Special Event &
Education Highlights

Newtopia Now community experiences are unique offsite gatherings aimed to foster networking, community engagement, and exploration beyond the event venue.

Be sure to bookmark this page as we'll be adding more programming closer to the event!

Community Experiences

We Don't Waste, Pack & Give Back Convention Center:

Wednesday, August 20 | Colorado Convention Center 10:00am - 11:30am

Join fellow industry leaders in giving back to the community by assembling grocery bags filled with non-perishable food and essential household items for families in need. In partnership with We Don’t Waste, this hands-on experience offers a meaningful way to connect with peers while making a tangible impact. Light snacks and beverages will be available, offering time to network and discuss shared commitments to sustainability and food access.

In Partnership with:

Plants with Purpose

Wednesday, August 20 | Denver Botanic Gardens
10:00am - 2:00pm

Immerse yourself in the beauty and wisdom of the Denver Botanic Gardens, where nature, wellness, and herbal traditions come together. In partnership with the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), this experience offers multiple ways to explore:

Guided Tours with Herbalist Leaders – Join expert herbalists for an in-depth exploration of the gardens, learning about the medicinal, nutritional, and cultural significance of key plant species.
Self-Guided Tours – Wander at your own pace with informational materials to deepen your understanding of the gardens’ diverse plant life.

Following your garden adventure, a private reception space will offer a relaxed setting to connect with fellow attendees with curated food and beverages. Whether you’re engaging in insightful discussions, discovering new plant knowledge, or enjoying the scenic surroundings, this experience is designed to inspire and connect. Rideshare is encouraged for attendees. Please note: Transportation is not provided.

We Don't Waste, Pack & Give Back Warehouse:

Wednesday, August 20 | We Don't Waste Facility
1:00 - 3:00pm

Step inside the heart of We Don’t Waste at their Denver warehouse for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at their food recovery efforts. Attendees will tour the facility, meet the WDW team, and assist in sorting rescued food for distribution to local communities. This immersive experience offers the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals while directly contributing to reducing food waste and hunger. Please note: Transportation is provided for the attendees of this Community Experience.

In Partnership with:

Women in CPG, Luncheon

Wednesday, August 20 | Colorado Convention Center
Time TBD

Back for its second year, the Women in CPG Luncheon is a powerful gathering designed to celebrate and uplift female leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in the consumer-packaged goods industry. This event provides a dynamic space for mentorship, inspiration, and connection, fostering a strong community of women and allies shaping the future of CPG.

Enjoy a curated lunch and beverages in a welcoming roundtable format, designed to spark engaging conversations and forge meaningful relationships. A live DJ will set the vibe, creating an atmosphere that balances energy and connection. Whether you're a seasoned executive, an emerging founder, or an industry ally, this luncheon offers a space to share insights, explore opportunities, and champion the advancement of women in CPG.

Neighborhood Community Experiences

Neighborhood Networking Night

Wednesday, August 20 | 5:00 - 7:30pm

Neighborhood Networking Night at Newtopia Now connects attendees over food, beverages, and live music. Stay tuned for more details about this exciting evening!

Thrive Café | Thrive Neighborhood

The Thrive café provided a unique experience that seamlessly transitioned from a coffee bar in the morning to a mindful beverage bar in the afternoon. Attendees discovered the latest beverage innovations from brands offering a variety of coffee, milk, and non-alcoholic beverages with the added touch of skilled bartenders crafting custom mocktails.

Sponsored by

Glow Salon | Glow Neighborhood

The Glow Salon is the new destination for conscious beauty and wellness. Glow revealed the future of conscious beauty with products that make us feel great inside and out. The salon is where attendees were able to try many of these products for themselves – from icons of clean beauty to the best new finds in people – and planet-friendly skincare, makeup, hair care, fragrance and so much more!

Sponsored by

CPG Unwrapped: Product Spotlight Event | Thrive Stage

Ten brands. Five minutes each. They showed us everything they got. The thrive neighborhood’s product spotlight event helped attendees find their next best-selling CPG innovation.

See which brands participated here.

Conscious Beauty Pitch Event & Happy Hour

The Conscious Beauty Pitch Presented by Giannuzzi Lewendon was designed to showcase innovative beauty and wellness companies prioritizing diversity, responsible innovation, sustainability and social responsibility. Entrepreneurs and brand innovators presented their vision to a panel of industry experts, investors, and influencers to secure funding, support and partnerships to further develop and scale their ventures.

Presented by

Keynotes

Lee Wright
Chief Executive Officer | The Vitamin Shoppe

Retail and Innovation Trends Shaping the Future of Wellness

This keynote included an insightful conversation with Lee Wright, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe. Attendees learned how this national retailer is innovating across product categories, new wellness services, private brands, and vendor-retailer relationships to fuel mutual success. Plus, discovered the latest trends propelled by new ingredients, TikTok hype, and consumer demand, from the boom in weight management products to advances in active nutrition.

Sponsored by

Carla Hall
Chef, Television Host, Author & Keynote Speaker

The Joyfulness of Aging Well

Attendees reimagined aging with wellness champion and culinary icon Carla Hall! This exclusive Newtopia Now keynote blended her unique experiences in food, leadership and well-being to offer fresh perspectives on thriving throughout life stages. Carla tackled these themes head-on, challenging traditional views on aging, delving into women's health and leadership in CPG and exploring how food and wellness are converging to create a more fulfilling future for consumers.

Blue Zones Insights with Dan Buettner

In his exclusive Newtopia Now keynote, National Geographic Fellow, Blue Zones Founder and Netlfix host Dan Buettner unveiled never-before-shared insights gleaned from his global longevity research—and what they mean for the future of wellness. Attendees leveraged the nine commonalities of the Blue Zones for fresh perspectives on how CPG brands and retailers can revolutionize their approach to consumer well-being. .

Sponsored by

The next era of networking has arrived at Newtopia Now, where buyers and investors reach a deeper level of engagement with natural, organic and purpose-led brands. Here, you’ll not only gain access to changemakers across the conscious CPG marketplace but you’ll also zero in on the right brands for your business through Conscious Connections — a custom matchmaking platform powered by Beacon Discovery.

Using more than 100 filters, buyer profiles and product data based on each brand’s ingredient standards, Beacon Discovery intelligently matches you with companies to fast-track collaboration. The platform even helps you book meeting times and locations in the Connections Lounge after your match is mutually approved. Prefer to DIY your connections? Use Beacon Discovery's advanced search tools to facilitate your self-curated exploration and arrange conversations with potential partners.

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Special Event &
Education Highlights

Community Experiences