive the “Best Booth” award for its originality, interactive experiences, and impact at Expo West 2019 — a show that attracts 3,600+ exhibitors and 86,000+ attendees. Our design and fabrication for General Mills was selected as the best exhibit two years in a row.
The cross-channel marketing approach surrounding the trade show program generated:
• 30 media articles with more than 1.4 billion UMV
• 1,000 product samples distributed
• 365 attendees engaged in the presentation and demonstration
• 12 in-booth meetings
• 2 in-booth media interviews
Natural Products Expo West takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The closest airports are John Wayne Orange County Airport (SNA), about 15 minutes south, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), roughly 45 minutes northwest depending on traffic.
The show spreads across multiple halls on the convention center campus, plus outdoor areas and off-site venues. The floor is organized by product category, so understanding the layout matters for both booth placement strategy and on-site navigation. We know this show inside and out, and we’ve got you covered beyond the booth too. From where to stay and where to grab a great dinner to how to get around without the headache, we’ll point you in the right direction.
The main exhibit halls, connected internally. Product categories include Natural & Specialty Foods, Organic, Lifestyle, Supplements, Wellness Beverage, and Conscious Beauty. This is where the bulk of the show happens.
Additional exhibit space on the upper level. Has its own buyer-only hours (Thursday and Friday mornings, 9–10 AM) and a separate move-out deadline.
Featured brands and immersive experiences. Buyer-only hours on Friday morning. A high-visibility location for brands looking to make a statement.
An outdoor tent area dedicated to USDA Organic and Regenerative Organic Certified brands. Opens one day before the main exhibit halls, making it a strong option for early buyer engagement.
Additional exhibit and meeting space across the street from the main campus. Walking distance, but it’s easy to underestimate how long it takes to move between buildings during the show.
If you’re bringing a team, book hotels early. Properties within walking distance of the convention center sell out a full year in advance. The show organizer typically offers a hotel block with discounted rates, but even those go fast. Rideshare wait times during the show can stretch past an hour, so walking distance matters more than price per night.
For team dinners or client entertainment, the Anaheim Packing District and downtown Anaheim offer more variety than the immediate convention center area. Downtown Disney is walking distance and has several sit-down options, though it gets crowded in the evenings. Make reservations well ahead of time.
MegaFood partnered with our team to design a custom 20’ x 30’ exhibit for Natural Products Expo West to launch their new vitamin gummy line. The goal was to create a standout, story-driven experience that captured attention, reflected their premium farm-to-table positioning, and could flex for future product launches over the next five years.
We shifted the approach from product-heavy displays to an immersive, technology-led experience. An RFID interactive product station, augmented reality, interactive iPads, and large touchscreen monitors brought MegaFood’s brand story to life while increasing engagement and dwell time. The clean, modern design reinforced authenticity.
The result was a high-impact exhibit that drove strong interaction and elevated the product launch, earning MegaFood a NEXTY Award for Best New Supplement Delivery Format.
Ideally, 9–12 months before the show. Expo West is one of the largest trade shows in the country, and booth space, hotel blocks, and fabrication timelines all reward early planning. If the show is in early March, that means serious planning should start the previous spring or summer.
