Nordic Organic Food Fair and Natural Beauty & Health Show concluded on a triumphant note, showcasing the remarkable importance of the sustainable living and organic food sectors in the Scandinavian region. The 11th edition, which took place last week on 15-16 November, welcomed 3510 attendees.
The event, held at MalmoMässan, proved to be a significant platform for industry professionals and buyers to discover the latest innovations, network and implement new ideas for their businesses. The show featured an impressive 450 companies across 5 key areas – spanning across natural health and beauty, organic food and beverages, eco-friendly household products, and plant-based products.
“I am thrilled with the overwhelming positive response received during Natural Beauty & Health Show and Nordic Organic Food Fair,” said Event Director, Melina Viking. “Although the industry has experienced some challenging times, the bustling show floor was full of innovation and business, which reinforces the significance of our industry for a greener and healthier future. Thank you for to our exhibitors, attendees, and industry experts for the tremendous support and collaboration. We’re already looking forward to seeing the industry back together in our brand-new venue… Stockholm!”
As well as representation from Sweden, the fair featured pavilions from Denmark, Greece, Austria, Italy, Ecuador, The Netherlands, Latvia and Poland – as well as exhibitors from the UK, Spain, France and the USA.
Exhibitor, Steven de Koenigswater, CEO of The Health Factory commented about his exhibiting experience: “From the moment the fair opened, there was so much interest on our stand. It’s been so successful that I’ve decided to use this model to enter different countries too. I prefer the traditional method of working with stores because it gives me the opportunity to train store staff about our products are how to sell them directly to customers. A webstore is so restricted due to some regulations round natural health products, so selling to retailers and independents is what works for us, and this is the place to meet them!”
Show highlights
In addition, the event hosted insightful seminars across two theatres (The Main stage and Beaty Bar) featuring influential speakers from Euromonitor International, NATRUE, Organic Denmark, Coop Sverige, Organic Sweden, KRAV, Natruly, Scandinavian Mind, ECOCERT and more.
These sessions tackled pressing topics, including sustainable agriculture practices, the future of organic food production, plant-based products, certifications, consumer trends and more. The standing room only ‘Big Nordic Organic Debate’ (Press Conference) brought together organic leaders from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Norway, who shared their valuable perspectives from each region. The esteemed leaders highlighted strategies of fostering organic growth and provided insights into its development.
Panellist Aura Lamminparras, Executive Director of Pro Luomu said: “Like always, it was nice to participate in the Nordic Organic Food Fair and the Nordic organic debate. At the moment we have many challenges in the organic sector, but after the debate I felt optimistic. it is important to discuss and work together to tackle common challenges.”
“Norway has a lot to learn from our Nordic neighbours on how to promote organic food and agriculture and work towards more affordable organic produce and more organic farmers. The Nordic Organic Food Fair is therefore an important place to be, and the discussion this year helped us talk together about common challenges and share positive measures that has worked in the previous year,” said panellist Markus Hustad, CEO, Økologisk Norge.
The popular ‘Pitch to the Buyer’ session with EgenvårdDistribution (EVD) attracted crowds who were keen to see new health innovations on stage. The Health Factory and Kost Kamm won over the EVD buyers with their pitches and will have further discussions for a potential listing at the leading health distributor.
“As a wholesaler, it’s important for us to meet up with our suppliers dedicated in all different countries. Natural Beauty & Health Show is a great place to meet everyone in one place. It also gives us a chance to know what new products our suppliers are offering,” says Tärje Pennsäter – Head of Sales, EgenVårdDistribution i Stockholm AB.
Lastly, The Lilla Ekomålskampen 2023 competition was held on the second day of the show. Five competing chefs were selected ahead of the event and had to compete against each other by cooking an organic snack from a Black Box. Chef Ida Carlsson from Örebro was crowned the winner.
“It was an honor to see such dedicated finalists compete to create snacks that not only taste great, but also benefit our health and the environment. We at Ekomatcentrum are proud to have been a part of this inspiring event, and we warmly congratulate Ida Carlsson on the win, which impressed the jury greatly, says Ted Wendt, Operations Manager at Ekomatcentrum.
Move to Stockholm
Following industry feedback, the show will move to Kistamässan in Stockholm for the 2024 edition. The move follows feedback from exhibitors and visitors, who feel the event will benefit from being closer to the larger retail groups in Sweden, as well as offering easy access from Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and the other major Nordic cities, and for buyers and exhibitors from further afield.
To read the full press release, visit www.nordicorganicexpo.com/news/leading-trade-expos-nordic-organic-food-fair-eco-living-scandinavia-relocate-to-stockholm-for-2024-edition.
Nordic Organic Food Fair and Natural Beauty & Health Show will take place at Kistamässan, Stockholm on 9-10th October 2024. For more information and to register for exhibition space or to attend as a buyer, visit www.nordicorganicexpo.com.