Says exhibition director David Wolstenholme, "Our exhibition has turned a corner, from attracting interested spectators to serious business. It's this serious business side that will drive the Natural and Organic products industry.
According to Johnston, the participating companies contributed to an impeccable, styled and interactive showcase of the natural and organic industry.
Says first-time exhibitor Florence Niemann of The Fountainhead: "We will definitely repeat the experience. We thought it would be a marketing/PR exercise but in fact we sold sufficient stock to pay for the stand. We had a lot of enquiries from prospective retail/ wholesale buyers and were able to communicate and meet directly with our customers, which was super. We were exceptionally busy the entire time."
Hailed as a highlight was the No Kak Fashion Show that took place daily with an awards ceremony presentation on Sunday, 22 October. The show was a culmination of the Environmentally Friendly Design Competition sponsored by the Royal Danish Embassy and Department of Trade and Industry and organised by the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) - Clothing and Textile Component.
While the controversial title stirred some, it was positively accepted on the whole. Comments Wolstenholme, "We borrowed a very catchy slogan used by the Danish Government: They hosted the 'No Sh*t' Fashion Show, a show that featured environmentally friendly, natural and organic textiles. They did this for a very good reason - to make people take notice and take action.
"So, we localised the slogan for South Africa and adopted 'No Kak' as our campaign, representing our showcase of absolutely no harmful or unnecessary chemical additives, preservatives, flavourants, colourants, enhancers or stabilisers in the exhibited lifestyle products. 'No Kak' has inspired reaction - most has been very supportive and positive, but some negative. Ultimately, that's what we want: reaction that will lead to responsible action!"
The new products displayed this year included make-up and cosmetics, natural and organic medicines, environmentally friendly textiles and a wide range of imported and processed organic foods.
The show confirmed what every retailer has been complaining about - very little locally grown organic fresh produce was represented on the show floor.
"What is clear is that the demand for organics is huge, and will grow at over 200% per year (our fastest growing industry) and we see imports taking up the opportunity until the local growers make the mind-shift from complacency to profitability," concludes Wolstenholme.
