2026 Trade Show
Playbook.
Sales team field manual — East Coast & West Coast activations. Issued by Ernie Manansala & Jeana Legarda, Co-CMOs.
Sip Tropical. Live Loved.
We are not just attending shows. We are activating inside the CPGX network. Every booth minute = relationships. Every sample = qualified conversation. Outcomes: Distribution · Warehousing · Retail · DSD · Brokers · Foodservice.
Read this first
- Re-read — This deck answers most of your questions. Give it a quick read before you reach out.
- Approvals — All branding & marketing run through Ernie OR Jeana (Co-CMOs) first.
- Comms — Questions go to Ernie OR Jeana. We skip the upline. Ask whoever's available.
- Booth — We share the booth under CPGX. No standalone Coco Love booth — and that's by design.
- Travel — Booked through Jeana (budget envelope approved by Ashley + Vinnie).
- Mindset — Same street energy. New pro setting. Discipline + process + consistency = trust.
Leadership & chain of command
Co-led by Ernie Manansala & Jeana Legarda — equal authority, route to either.
Ernie Manansala · Co-CMO
Jeana Legarda · Co-CMO
The three rules
- All marketing & branding — Must be approved by Ernie OR Jeana BEFORE going live.
- All comms & questions — Route to Ernie OR Jeana — NOT your upline. NOT the group chat.
- Budget owners — Ernie & Jeana track every dollar. Reported to Ashley & Vinnie.
June–July: Vinnie is out for Ashley's maternity — Ernie covers East and West. Aug–Sep+: Both Ernie & Vinnie may attend; coverage decided per show. Treat every show like leadership is in the room. They might be.
Who's on the floor
East Coast · Markley + Surge
Big shows: Summer Fancy (Jun 28–30), NACUFS (Jul 15–18), ECRM Fall Dallas (Sep 27–29).
West Coast · Nate + Kim
Big show: ECRM Summer San Diego (Jul 19–21).
Floaters · Jared
Leadership float · Ernie / Vinnie
Discipline standard for everyone: ✓ Uniform ✓ Notes ✓ Samples ✓ Follow-up.
Lead filtering flow
- 01CPGX booth capture
All network leads collected on shared form during show.
- 02Central master list
Aggregated post-show by CPGX into one source of truth.
- 03Josh + Jared triage
Filter by region, opportunity fit, and brand match.
- 04Assigned by territory
Delegated to the right regional rep + Coco Love sales rep.
- 05Rep follow-up
48–72 hours. Logged in CRM. Status weekly.
▸ Shared network = bigger pipeline for everyone. No hoarding.
Meeting cadence
01 · All-hands kickoff
02 · 3 weeks out
03 · 1 week out
▸ Jeana owns the cadence — calendar invites land 3 weeks out so the whole team can plan.
Budget snapshot
Ernie & Jeana manage. Report to Ashley & Vinnie.
| Line item | Est. cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ECRM — July (San Diego) | $4,500 | All-in via CPGX. Lodging included. |
| ECRM — September (Dallas) | $4,500 | All-in via CPGX. |
| NACUFS — College & University | $2,700 | Jul 15–18 · New foodservice channel. |
| Pavilion — Summer Fancy | $3,069 | Own table · CPGX marketing. |
| Pavilion — Newtopia Now | $3,350 | ⚠ Time-sensitive (closes mid-May). |
| Booth Rep (if needed) | $400–500/show | Optional · last resort. |
| Core event total · 5 shows · fixed registrations | $18,119 | |
| Optional booth rep across all 5 shows | + $2,000 – $2,500 | |
| Realistic full-program estimate · core + booth rep | ~ $20,119 – $20,619 |
▸ Final spend approved by Ernie OR Jeana. Booth rep approval through Co-CMOs before booking.
Booth rep option · $400–500/show
What's NOT covered
Travel = Jeana
One channel. One process. We've got you.
- Bookings — Hotels and flights go through Jeana once Ashley + Vinnie approve the budget. No freelance bookings.
- Submit early — Legal name, DOB, TSA KTN (if any), airline loyalty ID, seat preference, departure airport, target arrival/departure windows, hotel check-in/out, special needs.
- Budget approval — Ashley + Vinnie approve the envelope. Jeana books inside it.
- Pivots — Last-minute changes through Jeana, looped to Ernie if needed.
Pre-travel checklist
Times, airline, confirmation #.
Property, address, conf #, check-in/out.
Rideshare or shuttle per policy.
Time + badge pickup location.
50+ cases shipped 2 weeks ahead.
Matching colorway + spare shirt.
Cups, napkins, trash bags. NO ice. NO coolers.
