CHFA NOW goes beyond the conference and tradeshow floor! From our pre-show digital series to our live podcasts, we’re adding special events and fun activations to add to your itinerary and further connect with the industry. We’ll be updating this page as we know more, so check back often!
CHFA NOW Digital Series
Leading up to CHFA NOW Toronto, we’re going live with CHFA NOW Digital—a FREE webinar series dedicated to sharing insights on how to succeed in retail and in business—from real-world examples and case studies to in-depth consumer research. It’s just a taste of what’s to come in Toronto!
About Dre Pao
Dre Pao is a food content creator and digital strategist from Ontario, Canada. He is best known for his TikTok presence, where he has built a community of over 200K followers. Dre has worked with some of the top brands in the food world, including KFC, Tabasco Sauce, BeaverTails, Sabra, and many more. Dre is also the host of Candy & Commerce, a cable television show on Rogers TV Ontario that highlights entrepreneurs and businesses from the food and beverage industry.
About Jaclyn Cummings
With a niche for representing competitive brands and purpose-driven founders who are addressing the evolving consumer market, Jaclyn tells stories across all media platforms for partners in industries spanning food, design, real estate and home. Most notably having worked with Scout Canning, CHFA for CHFA NOW Vancouver, luxury real estate developers including Bosa, Cressey, and luxury real estate listing agent Juliana Jiao, Saje Natural Wellness and health wellness CPG brand, Vega.
About Jennifer Love
Jennifer is a highly connected media relations expert with a pitch-perfect formula for creating and landing newsworthy opportunities for her clients. As the president of Duet PR and a dedicated mentor for up-and-coming female talent in the PR industry, her passion is crafting shareable stories that lead to positive change and social impact. Duet PR is a Toronto-based boutique public relations agency that helps you get the right message, in front of the right people, at the right time.
About Jessica Huras
Jessica Huras is a freelance food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and LCBO Food & Drink, among other publications. She can usually be found eating, writing about eating, or planning her next meal.
About Katharine Herringer
Katharine Herringer is the co-founder of Maple, an authority on all things organic living. Katharine is at the helm of Maple magazine, the print publication, as well as their signature quarterly subscription box, The Maple Box, with thousands of subscribers across Canada and the US. The Maple brand is a curated and experiential conversation that inspires consumers to explore and discover organic living, in the True North.
How To Build A Community on TikTok
Food Content Creator and Digital Strategist
Tap into your brand’s creative side on the world’s leading social media platform, TikTok. With over 1B active global users, who take action (92% of users globally act after watching a TikTok video), this is the perfect place to bring your brand to life. Dre will break down how he built a following of over 200K food lovers on TikTok and offer tips on how you can build a community for your brand. He’ll share the ins and outs of TikTok, including how to harness the power of the platform to grow your brand, and how anyone with a smartphone can create content and share it with users (and consumers) across the globe.
VIEW RECORDINGPR 101: Understanding the Media Landscape
Panel:
With a limited budget and resources, a solid press release and key contacts in your network can expand your brand’s reach, organically. This panel consists of two PR experts, Jaclyn Cummings and Jennifer Love, freelance writer, Jessica Huras and Maple Magazine’s Katharine Herringer. Together, they’ll offer a crash course in public relations, highlighting what you can do to stand out and how to connect with media - offering emerging brands the tools they need to nail down an effective public relations and communications strategy to grow their business.
Launching in the USA
Panel:
We may share a border with the United States, but our identities and business practices are quite different.
Our panel is lined up with successful entrepreneurs; Jake Karls from Mid-Day Squares, John Bonnel from Wholly Veggie and Dominic Dube from Evive Nutrition – each with awesome success stories of launching their product in the USA.
We’ll cover how they began their journey to launch into the United States' marketplace, what they needed to consider/keep in mind and the hurdles they overcame. From understanding the US consumer to navigating distribution, this webinar will give you an overview of the best ways to introduce your product to the United States.
Food Service: New Model, New Revenue
Panel:
- Ted Fleming, Founder & CEO, Partake
- Karen Danudjaja, Founder & CEO, Blume
- Anna Wilson, Director, Strategic Partnership and
Engagement, Aramark and Avendra Group
Expand your brand beyond retail – CPG can venture into multiple territories including restaurants and bars, airport snacks and even cafeterias.
This panel discussion will bring together brands who have grown their revenue streams through selling their products across the food service industry. Attendees will gain insight on how to navigate this business expansion, tips for success and a chance to ask successful companies questions about their strategy.
