Execs Enjoy New SupplySide Show East Locale

Execs Enjoy New SupplySide Show East Locale

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More than 3,000 executives from dietary supplement, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies gathered May 5 to 7 for the 6th Annual SupplySide East International Trade Show and Conference in its first year at the Baltimore Convention Center. Total attendance was on par with the 2003 event in Secaucus, N.J., with increased exhibit space and educational opportunities.

Baltimore is an excellent venue and presents the needed opportunity to grow this event, said Jim Roza, director of quality assurance with NOW® Foods. There is an expanded array of vendors and a number of executives mentioned the outstanding quality of the educational program.

Exhibitors also found the new venue afforded opportunities. I connected with one great customer I had not been able to meet with before, said Don Stanek, sales director for Easton, Pa.-based Linnea. The rest was just icing on the cake. Neil Sullivan, director of sales/marketing with New York-based Kyowa Hakko, agreed, adding, We've had a banner show.

The 6th Annual SupplySide East Golf Classic kicked off the event. Co-sponsored by Marco Hi-Tech, the tournament brought out approximately 109 duffers to enjoy the Woodlands Golf Course. Carolyn Micheli with Watson Foods, Dave Huesgen and Dave Barnes with Reliv International, and Craig Fish with Degussa Food Ingredients were the winning foursome, with a score of 59. The annual $25,000 hole-in-one prize went unclaimed; however, Jim O'Donnell, vice president of Blue California, came closest with a shot approximately five feet short of triumph.

It was a nice day and sponsoring the event was a worthwhile venture for us, said David Garner, executive vice president of Marco Hi-Tech.

Educational seminars started on Wednesday afternoon, with more than 50 execs taking time to hear about the program priorities for the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) from director Paul Coates, Ph.D.

Dietary supplements are broadly utilized, with more than $200 million in grants over a number of NIH institutions, he said.

We're aiming to strengthen the scientific evaluation of supplements. Additional seminars over the event included tips on deal negotiation and working with the media, an update from FDA on its current enforcement strategies, and calls to action in areas including methods validation and clinical research.

The educational program was co-sponsored by Essentially Pure Ingredients, which brought in Earvin Magic Johnson as a featured speaker. Johnson addressed the immune challenges he has faced since his diagnosis with HIV, and the importance that dietary supplements can play in supporting the health goals of minorities; he asked the audience to consider the ways they can work to take the message of nutrition into new areas.

Another type of challenge was issued by the event's keynote speakers, Mary Matalin and James Carville. Co-sponsored by Unigen Pharmaceuticals, the keynote gave the outspoken, politically polarized pair the opportunity to discuss their opinions on the upcoming election and the challenges ahead.

Attendees were also able to select from 21 company-sponsored VendorWorks presentations with information about specific ingredients. Cognis' VendorWorks presentation oncholesterol-lowering ingredients was one of our most successful seminars to date, said Kathleen Moran, global market segment manager, dietary supplements, Cognis Nutrition & Health.

SupplySide East was far from all work and no play. Thursday's Opening Reception, co-sponsored by DSM and Natural Health Science, attracted more than 800 people to enjoy a live band and array of hors d'oeuvres. The opening reception is always a fun time that gives the opportunity to network with the people you haven't had a chance to meet yet on the show floor, said Lynda Doyle, DSM's director of marketing, new ingredients and business development. And Friday's Appreciation Party, held on the show floor with hosted food and drink, was another success; the event was co-sponsored by BASF, DNP, Fortitech and NSF.

Executives from Virgo Publishing, the producer of SupplySide East, were pleased with the event. SupplySide remains the top forum for executives looking to make new connections and strengthen existing ones, said Peggy Jackson, director of publishing for Virgo's Health & Nutrition Division. We look forward to working with our exhibitors, attendees and others in the industry to continue to grow and develop SupplySide East's unique position.