ROSEMONT — The Private Label Manufacturers Association’s (PLMA) 2024 Private Label Trade Show held Nov. 17–19 in the Donald E. Stephens Convention & Conference Center broke attendance records. It drew 14,000 visitors and 1,821 exhibitors from 60 countries, including 700 first timers.
In total there were 3,000 booths, a 15% increase from 2023.
The show, called “The Store Brands Phenomenon 2024 – Empowering the Retail Industry,” featured a sold-out exhibition floor.
Participants explored new and innovative products across food, health, and beauty categories. In food, categories range from shelf stable, snacks and beverages to fresh, frozen and refrigerated products, whereas, in non-food, categories range from beauty, personal care and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals to household products, kitchenware and pet care. Because wine and spirits are a growth category for the industry, PLMA expanded the wine and spirits pavilion on the show floor. It also held an informational webinar for buyers and suppliers in September followed by a panel discussion during the show.
The webinar wasn’t the only pre-show gathering. An online program called Meet the Retailer was held in October. A select retailer and their private label buying team offered insights about attending the upcoming show.
“The store brands industry has experienced solid growth in 2023 and continues to gain consumer acceptance, making PLMA’s Show attractive to both exhibitors and visitors looking to capitalize on the growth of the industry. We’ve been doing our show in the U.S. for more than 40 years and each year we have the challenge of continuing to be relevant not only to our exhibitors — many of which have been exhibiting just about as long as we’ve been hosting — as well as our visitors,” PLMA President Peggy Davies said.
The event showcased 54 country and regional pavilions spanning North and South America, Europe, and Asia. “This year, 50% of the exhibitors were international companies, so to offer unique insights into how to do business in the U.S., we hosted a two-hour live online program in September to prepare them,” Davies said.
Emerging trends featured hot honey innovations, premium pet treats, and protein-packed snacks across diverse product categories.
Davies expressed optimism for 2025, citing opportunities for further growth and collaboration in the private label industry.
What does the future hold for the show? “In 2025, we’re working to continue investing in technology for our registration process and on–site visitor tool: Show Navigator.”
Show Navigator is a digital program guide that includes the location of exhibitors on the show floor, contact information and product offerings. It also includes embedded video news coverage from the show floor, speaker information and features of interest to attendees and exhibitors.
Related. TSE Trend Report: Exhibitor-Led Experiences
For more than 40 years, PLMA’s annual U.S. Private Label Trade Show offers access to the growing private label market in the U.S. and Canada. Buyers from all major supermarkets, supercenters, drug chains, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, online retailers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, discounters, and even military exchanges participate. Exhibitors range from small and medium-size companies to well-known national brand makers who also supply store brands.
A keynote address from Dave Rinaldo, President of Aldi, drew the largest audience in Private Label Manufacturers Association history. It was standing room only.
Highlights of this year’s show included the Idea Supermarket where trending products from around the world are showcased. This is also where the New Product Expo is located displaying exhibitors’ new product offerings. Winning products of the industry awards program, Salute to Excellence, are also displayed here.
“Our hope for 2025 is continuing to grow our number of exhibitors in trending industry categories such as self-care, wine and spirits, and non-food products,” said Davies.
In addition to focusing on the success of the show, PLMA is also focusing on building the industry. The show features a university outreach program. It is a four-day program during the show that offers college-level courses on store brand development and marketing in the U.S. and internationally.
“What makes the university outreach program so unique is the mentorship phase, which connects each enrolled student one-on-one with an exhibiting manufacturer for a part of the day as well as an opportunity to shadow a buyer for a period of time as strategic business conversations are conducted on the show floor,” said Davies.
Reach Peggy Davies at pdavies@plma.com
