On the eve of its show opening, Natural Products Expo West signed a new four-year commitment to remain at the Anaheim (Calif.) Convention Center through 2017.

“Anaheim is the home base of our community,” says Sandy Voss, director of exhibitions and conferences for Penton Media, which owns and operates the tradeshow.

The show, which opened yesterday (March 7) and will run through Sunday, has been in Anaheim for 33 years. One of the largest annual tradeshows held in Anaheim, Natural Products Expo West will take up almost every inch of the 800,000 square feet of available exhibit space and sprawl into the center’s new 100,000 sq. ft. Grand Plaza in front of the venue.

See Also: Anaheim...Taking It Outside

More than 60,000 attendees are expected for the show that focuses on natural, organic and healthy products. Last year’s edition of the show saw a 13-percent increase in attendance over the 2011 event.

The rapid expansion of Natural Products Expo West is one of the motivating factors for an expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center that is in the works. Plans on the drawing board would add several hundred thousand square feet, primarily of meeting room space, to the venue.

To stay updated on the latestEXPO news, become a Facebook fan, follow us on Twitter or sign up for our newsletter!