Hosted Events
NCN-NPC Investor Meeting Joins Forces With CHFA NOW
Start-ups in the natural, organic and wellness space, get your pitches ready.
Natural Products Canada and Nutrition Capital Network's investor meeting will be hosted at CHFA NOW Toronto on September 15. Twenty of Canada's top natural nutrition start-ups can pitch to this prestigious collection of international investors and industry leaders. For the full press release, click here.
Register NowCelebration Stations
It’s Happy Hour Time!
Celebrate with us! Enjoy cocktails, a beer or your beverage of choice during happy hour on the show floor from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM on Saturday, September 17.
Grab a Drink from One of These Brands!
Booth #546
Booth #1541
Booth #1231
Booth #1902
Booth #616
Booth #634
Booth #1209
Booth #4022
Booth #1423
Booth #1609
Booth #1749
Booth #1744
Booth #1729
Booth #809
NEW! Non-Alcoholic Beverages Available From These Brands
Booth #1640
Booth #531
Podcasts
About the Host
Hayden Thomson is the creator and host of The Pack Heavy Podcast. He works in Business Development for FoodPak with a focus on food based CPG's.
He has a Masters Degree in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and an 18 year history immersed in the specialty coffee and hospitality industries.
About the Guest
Richard Pollock is the President & CEO at Pauling Labs - a Canadian company who manufacture a range of natural wellness consumer brands including Ener-C.
Richard brings a unique & insightful perspective built from real world experience and over 2 decades embedded in the CPG industry.
About the Guest
Mike co-founded Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods in 1998. From 1998 to 2016, he ran all aspects of the company as Chairman of the Board and CEO. In February 2019 Mike helped guide the strategic sale of Manitoba Harvest to Tilray for $419 million dollars.
Mike is currently Chief Executive Officer of Fata & Associates, Chairman of the Board of Nuts For Cheese, Global Growth Advisor for Mid-Day Squares, Director (Past Chairman) of the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) and investor/advisor to a portfolio of companies.
Mike hosts the Founder to Mentor podcast, connecting you with world class founder mentors to inspire your personal and professional growth.
About the Host
Desiree Nielsen is a registered dietitian with a private practice + consulting business in Vancouver. She is the author of the #1 Globe and Mail bestseller Eat More Plants and the upcoming Good for your Gut and host of The Allsorts Podcast, an evidence-informed wellness podcast that is all about a positive, inclusive approach to taking care of yourself.
About the Guest
Dr. Matthew Nagra is a Naturopathic Doctor devoted to bringing the most up-to-date evidence-based nutrition information to his patients at his clinic in Vancouver. In 2018 he graduated from the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine after completing his bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology at the University of Victoria. He’s certified in plant-based nutrition through eCornell and the T Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. Dr. Nagra is also a public speaker and is known for his content across multiple social media platforms, where he often tackles misinformation around diet and nutrition, and deep dives into the latest nutrition research.
The Fill Your Cup Podcast
Described as "Sunday brunch" or "girl's night" with your besties, The Fill Your Cup Podcast, its TMI demeanor and Host/Mindset Coach, Rachel Molenda (@rachelmmolenda) help you to come home to your most authentic self + step into your most aligned, fulfilling life by exploring untouched topics in the way of sex & sexuality, careers, relationships, food & body challenges, spirituality and beyond.
Episode Topic: Optimizing Your Self-Image To Fuel Your Future
Guest: Catherine Farquharson (@catherine_farquharson)
It's true what "they" say – the way you perceive yourself creates your reality. The mistake most people make is that they start by changing the habits, rather than changing the perception the habit-making person has of themselves. It's there, where true lasting change ,and all that you desire to experience in your life, is possible.
This Commerce Life
A weekly podcast sharing our thoughts on small businesses, entrepreneurs, founders, retail, retail basics and CPG! The stuff that we love. We’re focused on stories – your personal story and your business story. How and why you got here and where you might be going. In the end, it’s all about you and the journey and the sharing of the trials and tribulations of small business, being a founder and entrepreneur in the highly competitive bricks & mortar and online retail space.
Visionary Life
Visionary Life is an inspiring & informative podcast that brings you the stories of visionary Entrepreneurs and Founders from across Canada. Each week Kelsey releases an interview chatting with her guests about their noteworthy business successes, their unpredictable (and sometimes colossal!) failures & everything in between! There aren't many podcasts that offer this much wisdom wrapped up with a healthy dose of laughter and encouragement.
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