The Grocer Who Bets on Founders: Plum Market Takes the Presenting Seat at Miami Beach's First CPG Expo

There is a moment in every great food brand's story when the right door opens at the right time. Plum Market just built that door — and they're opening it in Miami Beach.

The Aventura-based grocer has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Miami Beach Food & Beverage Expo, taking place October 28–29 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. At the center of the partnership: the Retail Innovation Award, a first-of-its-kind prize that hands the winning brand something most emerging CPG founders spend years chasing — guaranteed shelf placement across all six Plum Market full-service grocery locations.

That's not a consolation prize. That's a distribution deal. And it comes with something arguably more valuable: hands-on mentorship from Plum Market leadership across merchandising strategy, brand marketing, and social media execution.

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The Retail Innovation Award isn't just shelf space — it's a hands-on partnership. We want to work alongside a visionary founder, opening our doors and sharing our expertise in merchandising, brand strategy and retail operations to help turn a breakthrough product into a household name.

The Miami Beach Food & Beverage Expo was built around a simple premise: Miami has never had a premium CPG trade show of its own, and it should. Founder Sally Golan designed the event as a curated gathering of founders, retailers, buyers, investors, media, and industry leaders — not another sprawling convention floor, but a room where the right people actually find each other.

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The future of CPG belongs to brands that are willing to innovate, challenge categories, and build authentic connections with consumers. Miami needs a show like this.

Brands competing for the Retail Innovation Award will be evaluated on product originality, ingredient integrity, packaging appeal, market scalability, and overall category disruption. Full submission criteria and the live judging panel will be announced ahead of the 2027 show.

Plum Market operates six full-service grocery stores across Michigan and Florida — including its Aventura location — plus more than 15 foodservice locations and 10 airport outposts across five major airports. The company's focus on natural, organic, and locally crafted products has built a loyal following among South Florida's most discerning food shoppers. Learn more at plummarket.com.