What do Supreme Collagen, Bella Flora, ecollegey and SOS Cuisine all have in common? If you’re thinking “I haven’t a clue” I agree. I haven’t a clue either. Today, they are 4 individual businesses each with their own mission and agenda.
Last weekend, however, they were all exhibitors at the 2011 Eat Well and Live Green Expo. And what a group it was. Boisterous, busy, engaged. Over 300 exhibitors involved in health and wellness were sampling, selling and occasionally yelling to be heard in the crowd.
The show, geared to consumers, brought in over 16,000 people over three days. From golden agers to health savvy students, consumers were reading labels and looking for innovation and bursts of excellence.
As a consumer, I certainly wasn’t disappointed. The apple cider vinegar soap has yet to be sampled but the pure, coconut fibre scrubbing pad works like a charm. The soap nuts were incredibly intriguing – harvested from a tree in India, they completely replace laundry soap. They are reusable, compostable and biodegradable and, according to the www.ecoeteco.com, they efficiently wash all types of fabrics. Odorless, they can be used in traditional machines as well as the new high efficiency washing machines. Just toss 4 nuts in a cotton bag and let nature do the rest. Fascinating.
As an exhibitor, Grandma Emily’s sampled our Organic Pumpkin Almond Crunch. The words ‘high in Omega-3’s’ had quite an impact. The not-too-sweet snack, new to many consumers, was quickly adopted after just one little nibble.
Our stock vanished rapidly. The initial 500g portions were gone the first day and we reduced the size of the portion to allow more people to try the product. At a $5 cost for 350g, there was little resistance.
There’s more fun ahead as we gear up to exhibit at The National Women’s Show – April 1st, 2nd and 3rd at Montreal’s Palais des Congres. Hope to see you there – Andrea
