Last year's show saw attendence increase by seven percent compared to 2002, attracting 5,126 executives from dietary supplement, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies, and making it one of the busiest shows of the year.
Highlights of SupplySide West 2004 include the Education Program, which is sponsored by Cognis Health and Nutrition and will feature leading researchers, government officials and industry gurus.
"This year's program promises to be one of the best ones yet based on the expertise of the speakers and relevance of topics to our industry colleagues," said David Eckert, vice president North America of Cognis. "We are proud to sponsor an educational platform that promotes scientific research, fosters product innovation and addresses pressing industry issues."
Leading the strong field of speakers will be Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Dr. Blumberg will talk about "forging new strategies in preventive nutrition: reaching regulators, health care professionals and consumers".
His chosen topic is particularly pertinent in the light of the report published by the Lewin Group and the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) last week, which suggested that supplementation by US consumers could save the state $15 billion and led Elliott Balbert, president of the DSEA, to discuss ways of better informing members of the medical profession and the public about dietary supplements.
And for those looking for that extra bit of glamour, the keynote speech will be given by star of stage and screen Marilu Henner.
The keynote is sponsored by Unigen and Regan Miles, executive vice president of the company, expressed his delight at Henner's presence at the show.
"She is a firm believer in the healthy lifestyle and we believe she will be one of the most energetic keynotes we've seen," he said.
SupplySide West will be held from 29 September until 1 October at the Venetian and Sands Expo in Las Vegas and SupplySide East will be held 4-6 May 2005, at the Baltimore Convention Center for the second year in a row.