PlantBased Solutions was well represented in Baltimore this year and there were so many highlights from Expo East 2018, it was difficult to select just a few. From speaking, tasting, mentoring, judging and hosting the PlantBased Solutions team enjoyed every moment of gathering with friends old and new, meeting with start-ups and established brands, and sharing about our expanded range of service offerings.
Select Highlights from Expo East 2018
David Benzaquen
Expo East was a busy and successful one for PlantBased Solutions. As always, I was glad to see the many brands I know and love and to try new products from the many up-and-coming brands in this amazing and rapidly-growing space. I was fortunate to be a Speaker at the PBFA Lobbying Workshop, which addressed issues like the labeling of plant-based proteins such as milk. It was a great event attended by many experts from the industry. We concluded the trip with our Plant-Based Happy Hour on Friday evening, which we co-hosted with the Plant Based Foods Association, No Evil Foods, and Ocean Hugger Foods. It was a fantastic gathering with friends old and new.
Daniel Karsevar
This was my sixth year attending Expo East, and it seems to get better every year. I was very excited to be invited by New Hope to be a Speaker this year, as well as part of the Selection Committee and a Mentor for the Pitch Slam. It was such a great experience to see the inner workings of the Pitch Slam process, and I was delighted that my Mentee, Chef Chew, won the Pitch Slam with his company Something Better Foods.
Although I have attended Expo East many times – supporting and launching brands both at the main show and Harvest Festival (Chloe’s Fruit 2014, Avoke 2015 & 2016, Yumami 2017 – garnering NEXTY’s for Avoke & Yumami) – I was thrilled to attend as part of the PlantBased Solutions team. We met with some amazing startup brands and international companies looking to incubate new brands for the US market. We will be back for next year’s Expo in Baltimore, but first we are looking forward to Expo West this coming March!
Blythe Whitten-Snarr
Despite Hurricane Florence, Expo East had a great turnout! We tasted a lot of fantastic products – both from exciting new brands and from old favorites – and had the chance to meet with clients past, present, and future. It was so exciting to be able to discuss our recently expanded range of service offerings, thanks to our amazing new COO Daniel Karsevar joining the team this past July.
Our Plant-Based Happy Hour at the Pratt Street Ale House was a hit, and offered excellent networking for exhibitors and attendees alike. The smörgåsbord of stellar vegan food included dishes from No Evil Foods, Ocean Hugger Foods, Revolution Gelato, and Miyoko’s. We look forward to hosting many more plant-based happy hours in the future!
What are some of your highlights from Expo East 2018?
We’d love to hear from you about your highlights from Expo East 2018 and any innovative plant-based foods you experienced while at the Expo – share your highlights with us on Facebook and be sure to include pictures.
PlantBased Solutions has a lot of great opportunities coming up for start-ups and plant-based entrepreneurs as well as established brands seeking to enter the plant-based space. Sign up for our newsletter and be kept up to date on the latest plant-based news and offerings from PlantBased Solutions. Our winter Master Class will open for registration soon and you won’t want to miss out! And of course, we are already planning for Expo West, where we hope to continue building the relationships and make connections advancing plant-based economies.