PLMA forecasts record attendance, exhibit space for 2018 show

The association’s Private Label Trade Show will take place Nov. 11-13 in Rosemont, Ill

The Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) said its 2018 Private Label Trade Show will be held Nov. 11 through Nov. 13 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

This year’s show is on pace to surpass last year’s record numbers for visitors and total exhibit space. The expansion in both areas meshes with that of private brand sales — they have been growing at a rate that’s as much as four times that of national brands, the New York-based association noted, citing reports from New York-headquartered Nielsen and others.

Visitors to the show will find more than 2,800 exhibit booths across three exhibit halls representing more than 1,500 companies, PLMA said. Among the tens of thousands of products that will be shown are shelf-stable, fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods; beverages; and nonfoods.

More than 5,000 retailing and wholesaling executives, buyers and others are expected to walk the show floor to check out award-winning products, new trends, fresh marketing concepts, PLMA’s popular Idea Supermarket and New Product Expo, and more, PLMA said.

The show also will feature a number of speaker presentations and seminars, which will take place at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare hotel in Rosemont.

PLMA’s Sunday Seminar Series will make its return on Nov. 11 in the hotel’s Rosemont Ballroom.

The presentations and speakers will include:

“Today’s Retail Marketplace,” Jim Hertel, senior vice president, Inmar/Willard Bishop.
“eCommerce and Digital Marketing: What to Know, What to do,” Jim Wisner, president of Wisner Marketing Group, and Heidi Reale, president of SparkShoppe.
“Packaging for the Online Generation,” Laura Kind, brand director, Jet.com.

The keynote speaker at this year’s show will be Fred Morganthall, former president of the Harris Teeter retail grocery chain. Morganthall will speak during the Nov. 12 opening breakfast in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom, PLMA said.

Speaking at the Nov. 13 “Retail Trends” breakfast in the Grand Ballroom will be Neil Stern, senior partner with McMillanDoolittle. Stern’s presentation is titled “The Next Big Thing? Online-2-Offline.”

For more information about attending or exhibiting at the show, contact PLMA at 212-972-3131, email info@plma.com, or visit www.plma.com.

Show schedule, at a glance

Sunday, Nov. 11

12:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Trade show registration open

2:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday Seminar Series

7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Opening night reception

Monday, Nov. 12

7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Trade show registration open

8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Opening breakfast

9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Trade show floor open

9:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m.
PLMA’s Idea Supermarket & New Product Expo open

Tuesday, Nov. 13