Expo West Recap with Danielle Calabrese

Written By Kelly Bennett

This week on Emerging Brands Podcast®, I am kicking off three-part recap of Natural Products Expo West 2026 with Danielle Calabrese, founder of It’s All Happening.

In three part episode:

  • 🍕Part 1 — The Power of Community: We recap the energy of our 75-person last-minute networking event and the massive Ladies Lounge pizza happy hour (500 people!). Plus, a behind-the-scenes look at emceeing the Natural Products Expo West 2026 Pitch Slam

  • 🥣 Part 2 — Strategy on the Floor: Taking you directly to the booths. We use real-time examples from sampling activations with @getcotto and @eatwobble to discuss how early-stage founders can build "meaningful buzz" and leverage the show for long-term retail success.

  • 🛒 Part 3 — Trends & Discoveries: In our final installment, we break down the 2026 trend report. From category reinventions to the new ingredient profiles poised to win with retailers, we share our favorite brand discoveries and a sneak peek at what’s coming next.

This podcast episode was made possible by glimpse

Glimpse is an AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.

Kelly Bennett https://withkellybennett.com
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