| Timeframe | What to Do | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 12+ months out | Book booth space (prime locations fill first). Define your show objectives and target audience. Begin conversations with your exhibit partner about goals, budget, and booth size. | ||
| 9–10 months out | Lock in hotel rooms (Anaheim blocks sell out early). Begin exhibit design concepting. Establish your product sampling plan and start developing your brand story and messaging strategy. | ||
| 6–8 months out | Approve final exhibit design and begin fabrication. Order graphics. Plan booth staffing and product demonstrations. Submit the NPEW Booth Approval Form (required for all exhibitors, covers layout dimensions, sampling plans, hanging signs, EAC designation, and sustainability questions). | ||
| 3–5 months out | GES Exhibitor Service Kit (ESK) goes live. Begin ordering on-site services: electrical, furniture, cleaning, cold storage, material handling. The ESK contains all order forms, pricing, and shipping addresses. Plan pre-show marketing and social media. Start scheduling meetings with key buyers and retail partners. | ||
| -4 weeks out | GES discount deadline for service orders. After this date, prices increase. Advance warehouse shipments can begin arriving. If using an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC), their COI and agreement must be submitted and approved. Train booth staff on key messaging, product demos, and lead capture workflow. Test all technology and product displays. | ||
| -1 week out | Last day for advance shipments to arrive at GES warehouse without surcharges. Frozen and refrigerated shipments go direct to show site only (not the advance warehouse). Move-in begins on the Saturday before show opens. | ||
| Show week | Move-in runs Saturday through Wednesday morning. Show opens Wednesday. Buyer-only hours Thursday and Friday mornings (9–10 AM in select halls). Show closes Friday at 2 PM. Move-out begins immediately and runs through Monday. Capture leads in real time and run daily team debriefs to adjust strategy. | ||
| Post-show | Follow up with leads within 48 hours. All exhibit materials must be cleared by Sunday or Monday (depending on hall). If your booth goes to another show, your exhibit partner coordinates direct forwarding from Anaheim. Conduct ROI analysis and reporting. Plan exhibit asset storage and refresh for next season. | ||
A successful Expo West booth is built around one thing: product sampling (and a cool looking exhibit space). That’s what makes this show fundamentally different from a tech expo or a construction trade show. Buyers come to taste, smell, touch, and try. Your booth design needs to support that experience while also creating space for the deeper conversations that actually lead to distribution deals.
Expo West booths move a staggering amount of product. Your booth layout needs efficient traffic flow: a clear entry point, sampling stations that don’t create bottlenecks, and a separate area where buyers can sit down for longer conversations. Plan for cold chain requirements: temperature-controlled display cases, commercial refrigeration, and waste management for high-volume tasting stations.
Every exhibitor must submit a Booth Approval Form through New Hope Network. All exhibitors conducting open sampling must have a hand washing kit in their booth. Pre-packaged samples don’t require one, but any open-serve sampling does. The form covers layout dimensions, sampling plans, audio/music use, hanging signs, alcohol, CBD, and EAC designation.
The Expo West audience is more values-driven than nearly any other trade show crowd. Sustainability, sourcing transparency, and brand mission matter here. If your brand carries USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, B Corp, or other certifications, build prominent display configurations for those badges. They’re conversation starters with the buyers who matter most.
With 60,000+ people moving through the show, capturing and qualifying leads is critical. Badge scanning alone won’t cut it. You need a system for rating leads, recording conversation notes, and triggering follow-up within 48 hours. Build that system before you leave for Anaheim.
Ceiling heights at the Anaheim Convention Center vary dramatically by zone. Some areas drop as low as 7’5”, while designated high-ceiling zones reach 25’. The maximum build height in those areas is 21’. Column locations (35” diameter) throughout the halls also affect sightlines and layout options. Verify the height at your specific booth location before finalizing the design.
Smart exhibitors design their booth experience around these show-specific programs. If you’re launching a new product, the New Product Showcase puts it in front of thousands of buyers in a dedicated area. The Hot Products awards generate media attention. Plan your booth messaging to complement these opportunities rather than compete with them.
Planning your Expo West Show exhibit? Let’s start the conversation.
Whether you need maximum visibility or intimate engagement spaces, we create custom solutions for every booth configuration:
Before we sketch a single concept, we dig into your goals for Expo West specifically. Who are you trying to reach? Are you launching a new product line, building relationships with new retail buyers, or reinforcing your position with existing accounts? What certifications and brand values need to come through in the design? We build the strategy around your answers, not a one-size-fits-all template.
Our design team then creates custom trade show exhibits purpose-built for the Expo West environment. That means accounting for high-volume sampling, values-driven messaging, the specific ceiling heights and column locations at your booth’s position on the floor, and the traffic patterns of the Anaheim Convention Center. Every design integrates product display, sampling infrastructure, and conversation space into a layout that works together rather than competing for attention.
Your exhibit is built in our 160,000 square foot facility in Minneapolis by the same team that designed it. CNC machinists, scenic painters, metalworkers, and fiberglass specialists work under one roof, which means your project doesn’t get handed off between vendors or lost in translation. We push beyond standard booth builds with custom materials, specialty finishes, and structural solutions tailored to what your brand and your products need on the show floor.
