All Things Organic, the organic community’s biggest business and educational conference in North America, will co-locate with Natural Products Expo East, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) which added that the events would be held together for at least seven years.

“This exciting new partnership unites the business and educational strengths of All Things Organic and Natural Products Expo East,” noted Christine Bushway, executive director of Greenfield, Mass.-based OTA. “It will better serve the organic business community by increasing traffic, buyers and attendance at the trade event. Expo East will become the organic hub of the nation.”

Starting with this year’s upcoming Boston event, scheduled for Oct. 13 through Oct. 16, All Things Organic will be the branded organic pavilion for North American organic companies exhibiting at Expo East, to differentiate organic businesses from other natural companies at the show. Meanwhile, Organic Products Expo-BioFach America will continue to be co-located at Expo East.

All Things Organic’s conference agenda will be incorporated into Expo East’s educational programs in the form of an OTA-developed dedicated organic session. Further, OTA’s Annual Meeting will take place at Expo East, and the trade group’s Leadership Awards Dinner and Dance will be held Oct. 15 during the co-located shows. In keeping with the partnership, OTA’s International Reverse Trade Mission will help position the joint event as a global meeting place for organic interests.

New Hope Natural Media, the organizer of Expo East, will work with companies that had signed up to exhibit at the All Things Organic 2010 Trade Show originally slated for June for Chicago to figure out their participation in the new co-location.

“Merging the expertise of New Hope Natural Media to produce and manage trade events in the organic space with OTA’s mission to promote and protect the growth of organic trade creates an optimal partnership and an investment into the organic industry,” noted Fred Linder, president of Boulder, Colo.-based New Hope Natural Media.

OTA companies will retain their member discount when exhibiting at All Things Organic at Expo East in Boston. Additionally, priority points earned at previous All Things Organic trade shows will be applied to the Expo East priority point system for booth selection and placement.

The trade organization held the first All Things Organic Conference and Trade Show in 2001 in Austin, Texas, where the 2002 and 2003 events also took place. In 2004, OTA transferred the conference and trade show to Chicago, where it was held yearly through 2009.