Pure Gold Series: How to Prep for a Successful Expo West with Seth Goldman

The Startup CPG Podcast · 14 Feb 2022 · 32m · Episode 12

What this episode covers

Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea and CEO of Eat the Change, shares strategies for succeeding at Expo West, emphasizing that brands must prioritize product sampling and clear, concise pitches to stand out among thousands of exhibitors. He advises treating every attendee as a potential buyer or consumer, using real-time scanning and note-taking to manage lead tracking, and avoiding expensive booth setups in favor of engaging team energy. Goldman also highlights the importance of preparing follow-up packages in advance and leveraging the show floor for networking, supplier meetings, and even guerrilla marketing tactics like taxi cab stickers.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 29m

    Honest Tea: Seth Goldman (2017)

    Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea, explains how he identified a 'sweetness gap' in the beverage industry and launched Honest Tea from his kitchen in 1997. He details the early challenges of securing a $15,000 bottle order from Whole Foods, navigating distributor rejection, and managing a critical product recall involving faulty glass bottles in 2003. Goldman also discusses the strategic decision to maintain founder control through a reverse equity structure, leading to a significant investment and eventual acquisition by Coca-Cola.

  • Product Startup · 38m

    096: How To Launch a Consumer Product at Trade Shows

    Jim Cermak, founder of Trade Show University, advises hardware startups on selecting and executing trade shows like CES and the National Hardware Show to secure buyer interest. He emphasizes the importance of defining specific metrics, such as qualified leads or scheduled demos, rather than just collecting business cards, and stresses the need for proactive staff engagement to capture attention in crowded exhibit halls. Cermak also highlights the value of competitive research by observing rival booths and tailoring messaging to focus on customer benefits, such as cost savings, rather than technical specifications.

  • Thoroughly Considered · 39m

    12: The Conference Racket

    Dan Provost and Tom Gerhardt of Studio Neat discuss their strategy for attending industry conferences, noting that while they previously exhibited at MacWorld and the New York Gift Fair, they now prioritize networking at events like XOXO and WWDC over direct sales. They reflect on the high costs and time commitments of trade shows, explaining why they stopped exhibiting when the return on investment was merely breaking even. The hosts also explore the value of smaller, skill-based conferences for independent creators, contrasting them with large, generic business events.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 34m

    Your Guide to Trade Show Booth Success w/ Jon Franko & Matthew Sciannella

    Jon Franko and Matthew Sciannella of Gorilla76 discuss the evolving economics and strategy of industrial trade shows, arguing that traditional large-footprint booths are often financially inefficient compared to targeted digital marketing. They highlight successful examples like Path Robotics and NCTacular, which used live streaming and experiential demos to maximize impact with smaller spaces. The guests advocate for shifting budget from expensive booth rentals to 365-day content strategies and personalized, relationship-driven follow-ups to improve ROI.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 8m

    BONUS: 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Trade Show

    Host Chris Luecke outlines five tactical strategies for maximizing the value of trade shows as they return post-pandemic, advising attendees and exhibitors to set specific goals, prioritize quality leads and relationships over quantity, and focus on hallway networking rather than passive session attendance. He emphasizes the importance of delivering memorable, high-energy presentations by drawing inspiration from bands like Green Day, and stresses the necessity of timely, contextual follow-ups to convert connections into business. The episode references industry figures such as Keith Ferrazzi and Brian Fonzo to illustrate concepts like 'conference commando' tactics and building deep professional relationships.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Startup CPG Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.