For Expo West exhibitors specifically, that often means integrating cold chain infrastructure directly into the booth design, building sampling stations that handle high volume without creating bottlenecks, and engineering modular components that can be refreshed with new graphics and product lines each year without a full rebuild.
We design technology into the exhibit experience from the start, not as an afterthought. That includes digital displays and video walls for brand storytelling, interactive product education screens, integrated lighting systems that highlight products and certifications, and lead capture technology built into the booth workflow rather than bolted on at the last minute.
For shows like Expo West where product sampling drives the experience, technology plays a supporting role: reinforcing your brand story, educating buyers on sourcing and certifications, and capturing lead data in real time so your follow-up starts before the show floor closes.
Expo West is logistically complex: multiple halls, outdoor spaces, off-campus venues, overtime labor rates on every move-in and move-out day, and heavy crowds spread across several days. Our project management team handles every detail so your staff can focus on buyer conversations.
That includes managing the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) designation and insurance approval process with the show, submitting your Booth Approval Form, placing and tracking all GES service orders (electrical, cleaning, material handling, cold storage), coordinating with third-party rental vendors for refrigeration and specialty equipment, and supervising installation and dismantle labor on-site. We ship directly to Anaheim and handle all freight coordination, including advance warehouse shipments, direct-to-site deliveries, and frozen/refrigerated product logistics.
Every project gets a complete Show Book: a single document covering your logistics schedule, service orders, approvals, shipping details, setup instructions, and key contacts. When your on-site team arrives in Anaheim, everything they need is in one place. After the show, we handle teardown, storage, and if your booth is headed to another event, direct forwarding to the next venue.
If you’re a returning exhibitor with an annual presence, a custom build gives you complete control over your brand experience. It’s designed specifically for your products, your sampling setup, and the conversations you need to have. It can be stored, refreshed with new graphics and messaging each year, and reused across multiple show cycles, which spreads the investment over time.
If you’re exhibiting at Expo West for the first time and testing the show, a rental booth can be a smart way to make a strong impression without the full investment of a custom build. You get a professionally designed space at a fraction of the cost, and you can evaluate ROI before committing to a larger program.
Many of our clients land somewhere in between with our Custom Rental & Reuse Program. This approach combines a custom-built framework with modular components that get updated each year. You get the look and feel of a fully custom exhibit with a lower per-show cost.
Not sure which direction makes sense for you?
We can walk you through the options based on your goals, budget, and how many years you’re planning to exhibit. →
First-time exhibitors at Expo West face a unique set of challenges. The show is enormous, the audience is highly informed, and the logistics are more complex than most trade shows. Here’s how to set yourself up for a strong debut.
1
Book your booth space early. Plan your sampling infrastructure before your booth design (cold storage, hand washing kits for open sampling, waste management). Budget for the full picture: design, fabrication, shipping, hotels (book a year out), and GES on-site services. A basic 10×20 booth can accumulate $3,000–$5,000 in on-site services alone. Know the paperwork: Booth Approval Form, EAC agreement, and Certificate of Insurance.
2
Keep messaging focused: pick one or two key messages. Design for the Expo West audience specifically (transparency, sourcing, sustainability). Check your ceiling height (ranges from under 8’ to 25’ across the floor). Staff for volume: show floor is open 10 AM–6 PM Wed–Thu, 10 AM–2 PM Fri. Plan shifts and breaks proactively.
3
Start pre-show outreach early using Beacon Discovery (included with booth cost). Email target accounts with your booth location. Have a lead capture system ready on day one: test badge scanners, train staff on lead rating, draft follow-up sequences. Follow up within 48 hours. Speed matters when buyers are courted by hundreds of exhibitors.
For Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP at Natural Products Expo West, we designed a clean, product-forward exhibit that reflected the brand’s bold personality and its commitment to simple ingredients.
In partnership with BOOMCHICKAPOP and their agency, boatBurner, the custom 10’ x 30’ space highlighted the brand’s Crush It campaign, new product innovation, and retail merchandising strategies in a way that felt approachable and true to who they are.
Key features of the exhibit included clear display bins showcasing seven popcorn flavors, sampling stations introducing new varieties to buyers, a video wall supporting brand storytelling, and merchandising displays illustrating in-store promotion strategies.
