November 15-17, 2026
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, United States
The North American counterpart to Amsterdam, held every November in Rosemont (Greater Chicago). Floor is dominated by US retail-chain sourcing teams - Kroger, Costco, Walmart, Target, Albertsons, Whole Foods, Trader Joes private-label leads. The international pavilion hosts EU and Asian suppliers serving the US market.
A future channel rather than a near-term one. When our EU clients ship to US retail through their own DC networks, our involvement is invisible to PLMA Chicago. A direct exhibiting decision waits until we have US-side cold-chain and customs partners.
8,000+
Visitors
1,400+
Exhibitors
40
Countries
November 15-17, 2026
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, United States
46 years of editions, reshaped by changing buyer behaviour and category growth.
1979
Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) founded in New York as a non-profit trade organization to promote store brands.
1980
First Annual Private Label Trade Show held in Chicago, establishing the US market event.
2000
International pavilion significantly expanded as European and Asian suppliers began targeting the US private-label retail market.
2015
Show Navigator digital platform introduced, replacing printed guides with mobile-first exhibitor search and floor maps.
2023
Record 1,685 exhibitors from 60+ countries; first show to exceed 13,000 total attendees.
2024
Record broken again: 1,821 exhibitors, 3,000 booths, 14,000 attendees, 54 country and regional pavilions - all-time highs.
2025
Store brands reached $282.8 billion in US retail sales - a new record, up 30% in five years - validating PLMA as a growth-stage show.
Where tea, private label, and beverage buyers concentrate on the show floor.
Food, snacks, and beverages including tea, coffee, and shelf-stable grocery
Why it mattersPrimary zone for hot-beverage and specialty food exhibitors. Tea and herbal suppliers from international pavilions concentrate here alongside US-domestic food co-packers.
Additional food, beverage, and international specialty foods
Why it mattersOverflow food and beverage space; houses many European and Asian pavilion exhibitors, including country groups from Southern and Eastern Europe.
Health and beauty, household goods, personal care, and general merchandise
Why it mattersLess relevant to tea co-packing, but functional wellness and supplement-adjacent tea products occasionally appear here under health and beauty categories.
Global private-label packaging and product-trend display from 70+ retail chains worldwide
Why it mattersCurated display of what the worlds top retailers are doing in store-brand design right now. Useful for benchmarking envelope and tag formats used by US retail chains - Kroger, Albertsons, Wegmans - on their own-brand tea lines.
Hand-curated innovations in food, beverage, household goods, and personal care
Why it mattersEarly-signal zone for emerging US retail private-label trends. Beverage innovations here - including functional teas, cold-brew, and wellness blends - often translate into co-packing RFQs 12-18 months later.
Annual competition recognizing the best private-label product innovations in food, beverage, household, and health categories. Close to 850 products entered in 2025. Judged by industry professionals and consumers on taste, packaging, concept, and value. Winners displayed in a lobby exhibit throughout the show. The Bold Beverages category specifically tracks hot and cold beverage innovation including tea.
Monday morning keynote at the Hyatt Regency OHare (adjacent to the convention center) features the CEO or senior executive of a major US retail chain. Past speakers include the presidents of Lidl US and Aldi. Attendance is standing-room and sets the tone for buyer priorities for the coming year. A direct signal into what US retail private-label buyers will be seeking.
Tuesday morning panel at the Hyatt Regency OHare. Category managers and retail executives discuss emerging trends in store-brand product development, packaging, sustainability, and sourcing strategy. Typically more candid than the keynote - buyers share sourcing gaps and category white space.
Two curated display zones in the convention center lobby. The Idea Supermarket shows private-label packaging from 70+ global retail chains side by side, letting suppliers benchmark their presentation against live retail examples. The New Product Expo highlights the most innovative submissions from exhibitors - selected for novelty, sourcing quality, and packaging discipline.
Over 50 national and regional pavilions collectively bringing 900+ international suppliers to the floor. EU member states (Italy, Spain, Poland, France, Greece, Turkey, Belgium) each organise group stands. The structure lets smaller manufacturers enter the US market under a national trade body umbrella, sharing booth infrastructure and logistics. Kosovo and the broader Balkans currently have no dedicated pavilion - suppliers from the region would need to exhibit independently or under an EU partner.
Brands typically exhibiting in the tea, private-label, or adjacent halls.
Retail chains, hospitality groups, and importers known to send delegations.
