Rooted Expo to Debut at Irving Convention Center Oct. 20-22 With 250+ Consumer Brands and Major Retail Buyers

IRVING, Texas - More than 250 consumer brands will gather at the Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas from Oct. 20-22, 2026, for the inaugural Rooted Expo, a new trade show designed to connect emerging businesses with major retailers, investors, distributors and manufacturers.

The three-day event will bring companies from across Texas and the country to Irving, offering entrepreneurs opportunities to showcase their products, establish retail partnerships and compete for more than $45,000 in cash and in-kind awards.

H-E-B, Texas' largest grocery retailer, has signed on as the founding title sponsor, joining other industry partners supporting the event.

Rooted Expo focuses on the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, which includes products such as food, beverages, cosmetics, personal care items, pet products and household essentials.

Organizers describe the event as the first Texas trade show of its size and scale dedicated specifically to consumer packaged goods.

"Texas isn't emerging as a CPG powerhouse; it's already here," said Derek Ramos, founder of Rooted Expo.

"With more than $3.64 billion in consumer brand exits since January 2025, an unmatched retail landscape, a thriving investment community, and one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in North America, Texas has become one of the most exciting places to build a consumer brand."

Ramos said the expo was created to bring together the businesses, retailers and investors driving growth in the state's consumer products industry.

H-E-B, Costco, Whole Foods and Other Retail Buyers Expected

One of the expo's main attractions will be opportunities for participating brands to connect directly with buyers representing major grocery and retail chains.

According to organizers, participating retail buyers will include H-E-B, H-E-B Mexico, Central Market, 7-Eleven, Raley's, Costco and Whole Foods.

For smaller companies trying to expand beyond local stores or online sales, those connections could provide opportunities to introduce their products to larger retail markets.

The event will also bring together distributors, manufacturers, investors and other industry professionals interested in developing business relationships with consumer brands.

Educational sessions and keynote presentations will cover topics such as retail expansion, product innovation, operations, business growth and investment.

Three Days of Product Showcases, Startup Pitches and Networking

Rooted Expo will feature several events aimed at businesses at different stages of growth.

The expo begins Tuesday, Oct. 20, with Ignite, a product sampling and discovery showcase designed for smaller and emerging brands preparing to participate in their first major trade show.

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, six consumer product startups will compete in the Rooted Pitch Slam, presenting their businesses to a panel of retailers, investors and industry experts.

The competition will award more than $45,000 in combined cash and in-kind prizes.

The main exhibition floor will open Oct. 21-22, featuring more than 250 brands representing food, beverage, health and wellness, beauty, personal care, pet and household product categories.

Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin Brands Among Exhibitors

Several Dallas-Fort Worth companies are expected to participate in the inaugural expo, including Mooala, SideDish Dressings, The Prep Kitchen, Gardencup, Sweet Addison's and Brio.

Austin-area brands scheduled to exhibit include Fields Good Cookies, Tozi, Noble Origins, Kaviva and PlantStrong.

The event will also attract businesses from outside Texas, including Gimme Beauty of Salt Lake City, Trace Minerals of Ogden, Utah, and S'noods of New York City.

The mix of local and national exhibitors is intended to position Irving as a meeting place for consumer product companies seeking opportunities in the Texas retail market.

Texas Consumer Products Industry Supports 1.8 Million Jobs

Rooted Expo's launch comes as Texas continues to attract consumer brands, investors and retailers.

According to an October 2024 study by the Consumer Brands Association and PwC, the consumer packaged goods industry contributes approximately $196.8 billion annually to the Texas economy and supports more than 1.8 million jobs.

Texas also added 391,243 residents in 2025, bringing its population to approximately 31.7 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures cited by The Texas Tribune.

The state's growing population has helped make it an attractive market for businesses looking to expand their customer base.

Several major acquisitions involving Texas-founded consumer brands have also highlighted investor interest in the industry.

Since January 2025, transactions cited by Rooted Expo organizers include PepsiCo's $1.2 billion acquisition of Siete Foods, PepsiCo's $1.95 billion acquisition of Poppi and Anheuser-Busch's $490 million acquisition of an 85% stake in BeatBox Beverages.

Together, those transactions represent approximately $3.64 billion in deal value.