(Exhibit Hall - May 7 & 8)
SECAUCUS, NJ

May 21, 2002

SupplySide East Attracts 2,917 Executives

SECAUCUS, N.J.--More than 2,900 top executives from dietary supplement, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies gathered May 6 to 8 for the 4th Annual SupplySide East International Trade Show and Conference at the Meadowlands Exhibition Center in Secaucus, N.J. The sold-out SupplySide East exhibit hall consisted of 259 companies occupying 338 booths.

"One of the most common criticisms I hear regarding trade shows is that there are too many,” said Jim Roza, director of quality assurance for Now Foods. "Consequently, manufacturers, distributors and suppliers are being more selective about those they attend. I have always chosen the SupplySide shows because they excel in delivering educational, networking and buying opportunities that are important to me and my companies."

Exhibitors also found the show to meet their needs. "This show was a complete success," said Mark Sysler, senior executive vice president of marketing and sales for Sabinsa Corp. "It wa well orchestrated with great attendance and turned out to be extremely beneficial for our company."

Executives from Phoenix-based Virgo Publishing, sponsor of SupplySide, were also pleased with the show. "This was another great event" said Jon Benninger, group publisher of the Natural Products Division at Virgo Publishing. "We appreciate the support and encouragement of the exhibitors, sponsors and attendees, and will keep working to ensure SupplySide remains a valuable event for the industry."

To start off the show, Virgo hosted the 4th Annual SupplySide East Golf Classic,  co-sponsored by Designed Nutritional Products and Nutri Granulations. 120 golfers participated in the event at the Twin Brooks Country Club. With a score of 12 under par, the winning foursome included Steve Mullins and Tom Schrier with Ashland, Amarish Parikh from Ampak and Larry Kopp from Ocean Nutritional.

Networking opportunities abounded off the show floor. Monday night, executives from around the globe gathered for the International Welcome Reception, co-sponsored by Capsugel. On Thursday, the Opening Night Reception, co-sponsored by Roche Vitamins, attracted nearly 500 people to the Embassy Suites and Hartz Building for an evening of food, drink and networking. The closing Appreciation Party was held on the show floor at the end of the day Wednesday.

Educational opportunities also took center stage during the SupplySide East seminar program, co-sponsored by Degussa BioActives. Highlights included a Q&A panel with three industry chief executive officers and a two-hour session on the state of the industry featuring association executives and legal counsel. The keynote address, delivered by Bernard Kerik, former police commissioner of New York, was sponsored by Unigen Pharmaceuticals and Aloecorp and drew an interested crowd who responded positively to the inspirational address.

A strong turnout at the show underscored SupplySide East's ability to bring executives together in a time of continued economic belt-tightening. "In this environment, most businesses can't do everything," said Paul Willis, president of exhibitor Cypress Systems. "But we don't miss the shows."

Peggy Jackson, publisher of Virgo Publishing's Natural Products Division, concluded, "This was another great success. SupplySide East continues to bring together buyers and sellers from top-level companies."

The next SupplySide event is SupplySide Asia Sept. 4-6, 2002, in Yokohama, Japan. Details are available by visiting www.supplysideshow.com or by contacting Todd Willis at (480) 990-1101, ext. 1171.

SupplySide is produced by Virgo Publishing

Seminar Program Covers Hot Topics

SECAUCUS, N.J.--Full seminar rooms greeted the speakers and panelists at the 4th annual SupplySide East trade show and conference held May 6-8 in Secaucus, New Jersey. The 10 sessions focused on science/research, marketing/distribution and regulations. The SupplySide East seminar program was co-sponsored by Degussa BioActives. Additionally, six VendorWorks seminars enabled companies to present information about their products and services.

The SupplySide East Keynote Presentation featured Bernard Kerik, the commissioner of the New York Police Department during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Kerik spoke candidly about the attacks to an audience of more than 300. He told listeners to prepare for anything, to persevere through the most challenging times, and to never forget what happened. The keynote was sponsored by Unigen Pharmaceuticals and Aloecorp.

One of the most popular educational sessions was the CEO Perspective Panel Discussion at which three top company leaders provide their insight and answered audience questions. The panel included Elliott Balbert, CEO of Natrol Inc.; Howard Simon, CEO of American Ingredients; and Jeff Katke, CEO of metagenics. "Perspective is about point of view," said Howard Simon, president of American Ingredients Inc., during the panel discussion. "Each perspective is a thread in a tapestry, and it's the tapestry we're looking for." The panelists discussed industry sales projections, regulatory issues, financial performance, and other critical subjects.

During the State of the Industry (Parts I and II) audience members asked detailed questions and offered insightful comments in the areas of international business, regulation of the industry and how to effectively combat the negative media surrounding herbal products. This panel featured Steven Dentali, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and technical affairs at the American Herbal Products Association; David Seckman, executive director and CEO of the National Nutritional Foods Association; Loren Israelsen, president of the LDI Group Inc.; and John Cordaro, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition.

During the Buyer Q&A Panel, attendees listened to Jim Roza, Now Foods, and Sal Fondaco, Banner Pharmacaps, who emphasized the importance of suppliers providing testing methods for raw materials, as well as updated certificates of analysis from their own testing. "Certificates of Analysis are a confirmation of a raw material's integrity," Roza said.

Identifying Consumer Opportunities in Functional Ingredients attracted a full room as presenter Steve French, managing partner of the Natural Marketing Institute, reported on the divergence between fortified and functional foods. He noted that the use of functional foods is increasing, with 56.2 percent of those surveyed in 2001 having used fortified foods and a close 51.2 percent having eaten functional foods. "Fortified foods will be replaced with functionality," French said.

The Scientific Presentations Panel also drew a large audience. Vladimir Badmaev, M.D., gave information about the safety and efficacy of Sabinsa's ForsLean ingredient; Joseph Levy, Ph.D., reviewed data on the natural tomato extract Lyco-Mato from Lycored-Biodar; and Paul Richardson, Ph.D., presented an overview of FDA's health claim allowance for choline and the encapsulation technology from Balchem.

Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council, presented a session title The Safety and Benefits of Herbs and Phytomedicines. He also discussed ABC's new reference book The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs, a text that is approved for continuing education credits for healthcare professionals.

 Another popular panel, Developments in the Functional Food and Beverage Area, featured Cathy Kapica, Ph.D., director of nutrition education for Quaker Oat Company, and other industry experts. The session focused on the science supporting popular functional foods.

During Making Science Sing, Jeff Hilton, partner at Integrated Marketing Group, discussed how sound science can help manufacturers regain consumer confidence. He suggested creating marketing materials focused on science that is neither too technical nor too simple--using scientific jargon and talking down to consumers are major "don'ts" in Hilton's book.VendorWorks seminars were presented by U.S. Pharmacopeia, Designed Nutritional Products, Pharmachem, NSF International, Morinaga and Nutraceutix Inc. For information about sponsoring a VendorWorks seminar at upcoming SupplySide events, contact Todd Willis at (480) 990-1101, ext. 1171.

 

• EXHIBIT HALL	• NETWORKING RECEPTIONS
• PREMIUM EDUCATION PROGRAM	• GOLF TOURNAMENT

For attendee information, call 1-800-454-5760 ext. 1037
For Exhibits/Sponsors, call Todd Willis, ext. 1171
For Advertising, call Peggy Jackson, ext. 1157