With more than 9,700 attendees and 1,340 booths, the 15th annual SupplySide West was the largest event to date. Teams from Abbott Nutrition, Amway-Nutrilite, Atrium Innovations, Bausch + Lomb, Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group, Dunkin Brands, GNC, Herbalife, Hershey’s, Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Mead Johnson, NBTY, Nestlé USA, PepsiCo/Frito-Lay North America, Pfizer, The Coca-Cola Company, The Vitamin Shoppe and many more participated in the 2011 show.

Regulatory issues might have dominated the talk at SupplySide West 2011,and the state of the economy might be pushing suppliers and manufacturers to new creative business solutions, but nutraceutical companies are doing more than just surviving, as evidenced by the trends seen on the show floor. Some companies were expanding operations and facilities, while others were continuing to forge key partnerships to capitalize on synergies. Other companies sought out certifications to differentiate their brand and products from the competition, and many suppliers honed their benefits messages and efforts.

Nearly 150 executives stayed around after SupplySide West for a post-conference workshop on EPA and DHA omega-3s, developed with GOED. Titled “GOED Exchange Update: Regulatory and State-of-the-Market Issues for EPA and DHA Omega-3,” the workshop addressed the global potential for omega-3s.

More than 150 executives attended the SupplySide West post-conference workshop on probiotics, developed with IPA. The workshop was titled “IPA Probiotic Update: Insights and Perspectives from the Physician, Regulator and Market Analyst.”

Before hitting the show floor, approximately 240 golfers hit the links Tuesday, Oct. 11 for the annual SupplySide West Golf Classic at The Revere Golf Club, sponsored by Pharmachem Laboratories.

Attendees at this year’s SupplySide West took advantage of the three-day, four-track education program, sponsored by BASF, that featured more than 40 education sessions, covering hot topics in the nutraceutical, food/beverage and cosmeceutical industries, as well as pre- and post-conference workshops.

The SupplySide West exhibit hall opened Wednesday morning to rave reviews, following a day and a half of high level education; innovative ingredients and top-level meetings are online with the hot event.

Before the show floor closes today at 5 p.m., be sure to make the most of your time to network with industry colleagues. There is a special toast at 2 p.m. at the VIRGO booth, #22061, celebrating Food Product Design’s 20th anniversary; or you can take part in Virtual Golf at Booth #20077. We’ve also got details on baggage check and Thanks with Franks.

Natural product formulators can help consumers get healthier by providing products that can be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle, according to Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN, who was the featured speaker at SupplySide West. For instance, she said, if consumers replace their daily 20-ounce soda with a healthy beverage, such as unsweetened tea or coffee with almond milk, for one year, they can cut 91,000 calories from their diet.

With more than 1,300 booths at SupplySide West 2011, it’s no wonder there are a host of new ingredients and formulations launching this year. In scouting the show floor, we’ve found innovative ingredients to enhance energy, fight stress, support weight loss and more.

While FDA and industry associations disagree on many of the new dietary ingredient notification (NDIN) requirements, the one thing they all agree on is the industry needs to submit comments. “The comments are important; we want substantive, data-driven comments,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., director of dietary supplement programs, FDA, at the NDI Town Hall event at SupplySide West.

Two of the hottest areas of growth in the nutraceutical and food industries this year have been omega-3s and probiotics. Both ingredients are seeing a growing range of scientific substantiation for their health effects, and suppliers are using new technologies to ensure the ingredients can be used in a wider range of delivery forms. Looking for more info on tapping the opportunity—we’ve got two workshops for you.

The SupplySide West education sessions, sponsored by BASF, continued on Wednesday, with attendees taking timeout to get updates on key regulatory issues and learn about market trends that could yield new product opportunities.

Yesterday’s Food and Beverage Education track at SupplySide West 2011 offered insight into a number of important issues, including building a beverage brand, marketing solutions for an aging demographic, and global market for health-oriented foods and drinks.

To get the most out of the SupplySide West experience, it’s important to take advantage of all the show has to offer. As the exhibit hall opens today at 10 a.m., prepare to discover new ideas, network with new colleagues, and be surprised by the opportunities before you.

Before hitting the show floor, approximately 240 golfers enjoyed sunny skies to hit the links Tuesday, Oct. 11 for the annual SupplySide West Golf Classic at The Revere Golf Club, sponsored by Pharmachem Laboratories.

A SupplySide West workshop looked at the science behind superfruits, emerging contenders for the category, their potential use in the fight against age-related cognitive decline and their market potential.

SupplySide West exhibitors announced several giveaways, ranging from iPods and iPads to an encapsulation manufacturing run.

The official SupplySide West GMP Training program, presented by NSF/DBA highlighted important aspects of the regulation and inspections, as well as common issues, including supplier qualification, documentation and audit training.

The short course Functional Food Product Development: Market, Regulations, Bioactive Compounds and Their Utilization” focused on applications of bioactives in functional foods and drink, including specific practical aspects of functional ingredients, market and regulatory aspects and claims and how to develop novel products.

Palm fruit is a rich source of bioactive compounds with major benefits to human health; attendees at Tuesday's workshop on these ingredients took home scientific details as well as new product and formulation concepts.

The SupplySide West education program, sponsored by BASF Corp., kicked off its first day with packed sessions on clinical trials design, botanicals, contract manufacturing and GMPs and other regulatory issues.

