DENVER, July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, wellness entrepreneur Gabby Reece and Dee Charlemagne, senior director of emerging brands at Walmart, will lead the keynote sessions at Newtopia Now, the innovative event for emerging natural and conscious consumer packaged goods brands, taking place August 18-20 at the Colorado Convention Center (Expo Hall open August 19-20). These speakers bring direct experience in building brands, navigating retail partnerships, and understanding what actually moves products off shelves, helping emerging brands avoid common pitfalls and identify real opportunities in a competitive market.
The three-day event brings together influential buyers, purpose-driven retailers and emerging CPG brands to accelerate growth and forge meaningful connections. Attendees gain access to the decision-makers who control shelf space and distribution channels, while participating in focused sessions that address the specific challenges facing new brands. The format creates opportunities for direct conversations and relationship-building that typically take months to arrange independently.
“This year’s programming is designed to bridge the gap between aspiration and execution,” says Jeff D’Entremont, SVP, Informa Health and Nutrition. “Our keynote speakers embody the entrepreneurial spirit and authentic leadership reshaping the CPG industry, and their insights will give attendees the tools they need to turn emerging brands into market leaders.”
The Advantage of Authenticity
Former professional volleyball player Gabby Reece, co-founder of Laird Superfood and host of The Gabby Reece Show, will explore how authentic leadership, resilience and intentional habits create stronger founders and brands. Through compelling stories, research-based insights and relatable humor, Reece will share how environments, habits and belief systems shape performance and offer a roadmap to peak effectiveness without sacrificing humanity.
Entrepreneurship & the Business of Better Pasta
Emmy Award-winning chef and founder of Giadzy, Giada De Laurentiis will discuss turning culinary expertise into a scalable lifestyle brand while balancing authenticity with commercial growth in an intimate fireside chat. De Laurentiis will share how she navigated the challenges of building an authentic brand from the ground up, the secrets to identifying and sourcing world-class pasta and how Giadzy successfully captured the wellness market with its gluten-free line.
Inside Emerging Brands at Walmart: Strategy, Support & Shelf Success
A session with Bill Giebler, director of content and insights at New Hope Network, and Dee Charlemagne, senior director of emerging brands at Walmart, will reveal what it takes for emerging brands to successfully scale within one of the world’s largest retailers. Attendees will learn what makes brands stand out, how to achieve retail readiness, and how major retailers support smaller brands’ growth.
The complete speaker lineup also includes executives from industry-leading companies including Dr. Bronner’s, Roaring Fork Mills, and Ulta Beauty, among others.
In addition to the education programming, the show floor features The Market, where products are displayed and experienced exactly as they would appear on retail shelves. The Market, powered by SPINS, showcases products in a true-to-retail environment, allowing attendees to evaluate packaging, merchandising and shelf presence before scanning products to instantly locate each exhibiting brand on the show floor. It provides a practical way to evaluate how products present themselves in competitive shelf sets and identify what differentiates successful brands visually and strategically.
The show floor is organized into three mission-aligned Neighborhoods: Thrive, Regenerate and Glow, each curating brands and products that represent specific areas of natural, organic and purpose-driven innovation. This structure helps attendees navigate the floor efficiently, focusing their time on the categories and brand philosophies most relevant to their business needs, making it easier to spot trends and discover brands that align with specific retail strategies.
To learn more about the expo floor, exhibitors or to view the full educational agenda and register to attend, visit www.newtopianow.com.
About Newtopia Now
Newtopia Now is a groundbreaking health and wellness event for the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry, organized by New Hope Network, a division of Informa Markets. This innovative B2B trade show reimagines the traditional exhibition experience by focusing on connection, community and purpose-driven business. The event brings together brands, retail buyers and industry professionals to co-create the next era of purpose-led CPG and retail through deeper levels of engagement, with curated meeting opportunities, interactive content and networking sessions alongside the latest innovations in natural and organic products. To learn more, visit www.newtopianow.com.
About New Hope Network
New Hope Network is a leading authority in the healthy lifestyle products industry, offering solutions for the complete supply chain from manufacturers, retailers/distributors, service providers and ingredient suppliers. Through its comprehensive portfolio of content, events, data, research and consultative services, New Hope Network is dedicated to fostering a prosperous, high-integrity CPG and retail ecosystem that promotes health, joy and justice for all people while regenerating the planet. For more information, visit www.newhope.com.
About Informa Markets
Informa Markets, a subsidiary of Informa plc (LON:INF), creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio comprises more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Engineering, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world’s leading exhibitions organizer, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, visit www.informamarkets.com.
Media Contact
New Hope Network Public Relations
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