DENVER — The second edition of Newtopia Now, an annual event produced by Informa Markets’ New Hope Network, took place Aug. 20-22, 2025, at the Colorado Convention Center.
The show is an intimate experience where emerging consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands connect with distributors, investors and retail buyers.
Trade Show Executive (TSE) sat down with Jessica Rubino, New Hope Network’s Vice President of Content & Summits, to get an inside look at the show’s success.
“We’ve crafted an intimate community where tomorrow’s category leaders don’t just display products — they forge transformative relationships with decision-makers who have the power to propel them from startup to shelf,” Rubino said. “The ecosystem we’ve created at Newtopia Now is designed to revolutionize how business is done in the CPG industry.”
1. Newtopia Now’s Enhanced Show Floor Promoted Purposeful Discovery
This year, New Hope Network evolved Newtopia Now’s show floor format, giving it three distinct neighborhoods:
- Thrive, exploring the future of human health.
- Regenerate, championing sustainability and businesses striving to make a positive environmental impact.
- Glow, featuring conscious beauty and holistic wellness.
“Each neighborhood featured innovative brands, lounges and unique activations, including stages featuring thematic content with a focus on retail insights,” Rubino explained.
New Hope Network also brought back The Market, which is an immersive, retail-style environment that allowed for category-based discovery — retailers could scan QR codes to get detailed product information and a brand’s booth location — and made it even easier to navigate the show.
Plus, by placing The Market at the expo’s entrance, New Hope Network further strengthened its impact.
Related. Newtopia Now’s Sales Model is Guided by Attendee Feedback and Needs
2. The Event’s Strong Connection Opportunities Drove Value
“We learned that attendees highly value the intimate connections and authentic relationships they are able to create at Newtopia Now,” Rubino shared. “We really leaned into the relationship-building aspect of the inaugural event and expanded the Conscious Connections Lounge, which facilitates personalized, one-on-one meetings between brands, buyers and other key partners … [and] created a focused environment that surpassed traditional networking by engineering deliberate collisions between visionary brands, forward-thinking retailers and strategic investors — creating an environment where transactions evolve into genuine partnerships that are now reshaping the entire CPG ecosystem.”
This year, the event featured significantly more meetings compared to its first edition.
3. Hyper-Targeted Education Sessions Transformed Knowledge Sharing
“Unlike conventional industry gatherings, Newtopia Now transformed knowledge sharing through hyper-targeted education sessions where brands didn’t just listen — they walked away with battle-tested strategies for creator marketing, specialized funding pathways, certification roadmaps and, perhaps most critically, a retail pathway that focuses not just on immediate wins but on long-term success,” Rubino explained.
Related. How to Create the Perfect Offsite Experience with Informa Markets’ New Hope Network’s Jessica Rubino
4. New Hope Network is Committed to Giving Back
Newtopia Now, dedicated to making a positive impact on the local community it works in, has several initiatives tackling environmental and social sustainability.
With a partnership with We Don’t Waste, a Denver nonprofit, New Hope Network organized a “Pack and Give Back” event the day before the expo halls opened, assembling grocery bags with non-perishable food and household essentials for local families.
Also, after Newtopia Now wrapped up, We Don’t Waste volunteers collected unused products for distribution to those in need.
“Additionally, we had an activation in the expo hall called Banners to Bags, a collaboration with Esperanza Productions to transform old event banners into sustainably made, unique, handcrafted bags,” Rubino said. “Esperanza Productions specializes in repurposing discarded materials while providing meaningful employment to individuals overcoming barriers such as addiction, homelessness or immigration challenges.”
5. The Event Featured Unique Activations and Offsite Experiences
“Unique activations also happen off the show floor at Newtopia Now, with curated dine-arounds and community experiences such as our Women in CPG lunch,” Rubino explained. “These create additional opportunities for networking and connection outside of the convention center.”
“Our offsite experiences focused primarily on fostering community connection and networking. We hosted Plants with Purpose, a guided tour with expert herbalists at the Denver Botanic Gardens and in collaboration with the American Herbal Products Association to explore the medicinal, nutritional and cultural significance of key plant species.”
Also, New Hope Network created The Park, a space outside the venue which allowed attendees to unwind, recharge and connect, featuring a pickleball court, stationary bikes and device charging, free refreshments and adoptable puppies from a local shelter.
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