During the first day of Food & Beverage Education track at SupplySide West 2011, attendees learned about nutrigenomics, naturally functional foods and beverages, emerging trends, best approaches to controlling food allergens in the manufacturing setting.

While the SupplySide West show floor doesn’t open until tomorrow, you can find plenty to do. Why not sign up to attend the education program, with 20+ sessions available today spanning nutraceutical, regulatory and food/beverage topics? Or register for the Manufacturers Welcome Reception, taking place this evening to start the networking for industry execs?

Ready to discover new ingredients at SupplySide West? In our second look at new offerings debuting at the show, we’re focusing on the functional food and beverage market, with masking agents, gluten-free formulas and beverage solutions.

VIRGO will offer a new workshop at SupplySide West, “Health Practitioners and Supplements,” presented by Integrative Healthcare Insider and sponsored by EpiCor®.

VIRGO announced the SupplySide West 2011 Scientific Excellence Awards will be presented to Maypro Industries for Oligonol®, SEPPIC Inc. for CERAMOSIDES™, and Biothera for Wellmune WGP®. The presentation will be held Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. in the VIRGO booth, #22061.

Be sure to stop in at today’s Featured Speaker presentation to hear Joy Bauer, “America’s favorite and most-trusted nutrition expert”, discuss ways to improve overall nutrition and reap the benefits of healthy living.

Regulatory execs won’t want to miss tomorrow’s free Town Hall Meeting on FDA’s Draft Guidance on New Dietary Ingredients (NDIs), featuring speakers from FDA, industry associations and supply chain execs.

Looking for expert insights on how to grow your business? The CANI Ask the Experts event at SupplySide West allows you to engage with consultants from a range of business areas, including insurance, marketing, legal and clinical research, to develop answers to business challenges facing manufacturers and marketers of dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, complementary medicines, cosmeceuticals, functional foods and beverages.

SupplySide West is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year—take a look back with VIRGO at how the industry has changed, and share your stories.

Locate exhibitors offering food and beverage samples incorporating their ingredients and technologies with the Taste of SupplySide sample program. Take the guesswork out of your formulations—taste real world examples of the ingredients you’re interested in.

Looking for product- and service-specific information on opportunities in the dietary supplement, cosmeceutical and food/beverage market? The VendorWorks presentations are free exhibitor-sponsored presentations, designed to allow you to connect with suppliers and service providers. Get the latest research results, learn about new applications for ingredients you already use, and discover opportunities in the growing nutraceutical market.

A new addition to the SupplySide West roster is the Practical Short Course on functional food product development, designed to address the market, regs, bioactive compounds and formulation.

DBA Analytical, an NSF International company, will produce the official GMP training program at SupplySide West, starting this morning.

Attendees at SupplySide West have the opportunity to attend the second annual workshop on palm fruit bioactives, which will cover science, applications and technical effects of the compounds.

Attendees at SupplySide West have the opportunity to attend a special workshop on superfruits that will cover consumer trends and the state of the research.

The SupplySide West What’s Hot website is designed to allow participants to connect with the event pre-show, during the show and after the show.

The SupplySide West education program will include many sessions dealing with critical topics, including the state of GMP compliance, functional food formulation and the range of natural anti-aging compounds available to the cosmeceutical market.

As the industry’s leading launch pad for innovative ingredients, SupplySide West is where formulators and marketers head to discover the latest offerings in the nutraceutical and functional food space. In our first look at the new offerings debuting at the show, we explore antioxidants and essential fatty acids, and delve into new technologies and equipment.

SupplySide West education opportunities start on Monday, as VIRGO rolls out pre-conference workshops on topics, including superfruits, GMPs, palm fruit bioactives and functional food/beverage formulation.

This year’s SupplySide West Opening Reception returns to Tao Nightclub, and co-sponsors DSM and Vitamin Angels are using the high-profile platform to bring more attention to targeting hunger and malnutrition.

Two of the hottest areas of growth in the nutraceutical and food industries this year have been omega-3s and probiotics. Both ingredients are seeing a growing range of scientific substantiation for their health effects, and suppliers are using new technologies to ensure the ingredients can be used in a wider range of delivery forms. Looking for more info on tapping the opportunity—we’ve got two workshops for you.

SupplySide West is the world’s largest event for healthy and innovative ingredients, and thousands of executives from the global dietary supplement, food/beverage and personal care industries will converge on Las Vegas from Oct. 10 to 14. SupplySide West will include more than 1,300 booths in the exhibit hall and more than 100 hours of educational opportunities, making the 15th annual event the largest to date.

To help on-the-go execs connect with SupplySide, VIRGO launched the SupplySide App, available to download now.

SupplySide West will feature a free Town Hall Meeting on FDA’s Draft Guidance on New Dietary Ingredients (NDIs) on Oct. 12, featuring speakers from FDA, industry associations and supply chain execs.

The 15th Annual SupplySide West Golf Classic tees off one week from today. There are still a few spots available if you’re interested in playing at a championship golf course, networking with execs from the nutraceutical industry and participating in the $25,000 Hole-in-One contest.

Heading into SupplySide West, are you part of the conversation on SupplySide Community? If not, prepare to get involved and share your perspective on the boards.