One-pager + Ernie/Jeana-approved QR codes.
CPGX form + backup sheet.
Chargers + battery packs.
No suitcases at the booth.
Confirm product arrival at venue.
50+ of your own — or your approved QR code. Order new cards through Jeana.
Home Depot. Strap to your carry-on — counts as one unit. Expense it.
NO ice · NO coolers · ambient product only.
Bring 50+ cases per event
- 11oz cans only — At trade shows we only bring the 11 oz can. The 16 oz stays at HQ — limited inventory.
- Shipping — Ship 2 weeks ahead via warehouse. Coordinate count with Kim.
- Bring a buffer — Bring extra so we never run dry — every attendee should leave with a can in hand.
- Supplies — Sample cups, napkins, trash bags. No ice, no coolers (CPGX rule).
- Sampling permits — Covered by CPGX. We don't pull our own permit.
▸ Booth storage ~4 cases only. Coordinate restock cadence with Kim before you fly.
We show up in uniform
- Every time — Uniform on. Every show. Every day.
- Coordinate — Same shirt color, same pant color as your event partner. Lock it in the day before.
- One team — We look like a TEAM on the floor — not random reps.
- Presentation — Clean. Energetic. Closed-toe footwear. Badges visible on left chest.
- Backup — Carry a spare shirt. Stay camera-ready all day.
Booth activation & floor logistics
✅ Bring
- Product cases (50+ · 11oz only)
- Milwaukee dolly strapped to carry-on
- Backpack only — no rolling luggage
- Uniform on your body
- Phone + portable charger
- Notebook + pens (backup lead capture)
- Your business cards OR QR code
❌ Do not bring
- Suitcases or rolling luggage
- Personal coolers or ice chests
- Extra signage, banners, Coco Love branded gear
- Bulky personal items
Booth setup reality
- CPGX sets up the booth — you arrive, stock, sell.
- 2 case-stackers = primary product display.
- 1 small table for samples, lead capture, cards.
- Storage = ~4 cases behind you. That's it.
- Booth is 100% CPGX branded — fair to other brands subletting.
- No cold storage / no refrigeration — ambient sampling.
No standalone booth — by design
- Shared booth under CPGX — by design.
- Represent both — Coco Love on you, CPGX on the floor.
- Follow partner lead — schedules, floor manager, space rules.
- No rogue assets without Ernie or Jeana's go-ahead.
- Team player — be useful to CPGX reps. Their leads are our leads.
Shared lead pool · team over ego
- Network model — CPGX gathers leads for the entire conglomerate.
- We share the wins — Every Coco Love lead flows back into the master pool.
- Hand-off — Pass full lists to Josh & Jared post-show.
- Routing — They filter and delegate by territory and opportunity fit.
- Team math — More leads in the pool = more for everyone. We win together.
- Categories — Distributors · Warehousing · Retail Buyers · DSD · Brokers · Co-Packers · Foodservice · Specialty Retailers.
- Daily pace — Hit ~75+/day on a 3-day show.
- Quality bar — Full contact + clear interest + agreed next step.
- Ecosystem — Entire F&B industry is at these shows. Capture EVERYONE.
Great notes = great follow-up
- Every convo — Notes on every conversation. That's our habit.
- Capture fields — Name · Company · Role · Territory · Product Interest · Use Case · Volume · Follow-up · Hot/Warm/Cold · Next Step + Owner.
- Tools — CPGX lead form + your own backup (notebook or phone notes).
- Nightly upload — Sync at the end of each show day. We don't wait until we're home.
Post-event — 72 hours
Submit all expenses + itemized receipts to Ernie OR Jeana.
Deliver full lead list to Josh & Jared (CPGX export + your notes).
Top 3 wins · top 3 challenges · top 3 follow-ups.
All agreed next steps with owner per lead.
Photos and video to shared drive.
Sent to key contacts within 48 hours.
The Coco Love Way
10 commitments we make to each other — every show, every time.
- 01We show up in uniform — matching colorway with our partner.
- 02We bring 50+ cases. We never run out.
- 03We aim for 200–300+ leads per show.
- 04We take notes on every conversation.
- 05We share every lead with Josh & Jared.
- 06Branding & marketing run through Ernie or Jeana first.
- 07Comms route to Ernie or Jeana. We skip the upline.
- 08Travel goes through Jeana. Always.
- 09We submit expenses within 72 hours.
- 10We honor the CPGX partnership. No solo plays.
Sip Tropical. Live Loved.
You're hungry. You're prepared. You're a team. Now let's go close — and have fun doing it.
Co-CMOs · Ernie Manansala · Jeana Legarda
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