Maui Milk at International Trade Shows After two international trade shows, Maui Milk’s CEO Leah Davey says the company has gained an even deeper understanding of consumer needs, and behavioural trends. Exhibiting at trade shows is a great way to build brand awareness and to raise a business’s profile in new markets. It’s an opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential customers to start building relationships, so after two years behind closed doors so to speak, Maui Milk were looking forward to connecting with the world once again. In February, the New Zealand Government announced that New Zealanders would be able to return home without having to book a room in Managed Isolation. With this news, Leah Davey hit the play button and the team set off to plan and execute an exhibit at Natural Products Expo West in the US. Natural Products Expo West is a trade show for the natural, organic & healthy products industry and Maui Milk thought it was a suitable place to highlight New Zealand’s finest natural product and superfood – what they believe to be sheep milk. At about the same time, planning was already underway for Maui Milk to exhibit in Japan at FoodEx, their largest international food and beverage trade show. With Japan’s borders shut to international visitors, Steve Farrelly and Leah Davey had already been in discussion with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in Japan who referred them to a company on the ground there who would represent them at the show. Currently offering sheep milk powder and products as an ingredient to product developers in the food and drinks industry, Maui Milk’s offering was well received in both markets, with little to no competition in the categories they were targeting. “It was great to see and get to know other New Zealand businesses at Natural Products, like Tom & Luke and Taylor Pass Honey”, says Leah. She said she felt extreme pride to be able to represent New Zealand, our agricultural sector, our animals and all the great people that work our land.
Steve and Leah at Expo West, USA
What’s next for Maui Milk? The team is due to exhibit at Vitafoods Asia 2022 in Singapore in September. Vitafoods Asia is the premium platform where the nutraceutical, functional food and beverages, and dietary supplement industries come together to source quality products and ingredients and develop solutions which deliver optimal health. This will be the first time Maui Milk is entering this market, and they plan to take with them their own branded products.
For Steve it was his first time at Expo West and the sheer scale of the event was what blew him away. It is the largest event of its kind with over 3,500 exhibitors and 80,000 attendees. “It’s a super high energy atmosphere throughout the day. From the moment you get there your senses are under attack... from the smells of the great tasting food being sampled, through to the loud bands at the end of day networking events. It was a lot of fun and really worthwhile” says Steve.
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Goat & Sheep Milk NZ - Issue 6 | April 2022
