Las Vegas saw a swell in the show's attendees this year, with participation and the number of booths reported to be up 17 and 19 percent respectively over 2005.
Many of the 566 companies participating used the show as a platform from which to showcase new products to the 7,200 industry members attending the event at the Sands Exposition Center and Venetian Resort Casino. Among these products was an increased amount of functional foods.
Companies such as Cognis and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) have branched into the trend at SupplySide, the shift towards functional foods.
"We're working on a partnership with Wild flavors," Dave Eckert, vice president of Cognis Nutrition & Health told NutraIngredients-USA.com. "This is news for SupplySide because it's a move into functional foods."
Hungry attendees could even satisfy a quick craving in between meetings at places they might not have been able to in the past - company booths - where an increasing number of 'functional samples' could be found.
Cognis featured some of its functional ingredients, such as Vegapure and Xangold, in beverages and snack bars at its booth. While ADM also lined up an array of smoothies, containing Novasoy and CardioAid, at its booth's bar.
And attendees were even more likely to get thirsty and hungry wandering the floor because of the sheer size of this year's show.
"In a nutshell, the impression was that the show was bigger and there were more international participants," Peter Zambetti, global business development manager with Capsugel, told NutraIngredients-USA.com. "That stood out."
Zambetti said this international component proved very valuable for him because it allowed him to see various clients from all over the world in one room.
There were 50 VendorWorks presentations given by participating companies and experts as well as a number of education sessions and panels.
"I think the educational conference portion was very substantive with a wide range of speakers," Council for Responsible Nutrition president and CEO Steven Mister told NutraIngredients-USA.com. "I thought it was stronger than last year."
And there was also the inherent benefit of a trade show: good old-fashioned mingling and networking.
"It's good to catch up with people in the industry," said Zambetti. "A lot of the ad-hoc meetings are more successful than the formal meetings."