🎙 EPISODE 306 — Expo West ROI: How to Turn the Industry’s Super Bowl Into a Growth Engine for Your Brand
Expo West Is Not a Sampling Event. It’s a Leverage Event.

In one week, our industry’s Super Bowl kicks off — Natural Products Expo West.
Thousands of brands.
Thousands of retailers.
Buyers.
Brokers.
Distributors.
Investors.
Bloggers.
Media.
Influencers.
Consultants.

And most brands will do exactly what they did last year:
-Build a beautiful booth.
-Hand out samples.
-Smile.
-Hope.
-Go home exhausted.
-And wait for something to happen.
Let me be direct.

👉 If you are “hoping” Expo West will grow your brand, you are already losing ROI.

Expo is one of the largest trade investments you’ll make all year.
Booth fees.
Travel.
Hotels.
Shipping.
Freight.
Freight back.
Samples.
Staffing.
Design.
Marketing collateral.
Lost productivity.

This is not cheap.
And here’s what most founders overlook:
👉 Expo is not about traffic.
👉 It’s not about how busy your booth is.
👉 It’s not about how many samples you hand out.
👉 It’s not about how tired you are on Saturday night.

It’s about leverage.
And today, I’m going to show you how to turn Expo West into a strategic growth engine — not an expensive weekend.

But first, let me tell you a story.

The Brand With the Longest Line… That Generated Zero Sales

Several years ago, I walked the show floor and noticed one booth that was packed.
Huge line.
Energetic team.
Free samples flying.
Music.
Excitement.
You would have assumed they were crushing it.

Six months later, I ran into the founder.
I asked, “How did Expo go?”
He said:
“We had amazing traffic. Everyone loved it.”
I asked, “How many new retail accounts did you open?”
Silence.
“Actually… none.”
I asked, “How many buyers did you follow up with?”
He said “We didn’t really capture contact info.”
I asked, “How many new email subscribers did you gain?”
He said “We didn’t have a system for that.”
I asked, “How many distributor conversations converted?”
He said “We’re still waiting to hear back.”

That booth generated buzz.
But it didn’t generate business.

Now let me contrast that with another brand.
Smaller booth.
Less flashy.
But they:
-Scheduled meetings before the show.
-Had retailer-specific sell sheets.
-Used fact based shopper and category data in conversations.
-Captured every contact.
-Tagged buyers by priority.
-Followed up within 48 hours.
-Sent customized recap emails.
-Added visitors to segmented email lists.
-Sent a thank-you offer to booth visitors.
-Invited them to join their community.

Six months later?
Expanded distribution.
New regions.
New promotions.
New loyal customers.
New retailer relationships.

Same show.
Different strategy.
Massive difference in ROI.

Let’s talk about how you become the second brand.

5 STRATEGIC WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR EXPO WEST ROI

⭐ Strategy #1: Define Your Primary Objective Before You Build Your Booth

Most brands show up with vague goals:
-“Get exposure.”
-“Meet retailers.”
-“Launch new item.”
-“Build awareness.”

That’s not strategy. That’s wishful thinking.
You must choose ONE primary objective:
Open new distribution?
Deepen existing retailer relationships?
Launch a new item?
Secure investor conversations?
Build consumer community?
Strengthen broker alignment?
Gather shopper insights?
Build partnerships?

Your booth messaging, collateral, team training, and follow-up system should reflect that objective.
If you are showcasing a new item, your booth should scream:
“NEW. INNOVATIVE. CATEGORY OPPORTUNITY.”

If you’re strengthening retailer partnerships, your booth should communicate:
“CATEGORY LEADER. DATA-DRIVEN. PROFITABLE.”

Expo without clarity is expensive.

Action Step:
Write down your ONE primary objective and 2–3 supporting objectives. Share it with your entire team. Get everyone aligned and focused on those specific objectives.

⭐ Strategy #2: Stop Sampling. Start Strategically Engaging.
Sampling is not a strategy.
It’s a tactic.

Sampling without engagement is just free food.

Every interaction should include:
-A question.
-A story.
-A differentiator.
-A call to action.

Instead of:
“Would you like to try a sample?”

Try:
“Are you a retailer or a fan of better-for-you snacks?”

Or:
“What do your shoppers struggle with most in this category?”

Or:
“What kind of shopper do you serve?”
Now you’re engaging.

Now you’re positioning yourself as a strategic partner.

