On the strength of a 90% renewal of last year’s participants and five new groups added to the fold, PLMA’s array of country and regional pavilions at the 2024 U.S. Private Label Trade Show is expected to top more than 50, a record number, presenting retailers and visitors with thousands of authentic international food and non-food products.
“Based on our renewal rate, it’s clear our Show in the U.S. continues to bring valuable business opportunities to our international exhibitors,” said PLMA Corporate Vice President, Anthony Aloia. “We’re confident our newest country and regional pavilions Morocco, Poland, Vietnam, Portugal and Costa Rica will capitalize on the opportunities the Show presents and create lasting business relationships here in the U.S.”
With more than 50 pavilions from North & South America, Europe, and Asia and hundreds of international suppliers spread through-out the Show floor, more than 800 exhibitors are from outside the United States. The number of booths from international exhibitors in the non-food hall, is up 25% this year, making this one of the fastest growing segments of the Show, said Aloia.
PLMA is expecting to top 3,000 booths this year and much can be attributed to the attractiveness of the U.S. market for exporters. Pavilions continuing to grow year over year include Canada, Italy, Spain, Greece, South Korea, and Turkey. Returning Pavilions also Australia, Belgium, France, Denmark, and the U.K. Renewing from South America are Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Guatemala, and others from Lithuania, Georgia, Serbia and Ukraine as well as many regional pavilions from China. “Recent private label sales in Europe reached more than 354 Billion Euros and market share logged in above 30% in 17 countries,” said Aloia. “We fully expect this trend to materialize in the U.S. and believe, for many companies, our Show is an entry point into the U.S. private label market.”
Aloia said PLMA is also beginning to see more private label activity in the Middle East and Northern Africa and other parts of Africa and expects to see an increase of manufacturers at the PLMA Show from Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, as well as more exhibitors from Eastern Europe.
Aloia said PLMA supports and fosters these relationships with international suppliers by assisting with VISA requests from company personnel to enter the United States for the Show; and PLMA sponsored an online webinar program titled “Navigating the U.S. Private Label Marketplace,” to educate international suppliers on how to do business with customers in the U.S. Among the product trends at the Show, Aloia said visitors can expect a strong number of exhibitors in the baby diapers and wipes category and this extends into feminine hygiene and adult incontinence products too. This was a category where it was difficult to find quality suppliers participating in trade shows, he said. However, the PLMA Show has now replenished the show floor with many companies in this space.
In the Home & Health Hall, personal beauty products are on the rise at PLMA. Buyers will be able to source facial and eye creams and serums, skincare patches and toners, razors and men’s grooming to haircare and body washes and beauty accessories to electric toothbrushes.
Switching over to the Food & Beverage Halls, Aloia said some of the growing trends are in the ready-to-go or quick, convenience food and snacks with healthy attributes. This year there will be a broad selection of wine & spirits exhibitors featuring wines from Australia, France, Italy, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, as well as Eastern Europe, said Aloia. Tequila from Mexico, Japanese gin, Caribbean rum and many other liquors, as well as non-alcoholic spirits and cocktails and beer from the U.K., Denmark, Germany, and Lithuania will be on display. Sparkling wines, hard seltzer, vodka, and whiskey producers from the United States will also be exhibiting.
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