Expo West Recap: Part 3 - Trends & Discoveries

In Part 3 of this week's recap of Expo West, I'm joined one last time by Danielle Calabrese, founder of It's All Happening, to close out our coverage of the industry's biggest event. After diving into community and strategy, we're shifting our focus to the "what"—the actual products, ingredients, and innovations that defined the show floor in 2026. In this final episode, we break down the most impactful trends we spotted and what these shifts mean for the future of food and beverage. From category reinventions to the emerging ingredients poised to take over retail shelves, Danielle and I share the brands that caught our attention and a sneak peek at the client projects we're currently developing that align with these movements. Inside the Episode: A deep dive into the biggest shifts at Expo West 2026, from innovative ingredient profiles to the new formats changing how we eat and drink. Highlights of our favorite brand discoveries from the show floor and why these specific founders are poised to win with both consumers and retailers. How established categories are being reimagined for a new generation of shoppers looking for both functionality and flavor. A sneak peek at the upcoming client brands we're working on that are perfectly positioned to lead the trends we saw in Anaheim. Our final thoughts on what this year's energy says about the state of the CPG industry heading into the rest of 2026. This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the 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.