Remember what retailers want
— retailers want:
-More traffic.
-Reasonable profit.
-Competitive advantage.

Your conversation should center on those three outcomes.
And here’s the biggest missed opportunity:

👉 Consumers walking the show.
Brands rarely:
-Capture emails.
-Offer post-show coupons.
-Invite them into community.
-Send thank-you notes.
-Create bounce-back offers.

Instead of just handing out samples, say:
“Join our email list — we’ll send you a thank-you coupon for your next purchase.”
That turns Expo into:
-Community growth.
-Repeat purchase.
-Retail velocity support.
Trade spend should drive long-term value — not just booth traffic.

⭐ Strategy #3: Use Data as Your Differentiator
Retailers walk thousands of booths.

Most brands say:
“We have great velocity.”
“We’re clean.”
“We’re organic.”
“We’re trending.”
“We’re better.”

Savvy brands say:
“Our core shopper increases market basket size by 18%.”
“We drive premium trade-up in this segment.”
“In your region, this subcategory is underdeveloped by 12 points.”
“Our contribution per point of distribution outperforms the category.”
That’s how you stand out.

Bring:
-Category overview insights.
-Market vs account gap analysis.
-Shopper data.
-Contribution metrics.
-Attribute trends.

Retailers can’t be experts in every category.
You can.

Expo is not just about showing up.
It’s about showing insight.

⭐ Strategy #4: Build a Follow-Up System Before You Leave for the Show
This is the most overlooked ROI driver.

Most brands:
-Collect cards.
-Toss them in a bag.
-Wait a month.
-Send generic email.
-Hope someone replies.

Here’s the better system:
1. Collect business cards.
2. Write notes immediately.
3. Tag each contact as a:
-Buyer
-Distributor
-Broker
-Influencer
-Investor
-Consumer
4. Prioritize them:
A: High-value
B: Warm
C: Long-term

Within 48 hours:
-Send a personalized recap.
-Reference your conversation. You want to take them back to the conversation you had with them - be memorable.
-Attach relevant insight.
-Offer next step.
-Suggest a meeting.

Then schedule follow-up cadence:
Week 1.
Week 3.
Week 6.

Statistically, it takes multiple touches before conversion.
Expo is the beginning of the relationship — not the end.

⭐ Strategy #5: Treat Expo as a Community Accelerator — Not Just a Retail Event
This is where most brands leave money on the table.

Expo brings together:
-Founders.
-Influencers.
-Media.
-Retailers.
-Consumers.
-Investors.

You should leave with:
-New partnerships.
-Cross-promotion opportunities.
-Co-branded ideas.
-Joint marketing opportunities.
-Social collaborations.
-Shared email swaps.
-Influencer relationships.
-Future podcast guests.
-Content ideas.
Ask:
“How can we collaborate?”
“How can we serve the same shopper together?”
“What joint promotion could we run post-Expo?”

Remember, as I’ve been teaching for for years:
👉 Brands that build community build loyalty.
👉 Loyalty builds velocity.
👉 Velocity builds leverage.

Expo is not just distribution.
It’s ecosystem building.

This is how you future proof your brand!

RECAP — HOW TO MAXIMIZE EXPO WEST ROI
1. Define your primary objective before you go.
2. Turn sampling into strategic engagement.
3. Use data to differentiate.
4. Build a disciplined follow-up system.
5. Treat Expo as a community accelerator.

If you do those five things:
-Your trade spend works harder.
-Your follow-up improves.
-Your velocity strengthens.
-Your retailer conversations elevate.
-Your brand stands out.
-Your community grows.
-Your long-term ROI multiplies.
Expo is expensive.
But it becomes priceless when used strategically.

Lets make this Your Personal Win
Here’s what I want for you.
I don’t want you walking into Expo hoping someone notices you.
I want you walking in:
-Clear.
-Confident.
-Strategic.
-Prepared.
-Data-driven.
-Focused on ROI.

Download the New Item Essentials Guide before you go. Its available at retalsolved.com/session306
Use it to:
-Clarify your selling story.
-Align your category strategy.
-Strengthen your pitch.
-Prepare your data.
-Sharpen your differentiators.

And after the show, send me a message on LinkedIn.
Tell me:
-What worked.
-What didn’t.
-What surprised you.
-What you learned.

Let’s raise the bar together.
Because Expo West is not just a trade show.
It’s a strategic inflection point.
And the brands that treat it like one are the brands that scale.
I’m Dan Lohman, and this is the Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast.