When you're selling dairy-free, plant-based foods, a nature-friendly exhibit is a no-brainer. But for its booth at Natural Products Expo West, Daiya Foods Inc. didn't just whip up a granola-and-Birkenstock stand and call it a day. Working with designers at Ruf Project and fabricators at Pinnacle Exhibits Inc., Daiya developed a design that delighted judges and Mother Nature alike. The 20-by-30-foot booth, which judges lauded as "nimble, eco-conscious, and unforgettable," featured an iconic chandelier of sorts. Two conjoined leaf shapes formed the base, from which dangled more than 600 Daiya-green cutouts suspended at various heights. Below the arboreal assembly, a central service station offered a similar tree-foliage shape. Meanwhile, glass-front coolers doubled as functional storage and product-display cases. Leveraging the backs of the coolers, designers crafted an aisle-side live plant display with 3-D graphics that proclaimed Daiya as "deliciously dairy-free."

Winning a Silver Award in the Green Exhibit category, the stand comprised everything from recyclable cardboard and energy-efficient coolers to water-based adhesives and furniture made from sustainable materials. Plus, a Uniclic-brand cork flooring system proved to be not only natural, durable, and recyclable, but also easy to install and comfy underfoot. "Rather than limiting or dragging down the design, the choice of Earth-friendly materials and finishes elevated the aesthetic," said Sean Pearson, director at Ruf Project. "Going Green was the obvious choice for the brand and a spot-on solution for the design." Highly functional and on brand, the good-natured design helped Daiya leaf its mark on the plant-based food industry. E