SupplySide Global 2026: A Sugar Reduction Guide for Food and Beverage Teams

Events: SupplySide Global 2026

SupplySide Global is back in Las Vegas from October 26 to 30, with three expo hall days for the first time. If sugar reduction is on your 2027 roadmap, here is how to plan the week, what to ask sweetener suppliers on the floor, and how to meet the UnSugar team while you are there.

The short version

SupplySide Global 2026 runs October 26 to 30 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas. Education starts on October 26, and the expo hall is open October 28, 29 and 30. The UnSugar team will be in Las Vegas for the expo days to meet food and beverage teams working on sugar reduction. Book a time with us and bring your current formula or your toughest sugar brief.

SupplySide Global 2026 at a glance

Hours, badges and room changes are posted on the official SupplySide Global website. Check it before you travel.

Why sugar reduction teams should go this year

Many people still think of SupplySide as a supplement show. With more than 1,600 exhibitors, it is now just as much an ingredient marketplace, and food and beverage has its own stage, the Future of Food and Beverage Stage, on the expo floor. Ingredient Idol, the show's new-ingredient competition, runs a Food and Beverage category this year as well, with hydration among the themes.

For a team cutting sugar, that means one floor where you can compare sweeteners, fibers, flavors and texture tools side by side, and meet the people who will support your bench trials afterward. Three expo days also means you can taste on day one, think overnight, and go back with sharper questions on day two.

How to plan your week

Monday and Tuesday, October 26 and 27: education. The Innovation and Formulation, Regulatory and Trends tracks are the most useful for food and beverage teams. One session to note: "Gut instinct: Science, strategy and solutions for fiber innovation" on October 26, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Islander Ballroom B. Fibers are one of the main tools for putting back the body you lose when sugar comes out.

Wednesday, October 28: first expo day. Start in the New Products Zone in the Bayside Foyer, on the way into the hall, to see what has launched since last year. Note that the Level 2 expo space opens one hour before Level 1 each day.

Thursday, October 29: go deeper. The industry breakfast brief "Rise, shine and power up: Next wave of protein and fiber trends" runs 9 to 10 a.m. in South Pacific Ballroom C. Then use the day for follow-up meetings with the suppliers who made your shortlist.

Friday, October 30: close the loop. Agree on samples, timelines and the first bench trial before you fly home. The best trade show conversation is the one that turns into a sample on your bench the next week.

Session times and rooms come from the published agenda as of October 2026 and can change.

Seven questions to ask every sweetener supplier on the floor

A booth conversation goes fast. These seven questions get you the answers that matter for a reformulation project:

1. How much sugar can it replace in my product type? Ask for a number by category, not a headline range.
2. What does it taste like over time? Ask about onset and finish, not only sweetness.
3. What does it need as a partner? Few sweeteners work alone. Ask what the supplier blends it with.
4. How does it handle my process? Give your heat step and pH, and ask for data.
5. What is the regulatory status, in one sentence? It should match the supplier's website word for word. Ours is on our regulatory and quality page.
6. What does it cost in use? Compare cost per unit of sugar-equivalent sweetness, not per kilogram.
7. How fast can I get samples, and who helps with the first trial? A good answer names a timeline and a person.

Bring a brief, get a better meeting

The most useful meetings at SupplySide start with four facts on one page:

• Product and format: for example a 12 oz soda, a drinkable yogurt or a protein bar
• Current sweetener system: sugar, stevia, monk fruit, sucralose or a blend
• Sugar target: how much you want to remove, and by when
• Process: your heat step, pH and fill method

With that brief, a supplier can give you a starting dose and a realistic target in the meeting, instead of a brochure.

Meet UnSugar at SupplySide Global

The UnSugar team will be at SupplySide Global for the expo days, October 28 to 30. We are not running a booth this year. We are there to meet food and beverage teams one on one, so book a time and we will meet you at the convention center.

Here is what we can talk through with you:

• What UnSugar Sweet Protein is. A sweet protein that is 1,000 times sweeter than sugar, with a clean, sugar-like taste. It is dosed in milligrams and replaces 60 to 90% of the sugar in suitable formulations.
• How to start. Our usual starting point is a 65/35 blend: 65% of the sweetness from UnSugar Sweet Protein and 35% from the sweetener you use today.
• Your category. We have worked through carbonated soft drinks, electrolyte drinks, yogurt and chocolate and more. Bring your own and we will work through it with you.
• Your process. It holds its sweetness up to about 98 °C (208 °F), and it comes as a liquid for ready-to-drink lines and a powder for dry mixes.
• Next steps. Free samples for qualified teams, a sample guide, and our applications team on your first bench trial.

Going to SupplySide Global? Book a time with the UnSugar team and mention SupplySide in your message. Tell us your product and sugar target, and we will come prepared with a starting dose.

Not going this year? Request free samples instead. Requests are reviewed within one business day.

Quick answers

When and where is SupplySide Global 2026? October 26 to 30, 2026, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Education runs all five days, and the expo hall is open October 28 to 30.

How many expo hall days does SupplySide Global 2026 have? Three, October 28, 29 and 30. It is the first year the show has had three expo hall days.

Does SupplySide Global cover food and beverage, or only supplements? Both. Food and beverage has its own stage on the expo floor, the Future of Food and Beverage Stage, and Ingredient Idol runs a Food and Beverage category.

Is UnSugar exhibiting at SupplySide Global 2026? No. The UnSugar team is attending the expo days to meet food and beverage teams one on one. Book a time through our specialist page and mention SupplySide.

What should I ask sweetener suppliers at SupplySide Global? How much sugar it replaces in your category, how it tastes over time, what it blends with, how it handles your heat and pH, its regulatory status in one sentence, its cost in use, and how fast you can get samples.

Can I get UnSugar Sweet Protein samples if I am not going to the show? Yes. Samples are free for qualified food and beverage teams, and requests are reviewed within one business day. Request samples on our site.

About UnSugar

UnSugar Sweet Protein is a sweet-protein ingredient that helps US food and beverage teams cut sugar while keeping the taste. It is 1,000 times sweeter than sugar and replaces 60 to 90% of the sugar in suitable formulations. UnSugar Sweet Protein is self-affirmed GRAS for its intended use in food and beverage, and a GRAS Notice has been submitted to the U.S. FDA and assigned GRN 1338, with the no-questions response awaited. Pilot trials are underway with US food and beverage teams, and formulation and partnership discussions are open. Contact sales@goUnSugar.com.

UnSugar is not affiliated with SupplySide Global or its organizer. Event details are from published show information as of October 2026; check the official website for the latest hours and agenda. Reduction figures are formulation targets, confirmed by bench testing in your own product. We make no health claims for UnSugar Sweet Protein.