Innovation meets opportunity at Newtopia Now

With so many food and beverage industry shows and conferences happening throughout the year, it may be daunting to choose which ones make the most sense for businesses. There’s one for beverages. Another focuses on only plant-based products. And another spotlights private-label offerings.

New to the scene is another niche show – and this one connects brands with buyers. New Hope Network’s Newtopia Now debuted in late August at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It’s designed to feel more intimate with an easier pipeline for emerging brands to connect with retailers.

“Newtopia Now is the go-to event for buyers to source cutting-edge brands that are bringing exciting and purposeful products to market,” Jessica Rubino, vice president of content for New Hope Network, said. “The vision for Newtopia Now is to serve as the premier destination for meaningful discovery and industry connections.”

New Hope is most notable for its longtime spring show, Natural Products Expo West, which links brands and retailers on a grander level in Anaheim, California. In 2024, the event attracted more than 65,000 attendees over several days with more than 3,000 exhibiting companies showcasing the latest in natural and organic food and beverages, supplements, ingredients as well as home and beauty products.

Related:U.S. organic sales grow to record high of $62 billion in 2020

In contrast, Newtopia Now’s first show garnered approximately 7,000 attendees with more than 4,000 buyers. There were also 180 companies that exhibited for the first time at a trade show.

What also set the show apart was that it was divided into four distinct “neighborhoods:” Glow, highlighting natural beauty and holistic wellness; Regenerate, recognizing business models making a positive environmental impact; Represent, elevating diverse founders and multicultural products; and Thrive, spotlighting the latest innovations in human health.

Each neighborhood featured exhibitors and a stage where daily panel discussions occurred, from a fireside chat with the CEO of Vitamin Shoppe in Thrive to an engaging panel discussion on Black foodways in the Represent neighborhood. Additionally, Represent showcased multicultural chefs, food developers and mixologists demonstrating their products, including EQUII and Uncle Waithley’s Beverage Co.  

Another significant occurrence at Newtopia Now: a surprise announcement of finalists for the NEXTY Awards. One selected brand from each neighborhood show floor was awarded as a 2025 NEXTY Awards Finalist. Standout products that received the honor included Funky Mello Vanilla Marshmallow Crème from Thrive, Pi00a’s Eggplant Miso Pizza within Represent and Noons Dark Chocolate Mint Chocolate Crunch from Candid, located in Regenerate.

Related:Black women innovators take center stage at annual D.C. food summit

The products bypassed the usual judging process and will compete with the other finalists that will be selected next spring. Winners will be announced at Natural Products Expo West 2025, March 4-7 at the Anaheim Convention Center (Regular submissions for the 2025 NEXTY Awards consideration process will open Sept. 16, with deadline to submit by Dec. 2).

Here is what also caught our attention at Newtopia Now:

Coffee innovation

In the Regenerative neighborhood: Functionality continues to dominate beverages, and coffee is no exception, particularly when it comes to good brain health. A familiar name is Colorado’s own Peak State, which helped put mushroom coffee on the map. It’s also the only mushroom coffee brand to receive regenerative certification.

Also in Regenerative: FigBrew, a coffee alternative, claims to be more sustainable to coffee, yet offers similar benefits and even tastes like the traditional beverage. The product is made from organic, non-GMO superfruit figs, which are roasted and caffeine free. They’re packed with fiber to act as a prebiotic to support good gut health.

Related:Taste future of F&B innovation at SupplySide West/FiNA 2023

In the Represent neighborhood: And why did Jesse Osher launch Jesse’s WakeUp Espresso Bars? He simply stated: “I fell asleep at the wheel driving.” His product is a unique functional bar serving as a direct replacement for coffee. The rice crisp snack contains 250mg of plant-based caffeine to keep drivers alert, yet they make bathroom breaks less frequent. One bar equals three espresso beverages; one “bite” equals one-and-a-half espressos.

Conversations on stages at Glow, Represent and Thrive

There were plenty of activations to go around at Newtopia Now; nevertheless, three stood out:

On the Glow stage, powerhouse culinary expert Carla Hall wowed a packed audience with tales of embracing menopause, authenticity, and natural and organic ingredients. She discussed how her body now has trouble processing white flour and white sugar, so she is looking for alternatives for her next cookbook, which focuses on baking.

“I'm giving suggestions of different flours, rye flour, sorghum flour; you have rice flour, you have coconut flour, you have almond flour,” Hall explained. “There's so many, there's so many flours. The other thing is the different sweeteners, so not just white sugar, cane sugar. You have all of these other sugar substitutes: date sugar, maple sugar, you have all of these other sweeteners that are really interesting.”

In Represent, Kéra Nyemb-Diop, a.k.a. The Black Nutritionist, shared recommendations on how to “decolonize your plate.” Her presentation showed the differences in how African, Black and Caribbean consumers interpret healthier foods and how food developers can tap into this market.

And, on the Thrive stage, Vitamin Shoppe CEO Lee Wright spoke on innovative trends shaping the future of wellness, such as functional beverages. “A lot of younger people are focusing on not consuming so much alcohol in their lives, but they still want a lift, or a ‘buzz,’” he said. “The functional beverages with their adaptogens, nootropics and botanicals, they taste great. They give you a nice little lift, so that’s a really nice aspect that we’ve leaned into as a company.”

Sustainable packaging impressed and wowed attendees

Vibrant, eye-catching packaging was everywhere. What was more important was that much of it was sustainable as well.

For example, The TeaBook specializes in collectible organic tea with packaging decorated with vivid artwork of underrepresented communities. All of the cubes are made from 100% post-consumer plastic, shipped in the smallest boxes possible, and the company reuses as much of the packaging as possible.

The most innovative packaging – and likely product – at the show came from Milkadamia. The company unveiled the country’s first-ever Flat Pack Oat Milk at Newtopia Now. It’s developed through a proprietary 2D-printing process, creating oat milk sheets that drastically cut packaging waste by 94% and weight by 85%.

"With the launch of our Flat Pack line, we're redefining industry innovation by significantly cutting packaging waste and carbon emissions, aligning with our commitment to responsible eco-stewardship,” Jim Richards, CEO of Milkadamia, said.

Pasta, reimagined

With more food ingredient companies and consumer packaged good (CPG) brands collaborating with culinary experts to make their products taste better, it was no surprise to see a demo kitchen stage at Newtopia Now. Situated in Represent, the stage featured chefs putting their spin on various products.

One was EQUII’s new protein pasta line, which contains 19g of protein in macaroni and cheese and 28g in rigatoni. They each have 9g of fiber and 10g of fiber, respectively. They also have less sugar than the average pasta, which means fewer carbs. Of course, that’s by design.

Speaking of pasta, the Carbe Diem team also brought along a chef to whip up their products for attendees, yet the demonstrations took place at the company’s booth. The high-fiber pasta cuts down on the total net carbs and comes in five different shapes: penne, rotini, elbow, fettuccine and spaghetti. In addition to the demos, a few of the products from the pasta line were served at one of Newtopia Now’s Dine Around Denver dinners. It went over well with guests.

The dates are already set for Newtopia Now for 2025: August 20-22 at the Colorado Convention Center.