The result was an Expo West presence that sparked engagement with buyers and reinforced BOOMCHICKAPOP’s position in the better-for-you snack category.
Expo West is different from most trade shows. Attendees are not just evaluating products, they’re evaluating values. We help brands stand out by designing exhibits that clearly communicate who you are, why you exist, and what makes your products truly organic or better-for-you. At Expo West, authenticity matters more than spectacle. Buyers want transparency, clarity, and a brand story they can believe in.
Our team creates environments that invite longer conversations, support education, and feel aligned with the natural and organic philosophy of the show. The goal is not just to be seen, it’s to be understood and trusted.
Expo West is a values-first show. Many attendees look at a brand’s mission, sourcing, certifications, and beliefs before they ever look at the product itself. The audience is highly informed and often skeptical. They’re looking for authenticity, not marketing spin. In some cases, they even question whether large, well-known brands belong on the floor at all unless their commitment to organic and natural principles is clear.
That’s why your exhibit needs to feel intentional, honest, and aligned with the culture of the show, not overly promotional or generic.
Early, earlier than you think. Because Expo West is massive and spread across multiple halls, outdoor spaces, and offsite venues, early planning is critical. We recommend starting the process as soon as your current year’s show wraps or by early summer at the latest. That gives you time to craft a clear brand story and messaging, design an exhibit that supports longer conversations, plan for logistics across multiple show locations, and secure hotels and transportation before availability gets tight.
Yes, and this is where experience really matters. Expo West spans the Anaheim Convention Center campus and beyond. There is a large outdoor exhibit area that opens first, multiple main halls that open later, a lower-level hall beneath sections D and E that is often overlooked, and additional exhibit space across the street near the Hilton with multiple floors.
Without a solid understanding of the floor plan, it’s easy to underestimate walking distances, crowd flow, and visibility challenges. We help clients plan strategically so their exhibit location, staffing, and schedule align with how attendees actually move through the show.
Expo West is physically demanding and logistically complex. Long days, heavy crowds, and constant movement are the norm. We act as a true partner from start to finish: coordinating design, fabrication, shipping, installation, dismantle, and storage so your team can focus on buyer conversations instead of logistics.
We also share practical, experience-driven guidance, from planning realistic daily schedules to understanding how crowd density affects engagement. The goal is to help your team conserve energy, use time wisely, and show up prepared for meaningful conversations.
Yes, timing and transportation are major factors at Expo West. Rideshare wait times can stretch past an hour. Many attendees walk from nearby hotels, and properties within walking distance often book a full year in advance. Dining options near the venue are limited, so team dinners and client meetings require early planning.
We help clients think through these details ahead of time so logistics don’t interfere with performance on the show floor.
The natural products industry has its own language, its own values, and its own expectations for how brands show up on the trade show floor. We get that, because we’ve built for it.
Expo West isn’t a show where you can drop in a standard trade show booth and hope it connects. Buyers at this natural food expo are evaluating your sourcing, your certifications, and your brand philosophy before they look at your pricing. Your exhibit needs to communicate all of that in the first ten seconds, and then support a deeper conversation for the next ten minutes.
That’s what we design for. Our team builds sampling stations that handle the volume Expo West demands while maintaining temperature compliance for perishable product demos. We create display configurations that put USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, B Corp, and other certification badges front and center, because at this show, those badges are conversation starters. We design high-traffic tasting layouts that balance the flow of thousands of attendees with dedicated spaces for the longer, more substantive buyer meetings where deals actually happen.
We also understand the build requirements specific to the natural products space. Sustainability-conscious brands don’t want their exhibit built from materials that contradict their mission. We work with recyclable, reusable, and sustainably sourced materials wherever possible, and our Custom Rental & Reuse Program lets you maintain a consistent Expo West presence year over year without starting from scratch each time.
Whether this is your first Expo West or your fifteenth, we build exhibits that help natural products brands tell their story clearly, honestly, and in a way that earns trust with the buyers who matter most.
Whether you’re planning your first Expo West exhibit or refreshing a returning presence, our team is ready to help. We’ll work with you on strategy, design, fabrication, and on-site execution so your brand makes the right impression with the right buyers.
