Two Shows… One Month!
At the beginning of summer, the team discussed new shows to explore. Newtopia Now was making its debut in the market, and the allure of a new show at one of my favorite venues was hard to ignore. At the same time, we had been talking about expanding into other sub-markets. For those who know me, plants and pets are a personal passion. With that in mind, expansion into the pet category made sense, especially with SuperZoo just a state away!
SuperZoo was the first to arrive, taking place in early August. It was held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. This show boasted a variety of product categories and exciting networking experiences, complete with a beach party. (Did you know their pool is full of natural sand?) I was excited; it was sure to be a good time, and I was always ready for new experiences.
At that moment, as I was deplaning, I remembered why I hadn’t been to shows in Vegas in August. Trading Portland’s 80-degree sun for Vegas’ 112-degree ball of fire made me want to turn around and go home immediately. Luckily, Vegas gets it, and once I reached the casino, I no longer knew what the temperature was outside. It did make me rethink my plan of walking to the show, and Uber rapidly became my best friend during the visit.
The show itself was wild. There were a lot of great products, and we made some valuable connections. The “wild” part came more from the four-legged attendees. There was a grooming section of the show, and they held a very well-attended contest there. I love having my hair done and rocking some new dye – but some of these pups blew my style out of the water! I could write a whole article about the best and worst-dressed pups at SuperZoo, but that will have to wait for the future.
The show was just the right size for two days on the floor, making for the perfect quick escape from the triple-digit Vegas heat. I was able to enjoy eight days back home before returning to PDX, this time bound for Denver and Newtopia Now. This time, I was bringing my husband with me and an appetite for some new eats and treats.
We arrived in Denver to warm, but nearly perfect, weather. Downtown Denver has made many improvements since I was last there for Outdoor Retailer about three years ago, and I was saddened to see that the 16th Street Mall was closed. That’s always one of my favorite places to visit. They had it all torn up, so I expect my next visit will reveal an all-new and revitalized area!
Newtopia Now is a new show built to replace Expo East. While East has always been significantly smaller than West, Newtopia was even smaller than East. The show’s location in Denver made it cost-prohibitive for most East Coast brands to attend, and that showed on the floor. Many of the companies I met with were based in Colorado or a neighboring state, and many were bound for Expo West in 2025. It was a great place to meet new entrepreneurs and try new foods.
I fell in love with Toom dip. It makes the best spread for garlic bread. I also ran into a spice favorite, Bone Suckin’ Sauce. They hooked us up with samples, which I have enjoyed since returning home. Enoki Café had a show deal that has me set with mushroom coffee for the next month.
The August tour was fun and educational. Both shows had merit, and despite my feelings about Vegas in the summer, I enjoyed both trips. I will always remember the leopard and punk rock pups and look forward to seeing what next year brings!