The 2023 SOHO Expo weekend kicked off with SOHO’s annual golf tournament; the 24th annual SOHO Alan Kristowski Memorial Golf Tournament was held at Celebration Golf Course. The show also featured the SENPA summit, with Friday focusing entirely on business education for retailers. 

Education session on Truvani's brand marketing to create community through "swag" items like its limited edition cup and bag  Education highlights included keynote session How Your Voice Can Change the World with Vani Hari, NY Times Best Selling Author and Co-founder of Truvani, and The Future of Retail: How Brands Drive High Velocity with Derek Halpern, Co-founder of Truvani. Halpern shared the brand's success through its marketing, retail emphasis, clean ingredients, mission, and more. Some of the insights included: label transparency for consumer trust, following a mission consumers care about and believe in, building a new fanbase of consumer, and more. 

The education session Unleashing Growth Potential: Marketing Tactics in the Changing Landscape of Natural Retail with Ryan Sensenbrenner, Senior Director of The Marketing Group, Enzymedica, covered optimal store flow and store layout for sales optimization.

Honoring Natural Products Industry Leaders

Another highlight of the show: WholeFoods Magazine’s Publisher & VP of Media, Heather Wainer, presented the 2023 Retailer of the Year (ROTY) award to Organic Marketplace’s Renee Southard, President of SENPA and owner of Organic Marketplace (OMP to loyal customers). “When I began the store 30 years ago,” Southard says, “I wasn’t aware that the humble beginnings of an 800-square-foot store and $3,000 investment would blossom into a thriving business servicing the health and wellbeing of our customers and community as well as being good stewards of our planet.”

WholeFood Magazine's Heather Wainer presents the 2023 Retailer of the Year award.In 1992, Southard opened a small supplement store under the name Nature’s Path, then renamed the store Organic Marketplace in 1993. Soon the store needed to offer customers more variety to meet their needs. “I took two more of my original 800-square-foot spaces and added food,” Southard says. “At the time, mainstream markets did not have the alternatives they have today.” In 2003, Organic Marketplace relocated to a 5,000-square-foot location, and more growth followed. Find the full ROTY story here.

And being honored with the President's Award: Jim and Debbie Palko of Palko Services. 2023 President’s Award. The company shared on social media: "We are so honored to be able to celebrate 40 years as a family-owned company in the industry."

New SOHO Expo Dates for 2024

SOHO Expo will take place from September 12-15 this year. For the last 53 years, SOHO Expo has been taken place in December, but that timing has become a challenge for attendees. SENPA announced that SOHO Expo is evolving to meet the changing needs of its members, retailers, and suppliers with new September dates for 2024, 2025, and 2026 at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, FL. The shows will be held: September 12-15, 2024, September 4-7, 2025, and September 10-13, 2026.

“This change was a result of the SENPA Board of Directors looking at the past and towards the future, while listening to SOHO Expo attendees’ needs and suggestions to open new opportunities and a fresh approach to producing the show,” said Renee Southard, SENPA President. “Our Board of Directors have heeded the call to breathe something fresh into ‘The Natural Products Trade Show’ loved by exhibitors and retailers alike.”

Debra Short, SENPA Executive Director, added “A more effective time of year has been selected and attendees can now expect a less crowded hotel venue. Retailers can still count on the same substantial ROI with six free meals, top-notch keynote presenters, SENPA Summit business education, trending topics for retail members, and networking opportunities in the industry. Likewise, suppliers can anticipate increased retail attendance due to the new scheduling outside of the holiday season.”  

Also on the horizon: The next SENPA show, SOHO Healthfest, is scheduled to take place in Dallas, Texas, on April 26-28, 2024 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Center. Registration is open at www.senpa.org.