Strictly B2B. The show floor is not open to the public. Exhibitors register via the PLMA exhibitor portal. Retail buyers and qualified visitors (supermarkets, drug chains, mass merchants, importers, wholesalers, food service) apply through a gated Visitor Request form and receive a badge link when registration opens (typically mid-June for the November show). Visitors must demonstrate active private-label sourcing or retail buying activity to qualify. No consumer access.
Sunday 15 Nov: registration 12:00-19:00, opening seminars 14:00-16:00, opening reception 19:00-20:00. Monday 16 Nov: registration 07:30-18:00, show floor 09:00-18:00. Tuesday 17 Nov: registration 07:30-15:30, show floor 09:00-16:00. Keynote Breakfast and Retail Trends Breakfast both 08:00-09:00 at the Hyatt Regency OHare.
The Hilton Rosemont Chicago OHare is directly connected to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center via an enclosed passageway - the closest option and the one PLMA uses for breakfasts and receptions. The Hyatt Regency OHare is adjacent, also linked by walkway. DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago OHare and Loews Chicago OHare are within 0.6 miles. Book at least 90 days in advance - Rosemont hotels sell out during PLMA week.
PLMA does not publish rack rates publicly. National pavilion group rates (Canada via CFEA, Australia via Austrade) have been documented at CAD $6,000 and AUD $8,500 per 10x10 booth respectively, inclusive of shell-scheme build. Direct PLMA booth bookings are expected to be higher. Contact PLMA directly for the current rate card. Custom booth design and build is sourced separately from PLMA-approved contractors.
PLMA Chicago is the correct show for when Balkan Tea is ready to pursue North American private-label business directly. That moment has not arrived yet. The buyer pool is exactly right - Kroger, Costco, Walmart, Trader Joes, and Wegmans all actively source private-label tea and herbal beverage through this show. But the path from Kosovo to a US retail shelf requires US-side customs clearance, a bonded warehouse or distribution partner, and FDA food-facility registration. None of those are in place. Until they are, exhibiting here would generate meetings we cannot fulfill. The most valuable use of PLMA Chicago right now is intelligence: the Idea Supermarket shows what US retail tea packaging looks like, the Salute to Excellence winners signal which flavors and formats US buyers are rewarding, and the keynote signals retailer strategy for the next 12-18 months. Attend as a visitor in 2026 or 2027 to build that market picture. Set an exhibiting target for 2028-2029.
Quick answers buyers ask before committing the travel budget.
Yes. International suppliers exhibit under national pavilions (e.g. an EU country trade body) or independently. Kosovo does not have a dedicated pavilion, so Balkan Tea would need to book directly through PLMA or join a partner-country pavilion. Most international suppliers use the national group model to share costs and gain credibility with US buyers.
Buyers span supermarkets, club stores, drug chains, mass merchants, dollar stores, online retailers, importers, wholesalers, food service, and military exchanges. Kroger, Costco, Walmart, Target, Albertsons, HEB, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Wegmans all attend. Visitor access requires pre-qualification through PLMAs gated registration process.
Amsterdam is larger (3,150 exhibitors vs. ~1,900) and covers EU retail buyers from Aldi, Lidl, Carrefour, Tesco, and Edeka. Chicago focuses entirely on North American retail. The buyer lists do not overlap significantly. For an EU-based supplier like Balkan Tea, Amsterdam is the priority; Chicago becomes relevant once US distribution infrastructure is in place.
The show floor opens Monday at 09:00 and closes at 18:00, then Tuesday 09:00-16:00. Sunday is registration and seminars only (no floor access). Breakfast programs at the Hyatt Regency OHare run 08:00-09:00 on Monday and Tuesday before the floor opens.
Yes. Hot beverages (tea, coffee, herbal infusions) sit within the North and Sky Halls alongside shelf-stable food. The Salute to Excellence Awards include a Bold Beverages category specifically for innovative tea and coffee products. US retail chains source private-label tea and herbal ranges through the show, with Kroger, Albertsons, Wegmans, and Trader Joes among the active tea buyers.
The Idea Supermarket is a lobby display showing private-label packaging from 70+ global retail chains side by side. For a tea co-packer, it is a direct window into how US retailers present store-brand tea - envelope size, tag style, overwrap material, on-pack claims. Visit it before walking the exhibitor floor to calibrate what buyer expectations look like in the US market.
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