Australia's top health and wellness innovators shine at Naturally Good

This year’s Naturally Good Expo has wrapped for 2022 – having been declared the most successful show since the start of the pandemic.

The annual two-day B2B expo – the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere – showcased more than 200 exhibitors from around the nation in diverse areas of food, beverages, beauty, health and homewares, as well as more than 30 influential business speakers. Buoyed by the global interest in health and wellness, a multitude of influential buyers and retailers attended the June 6-7 event at Sydney’s International Convention Centre.

Last year, the expo was hampered by a last-minute Victorian lockdown which prevented many exhibitors and retailers from the state travelling to Sydney. Prior to that, the show was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, this year the show went off without a hitch.

Naturally Good’s Product Manager Sinead Kavanaugh said the expo, now in its seventh year, had exceeded all expectations. “Given the challenges of the last few years, it’s been amazing to see all the industry support for businesses in the natural health space. We had incredible retailers attend this year’s expo and the feedback and interest from them has been phenomenal.”

“This year’s theme was The Natural Step Ahead: Your Platform for Organic Growth, and we feel the expo lived up to that by helping and inspiring many exhibitors on their business journey. Exhibitors were constantly busy in meetings and made fantastic contacts.”

Innovation at the forefront

This year, some of the most unique Australian products in the food and beverage industry were front and centre including gut immunity boosting foods and functional beverages. There was a wide range of supplements in the complementary medicine space, as well as sustainable and eco-friendly homewares and cleaning agents.

Platinum partners included Global by Nature; Oborne Health Supplies; and Unique health products; as well as industry partners such as FIAL, Australian Made, ANTA, Australian Organic Limited, and Complementary Medicines Australia.

The beauty and personal care industry was well-represented with many brands featuring innovative products with added health benefits. The inaugural Beauty VIP Experience, where attendees engaged in a panel session with top experts providing cutting-edge insights on how to grow within the beauty industry, was also a runaway success.
As always, the annual Pitch Fest competition was fiercely competitive with innovative businesses including Good Edi; Pacific Harvest; San Elk; Compassion Cremery; and Teffkers – The Bakery Lab pitching to a range of experts and trade buyers. Compassion Cremery were crowned the winners for their unique Oat Crème Cheese product.

This year’s speaker sessions at both the expo and Business Summit on June 3 were packed with Australia’s most knowledgeable leaders providing expert insights. Popular topics included The Future of Healthy Food; Retailer Partnerships – Working Together For Success; The Future of Beauty; and Decoding Gen Z. Summit topics covered the areas of retail, consumer, sustainability and export strategy.

Industry recognition

New this year was the first-ever Naturally Good Awards recognising the products and brands moving and shaking the industry. Award winners included Beter Confectionary for Best Food Product, Angove Naturalis Organic for Best Beverage Product, and Ethique for Best Beauty & Cosmetics Product.
Also generating interest was Australian Organic Alley, a dedicated area on the show floor showcasing certified Australian Organic members, and the Australian Made Pavilion.

Ms Kavanagh said the expo continues to grow each year with the number of trade visitors and sheer volume of brands exhibiting. “There is currently such high market demand in the natural products space, with the market predicted to grow even further over the next five years. We are thrilled at the great feedback from exhibitors, visitors and partners all round. We look forward to planning next year.”

The expo will return to Sydney next year from Monday 5 – Tuesday 6 June at the ICC. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date with the industry and be the first to know when registration opens again next year!