#182 - Rewind: How to Crush Expo West
The Startup CPG Podcast
Startup CPG
4.9 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 10 February 2025
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Let’s rewind, refresh, and get you ready for this year’s Expo West! 🎉
This episode originally aired in February 2024, but trust us—the insights are still absolute gold.
Step into the vibrant world of Expo West in this episode of the Startup CPG podcast where Daniel Scharff is joined by startup CPG sales legends Matt Levine from Chlorophyll Water, Clara Paye from Unite Foods, and Pierre Jamet from Fishwife. Join them as they share insider tips for Expo West - what to do before, during, and after the show to make the most of your opportunity.
From prep hacks to pitch perfection, discover how to wow potential buyers. Master booth setup, keep samples fresh, and ace networking using LinkedIn and CPG Slack. Know the advanced strategies like the "buyer pick 'n roll," stand out in the crowd, and get tips on chasing down a buyer in the aisle.
Whether you're a pro or a rookie, this episode gives you expert advice, anecdotes, and actionable strategies that can elevate your trade show adventure.
Tune in now!
Listen in as Matt, Pierre and Clara share about:
- Preparation and Goal-Setting
- Engaging Attendees with Concise Pitches
- Booth Planning and Fresh Samples
- Active Engagement and Decoy System
- Networking and Grant Opportunities
- Sample Distribution and Engagement
- Effective Post-Show Follow-ups
- Networking with Distributors
- Booth Design and Confidence
- Booth Management Strategies
- Protecting Energy and Handling Criticism
- Utilizing Brokers
- Business Card Strategies
Episode Links:
Matt Levine’s Website
Matt Levine’s LinkedIn
Clara’s Website
Clara’s LinkedIn
Pierre’s Website
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 (20K+ 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 | You know it can be a big pain? |
| 0:02.0 | Inventory management. |
| 0:04.0 | Keeping tabs on all your ingredients, how much products you have across warehouses and comands, |
| 0:08.0 | your retail and e-com orders and tying all of that together. |
| 0:12.0 | When your Excel spreadsheet breaks, wipe your tears away and call our partners at Syn7Core, |
| 0:17.0 | the most commonly recommended inventory management software from our community. You can track everything in real time in one place. |
| 0:23.6 | Sin 7Core also integrates with all the major tools that we all use like QuickBooks, Shopify, Amazon. |
| 0:29.6 | The most common thing I hear from brands in our community who use them is that they wish they had gotten started sooner. |
| 0:34.6 | So if you're thinking now might be the time, it probably is. |
| 0:38.9 | And we have a special deal where you get 50% off your first three months. |
| 0:42.8 | Check them out at Syn7.com slash startup CPG. |
| 0:46.1 | That's C-I-N, the number seven. |
| 0:49.8 | So that's Syn7.com slash startup CPG. |
| 1:12.4 | It's very therapeutic for me to be an X-FOS with no one else is really there. I get there and I say a lot of my neighbors, get to know the other brands that are setting |
| 1:16.5 | up. |
| 1:17.5 | The people around you become your best friends for those three, four days. |
| 1:20.5 | So I think preparation are also training anyone that's going to work the booth so they can |
| 1:24.8 | be a great representative of your brand, be able to talk about |
| 1:27.5 | the story, the product, and everything. It's a vacuum of time and your job is to just |
| 1:32.2 | vulnerability. Be memorable that when you follow up with them, they remember who you are. |
| 1:37.4 | Welcome to the countdown to Anaheim, everybody. It is the last few weeks until Expo West. Are you prepared? If not, you're in luck, |
| 1:46.6 | because today on the podcast, we are replaying one of the most popular episodes from last year. |
... |
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