Las Vegas, NV—The Natural Products Association’s (NPA) official industry showcase and conference, held since 1938 and now owned and produced by New Hope Natural Media, will take place here from June 23 through 25. This year’s show will offer a bevy of education and opportunity for retailers and manufacturers big and small, according to show organizers.

Co-located with the Nutri Cosmetic Summit and World Tea Expo, the keynote speaker at NPA MarketPlace 2011 is Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., and Senator Tom Harkin, (D-IA) will lead a session on Saturday, the show’s second day. “On Friday evening we have the President’s Reception, which is our largest event, and its sponsored by Bluebonnet Corp., who is celebrating their 20th anniversary, so we’re going to have that collaborative theme,” says Pamela McCary, event manager for NPA MarketPlace. Saturday’s NPA awards ceremony will honor members of the community who‘ve had noteworthy involvement with the natural products industry.

“The thing that is a little bit unique for this show apart from our other shows is clearly the relationship that we have with NPA and the type of education that comes out of the show as a result of that,” says Erica Stone, show director. Regulatory issues and advocacy training will be the focus of many sessions. Much of the education at this year’s show will take place on the show floor, Stone says, including cooking demos, making for a more interactive experience.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, June 2011