For the first time in years, I didn’t attend Expo West in person. Instead, last month I took the digital deep dive—scrolling through countless LinkedIn posts, marketing rollouts, and press releases to piece together the story of this year’s event. And while I can’t speak from firsthand experience, I can tell you one thing with confidence: 

The biggest trend of Expo West 2025 isn’t a single product category—it’s a way of showing up. 

Gone are the days when traditional, big-name brands could dominate by default. Even in rapidly growing sectors like functional sodas or artisanal vegan cheese, there’s an overwhelming number of choices. If you’re a buyer, the aisles stretch for miles with innovation at every turn.

So how do you stand out in 2025?

It’s no longer enough to just make a great product. You have to make a statement.

BOLD: Be Impossible to Ignore 

Think: Dr. Bronner’s—loud, colorful, and unapologetically mission-driven. 

If you’ve ever seen a Dr. Bronner’s display, you know exactly what I mean. A rainbow wall of magic soap bottles, chocolate bars and beyond, each covered in a fine print manifesto of ethical, sustainable living. Their brand identity and messaging are so clear that even if you don’t use the product, you know what they stand for.

For plant-based brands, the lesson is this: Stop blending in. Use your packaging, messaging, and presence to create a visually and philosophically unmistakable identity.

UNIQUE: Create the “Wait… What?!” Moment 

Think: Fabalish’s new Creamy Vegan Chili Crisp Ranch. 

Have I ever heard those words in exactly that order before? No. 

Do I suddenly feel an urgent need to dip every single dippable item in my fridge into it? Absolutely.

Standing out in 2025 means doing something no one else is doing—or doing it in a way that makes people stop mid-scroll. The plant-based category is packed with ”better burgers” and “clean-label milks”—but when you see something totally unexpected, your curiosity takes over.

AUTHENTICALLY EXPRESSIVE: Make People Feel Something 

Think: Yellowbird Foods’ CEO George Milton, who captured the true ROI of Expo West—not in numbers, but in human connection. 

After the show, Milton posted this on LinkedIn:

“Everyone always wonders what the ROI on Expo West is, especially now that it’s significantly more expensive. 

I’ll tell you. 

The ROI is a lifetime of friendships. 

It’s a found family of brothers and sisters and drunk uncles and eccentric aunts. 

It’s the ride-or-dies who will be there till the end. 

It’s the love. The dreams. The biz. 

haha but don’t actually try to calculate it lol dummy.” 

This is the energy buyers and consumers want in 2025. 

People don’t just want brands; they want stories, personalities, and communities they feel connected to. They want to see real humans behind the logos. 

The companies that understand this will win the attention of buyers and the loyalty of customers. The ones that don’t? They’ll get lost in the endless sea of options.