More than 25,000 natural, organic and healthy product retailers, buyers, thought-leaders and trend-¬spotters will congregate in Boston, October 15-18, 2008, for the 24th annual Natural Products Expo East/Organic Products Expo-BioFach America. The East Coast's largest natural and organic products trade show -- featuring products from more than 1,200 exhibiting companies -- is moving to Boston in 2008 to accommodate growth, attendee preference and environmentally friendly practices.

The growth of the trade show mirrors natural products industry sales, which reached $62.4 billion in 2007, according to The Natural Foods Merchandiser's recently released 2007 Market Overview, with the Northeast leading the way in natural products retailers' sales. Products from the region will be highlighted at the show with the introduction of the "New England's Best" category, in the sixth annual New Products Showcase Awards.

"With the move to Boston, we're able to provide a venue for retail buyers and manufacturers to conduct business in a progressive city that is so important to natural products," said Fred Linder, president of New Hope Natural Media.

For this year's show, organizers are implementing a recognition program to encourage exhibiting companies to reduce their environmental impact at the show in the areas of waste reduction, travel offset and sustainable booth design. In keeping with this theme, organizers are also introducing a green press room utilizing a paperless method of distributing exhibitor press kits.

This year's keynote will be delivered by Frances Moore Lappé, author of the best-selling Diet for a Small Planet and co-founder of the Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First) and the Center for Living Democracy. Lappé will discuss her most recent book, Getting a Grip, and address how food is a central issue through which to understand world politics.

For more information, visit www.expoeast.com.