Natural Products Expo West is coming up March 5-8, 2015, in Anaheim, CA.
We’re excited to be there this year. It’s a great place for retailers to learn about the latest in organic products, natural living, and going green. Of course, as with any conference or expo, there’s also the benefit of getting free stuff, from product samples and swag to brand-sponsored entertainment and unique experiences.
To help our retail friends get the most out of their conference budget, we thought we’d list some of the Expo West freebies that we’re most looking forward to.
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Free parking (and free shuttle).
Parking at the Anaheim Convention Center during the Natural Products Expo is…well, let’s just say it’s not fun, bordering on a bad idea. If you’re lucky enough to find a spot, you’ll still have to pay $15 for the privilege. The good news is, you don’t have to: you can park for free at Angel Stadium, and ride a free shuttle between there and the Convention Center.
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Free breakfast.
There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there is a free breakfast. On Friday, Boulder Brands will be serving up a free breakfast buffet at the Marriott from 7:30-10:00 a.m. It’s promised to be natural, healthy, and safe for almost any food allergy or special diet you may have.
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Free yoga.
If you’re into yoga (or are curious and would like to try it out), Expo West will have free early morning yoga sessions on both Friday and Saturday. On Friday, it will be held at the Grand Plaza Main Stage, and feature MC Yogi and instructor Janet Stone. Though it starts at 7:30 a.m., you may want to show up early to get a free Gaiam yoga mat to use, and free Bhakti Chai to drink. Saturday’s session will be at 7:00 a.m. in the Hilton.
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Free concerts.
Each evening, from Thursday through Saturday, there will be free live music (along with food and drinks) at the Grand Plaza from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Thursday will feature reggae-rockers The Expanders; followed by Nahko and Medicine for the People on Friday and The Greyboy Allstars on Saturday.
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Free Pitch Slam.
On March 4, before the main Expo really kicks off, there will be a Natural Products Business School and Investment Learning Summit, where startups can pitch their ideas to investors. That day-long event is not free. What is free for Expo attendees is the next day’s Pitch Slam finals, where the top three startups will compete for a generous prize package (last year’s was worth $30,000, and included a free booth at the 2015 Expo). It’s like seeing a reality TV show, but more real, and with a cocktail party afterwards.
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Free app.
If you’re worried about finding all these freebies or making sure you don’t miss a key session, there is a free Expo West app you can download to your mobile device. It includes a personalized schedule and convention map, which can help you find your way to our booth. Which is good, because there you can get:
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Free 2,500 custom-printed RagBags.
Each day, March 6-8, we’ll be giving away 2,500 free RagBags custom-printed with your store’s logo. That’s three different retailers, and 7,500 reusable, repurposable, eco-friendly shopping bags they can use for customers in their stores.
For a chance to win, and to simply see what RagBags are all about, visit our booth (#5757) located in the Natural Living Pavilion in Hall E (in the lower level of the Convention Center, below Hall D). Even if you don’t win 2,500, you can still pick up one free RagBag to carry all your other freebies from the event.
We look forward to seeing you there! And be sure to check back on our blog during the event, when we’ll give a rundown of the most interesting things we’re seeing at Expo West.
