NACS/PEI 2022
By Brenda Johnstone
A recent trip to Las Vegas to attend the NACS/PEI tradeshow was an exciting return to normal for many.
Healthy foods and healthier-for-you snacks are front of mind for most people today and during the two and a half days of NACS, there were many new products and many re-invented products to soothe your sweet tooth, satisfy your cravings and all the while feeding your body with healthy ingredients. Check out our new product release section for some great products and, if you’re looking to increase your healthy snack offerings, please reach out to these companies.
One of the most surprising things for me was the array of new products that definitely lean to the healthy side. Protein bars, protein energy drinks, protein snacks, and more. For those of us who work hard to stay away from the “other side” of healthy snacks, the choices were many. Protein Poppers stood out for me because although they’re made using pea protein, they are really, really tasty. These tasty little treats are high in protein, low in calories and are fully vegan and non GMO.
I have to say though that my favorite booth was the Smoodie booth. What a fabulous concept, flash-frozen fruit, and vegetables grown on sustainable family farms. The end product is a healthy smoodie containing no additives and so fresh. My favorite of the few that I enjoyed was the Green Energizer that included bananas, spinach, mango, and matcha. A great way to begin your day, feed your afternoon craving, or even end the day. If you missed visiting this booth, they can be found at www.getsmoodi.com.
Let’s talk signage, see our article on updating your digital signage in this edition. Watchfire Signs were displaying at the NACS/PEI show and I must say, we’ve come a very long way from those roadside signs we’ve all come to, well, hate. Read the article “Five signs it’s time to upgrade your convenience store signage” in this edition.
Other notable companies displaying this year were Celsius, another fabulous product of sparkling essential energy drinks, boasting 15 flavour options made with all-natural flavours and, from personal experience, a wonderfully fresh and light taste leaving you wanting to try the next flavour. We were invited to attend their kick-off party to their partnership with Pepsi, held at the Resort World in Las Vegas, I had the pleasure of meeting CEO John Fieldy and discuss their unique and very tasty natural-flavoured essential energy drink. PepsiCo, Inc. and Celsius Holdings forged a long-term strategic distribution agreement earlier this year.
This edition we are featuring an electric vehicle charging update article. At the NACS/PEI show we met and spoke with a number of EV Charging companies such as Freewire, BTC Power, and Red E Charging. This is a segment of the industry that is changing at warp speed and I invite you to read the article and reach out to the companies who have contributed.
