#145 Distributor Trade Shows with Samuel Jacobson, HOP WTR
The Startup CPG Podcast
Startup CPG
4.9 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 4 June 2024
⏱️ 76 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Join Daniel Scharff in this episode of the Startup CPG podcast as he delves into the intricacies of exhibiting at distributor shows within the food and beverage industry with Samuel Jacobson, Senior Director of Key Accounts and Alternate Channels at HOP WTR. They explore the distinct dynamics of UNFI and KeHE shows, contrasting them with larger shows like Expo West.
From buyer prep and negotiation tactics to booth management and cost-saving strategies, Daniel and Samuel offer valuable insights for optimizing trade show participation. Whether you're a vendor seeking to drive business growth or a buyer looking for new products, this episode provides essential tips.
Tune in now!
Listen in to hear about:
- Purpose of Distributor Shows
- Strategies for Success at Distributor Shows
- Cost-Saving Tips
- Buyer Behavior
- Booth Management and Presentation
- Interactions at Trade Shows
- Understanding Buyer Dynamics
- Trade Spend Guidelines
- Deal Negotiation and Logistics During Trade Shows
- Preparation and Booth Setup
- Networking and Opportunities
- Deal Structures and Show Strategies
- Marketing Option and Negotiation Tactics
- Follow-up and Inventory Planning
Episode Links:
HOP WTR’s Website
HOP WTR’s Instagram
Samuel Jacobson’s LinkedIn
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Daniel's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hey friends, inventory management can be a major pain, keeping track of all your ingredients, |
| 0:07.0 | your inventory across warehouses and comands, your retail and e-com orders, and tying all of that together. |
| 0:14.0 | When your Excel spreadsheet breaks, check out our friends at Syn7Core, our inventory management software partner. |
| 0:21.6 | You can track everything you make and sell, and as the leading tool for early CPG brands, |
| 0:27.6 | it integrates with all the major software like QuickBooks, Shopify, Amazon, and whatever your warehouse and commands are using. |
| 0:34.6 | Through startup CPG, you get a free month trial and then 50% off |
| 0:39.9 | the three months after that. To get started, check out sin7.com slash startup CPG. That's |
| 0:48.5 | sinc-in, like the first three letters in Cincinnati, and the number seven. So sin7.com slash startup CPG. |
| 1:17.6 | You have to be able to just embrace rejection, which I think is a theme of life in general. But with Hopwater, I like working in these brands that are sort of new categories and really truly innovative products. |
| 1:25.6 | And part of the game is like you're going to get laughed at a lot, |
| 1:29.6 | especially in the early days before the concepts has been proven. |
| 1:33.8 | And you can't let, you know, one kind of mean person |
| 1:37.6 | ruin the rest of your day and your show and cut down your confidence. |
| 1:41.2 | So, and like I said, a lot of those people will come back around two years down the road, |
| 1:45.5 | maybe even a year down the road, and end up really liking the product and understanding it. |
| 1:51.2 | CPGers, make sure that your pen has enough ink because you're going to want to take notes |
| 1:55.3 | during this whole episode. |
| 1:57.5 | Samuel Jacobson from Hopwater, another one of my sales heroes, is on the podcast today to just ooze knowledge from years of doing distributor shows. |
| 2:06.6 | It's how to choose and plan for the show, figure out what deals you're going to offer, and, you know, once you're on the floor, how to really rip. |
| 2:15.6 | These are my favorite kinds of episodes where I'm so certain |
| 2:18.6 | that you all are going to just grow your brains over the next hour by learning from somebody |
| 2:24.2 | who I think is one of the best out there. Thank you so much to Samuel for giving his time on this |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Startup CPG, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Startup CPG and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.