The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) said its 2019 Private Label Trade Show will take place Nov. 17-19 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The event’s theme, “store brands make things happen,” reflects the reality that store brands accounted for almost half of all growth last year in brick-and-mortar stores.

The 2019 show will include more than 2,500 exhibit booths showcasing the offerings of store brand manufacturers across the food, beverage, health and beauty, OTC, household paper and cleaning products, housewares, general merchandise and other categories, PLMA said. More than 5,000 retailer and other visitors are expected to attend to learn about the latest store brand trends, marketing concepts and more. Once again, award-winning products and product innovations will be on display in PLMA’s Idea Supermarket and New Product Expo.

Because today’s retailers are interested in expanding their private brand programs in response to growing consumer trends, this year’s trade show will reflect consumers’ latest tastes, preferences and values, with additional fresh, natural and organic foods, as well as plant-based and “free-from” foods, sustainably sourced products and ingredients, and more.

Chieh Huang, cofounder and CEO of Boxed, will be featured as the keynote speaker at the show’s opening breakfast on Nov. 18. Huang launched Boxed in 2013 as a mobile and online warehouse club experience. The company currently delivers to anywhere in the continental USA and recently was valuated between $600 million and $1 billion, PLMA noted.

Other speakers slated for the show include:

• Sam Mayberry, the former head of product development for Amazon retail consumables and private label. He will speak about the competitive battle for the last mile to the consumer and how ecommerce is continuing to change the rules of retail.
• Virginia Lee, CBD research manager at Brightfield Group, a source of market intelligence for the CBD and cannabis industries. She will speak about CBD formulations that are beginning to appear in supplements, pet products and nonfoods, but are widely expected to follow into food products.
• Jim Wiser, president of Wisner Marketing Group, will discuss how retailers will need to adapt their product assortments to meet the rapidly expanding consumer interest in plant-based foods.

For more information about attending or exhibiting at the show, contact PLMA at 212-972-3131 or by email at info@plma.com. Or visit www.plma.com.  

Show schedule at a glance

Sunday, Nov. 17

12:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.       Trade show registration open

2:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.         Seminars and workshops

7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.         Opening night reception

Monday, Nov. 18

7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.         Trade show registration open

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.         Keynote breakfast

9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.         Trade show floor open

9:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m.         PLMA’s Idea Supermarket & New Product Expo open

Tuesday, Nov. 19

7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.         Trade show registration open

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.         “Retail Trends” breakfast

9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.         Trade show floor open

9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.         PLMA’s Idea Supermarket and New Product Expo open