This time of year, you may be debating whether or not to register for FNCE (the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo). FNCE (pronounced FEN-SEE) is the largest dietitian conference, attracting nearly 10,000 dietitians and food and nutrition professionals.
So… is it worth it to sponsor a booth?
I’ve attended FNCE both as a dietitian and on behalf of brands – working booths, hosting events, and navigating the chaos.
Here’s my honest take, plus a few tips whether you choose to go or not.
Have you been to FNCE? What do you think?
✅ The Benefits of Attending FNCE as a Health & Wellness Brand:
- Visibility among thousands of RDs and nutrition professionals looking to discover new brands
- The location changes each year and can be a draw depending on where it is hosted
- Great opportunity to sample products, get real-time feedback, have face to face conversations, and find out what dietitians care about
- Worth it if you have the budget and a solid plan
❌ The Drawbacks of Attending FNCE as a Health & Wellness Brand
- Booths start around $3,000 – but costs climb quickly with required add ons like tables, chairs, and electricity; not to mention shipping, team travel, etc.
- Brands who set up booths on a budget with a simple table and sign do not see nearly as much traffic as those who show up with fully branded and designed booths
- You’ll need a team of at least 4 to manage the crowd
- If you’re scanning badges, most contacts you get will be students
- Without a follow-up strategy, most RDs will forget your brand post-conference
- You’re competing with every other brandin the room for attention!
Pro Tips for Attending FNCE as a Health & Wellness Brand:
🔹 Bring far more samples than you expect you’ll need – RDs will wipe you out!
🔹 Give away branded tote bags – RDs will line up for these to collect their expo hall goodies and they will be walking billboards for your booth
🔹 Host an offsite event if you can (breakfast, happy hour, etc.) – some RDs skip the conference and just fly in for the offsite brand events. There are great for deeper connections and relationships.
🔹 Get the badge scanner so you can follow up
🔹 Have a strong follow-up plan ready before you go
🔥 My advice?
FNCE can work – but it’s not a silver bullet. It’s just one touchpoint. One interaction doesn’t turn into long-term visibility or product recommendations. RDs might stop by, but what they really want is an ongoing relationship.
FNCE works best as part of a broader strategy to connect with RDs year-round.
✨ Even if you’re not attending, this is a great time of year to engage RDs because they’re paying attention. We’re already seeing RDs post and connect about attending FNCE. Brands that show up now stand out and are seen as those who value RD expertise consistently.
If you’re still deciding whether FNCE is right for your brand, I’m happy to help you weigh the options, book a call here.