Why VegfestUK trade is a must for independents

Olympia in October marks the astonishing success of a vegan lifestyle for consumers, suppliers and retailers.

VegfestUK has already made its mark with events across the country that attract thousands of consumers whether dedicated vegans or those seeking a healthier lifestyle.

Your Vegfest options

Free entrance to VegfestUK Trade for trade and media delegates

Exhibit at the trade show only (Friday) from £300 + VAT

Exhibit at the consumer show only (Saturday and Sunday) from £100 + VAT per day

Exhibit at the trade and consumer shows (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from £500+VAT

Various shell schemes and prime positions available

Vegan Business Support area with a host of panel sessions on growing and managing a vegan business

Contact the organisers at [email protected] or on 0117 9071881 to discuss stall options.

And now the show’s organisers have launched VegfestUK Trade to help bridge the gap between successive consumer vegan events and the established trade shows, where smaller artesan suppliers can rub shoulders with larger companies to present their creations to retailers and caterers.

London’s Olympia on October 20, the day before the two-day consumer extravaganza at the same venue, is the date these suppliers and the nation’s independents should put in their diary with a three-line whip.

“One of the remits of VegfestUK Trade is to help smaller vegan businesses access trade and media professionals without having to pay the high costs of attending the major UK trade shows,” says VegfestUK organizer Tim Barford.

“Many small businesses cannot afford to take the risk of outlay to attend these shows, with no guarantee of any orders from trade professionals or buyers, or interest from media. Indeed, it’s often the case that the smaller businesses are swamped by the bigger businesses and can barely attain a presence despite an outlay of thousands of pounds.

“VegfestUK Trade is positioned to allow small vegan business owners to exhibit on the trade day for as little as £300 plus VAT with shell schemes and carpet, potentially accessing several thousand trade buyers from not only the Natural Health sector and the retail outlets, but also cafés, hotels, hospitality, restaurants, caterers and many others looking for vegan options for an ever-increasing clientele.

“It’s great to see brands like Tyne Chease, Buddha Beauty, Yaoh, The Raw Fix, and Watts Kork booked in alongside bigger brands like The Health Store, Suma Wholefoods, Bute Island Foods, JASON Natural Care, Plamil Foods and Moo Free Chocolates. It brings an important dynamic to the whole show and it’s a really interesting aspect for potential trade buyers to see this unique variety of brands.”

VegfestUK Trade has space for 160 stalls plus six featured areas with talks and panels looking at all aspects of managing and growing a vegan business. Around 2,000 delegates are expected.

Registration for VegfestUK Trade 2017 opens from July 1, 2017, at trade.vegfest.co.uk/registration

Take a look at the trends

Meat-free products in the UK are growing by 13%. More than 9.5m shoppers buy meat-free products.

“Seventy-three per cent of meat-free shoppers are meat reducers.”Julian Cooke, Quorn

“Plant-based proteins are growing faster than those from animals.”Tom Hayes, Tyson Foods CEO

“There is a rising trend for veggie-inspired lifestyles, as well as other consumer diversification segments such as local, seasonal, organic, fair trade, sustainable, healthy nutrition, quality labels, etc.” www.foodingredientsfirst.com, May 2017

Nine per cent of global launches in 2016 were specifically positioned on a vegetarian platform, an increase of 85% since 2011. Innova Market Insights