Washington, DC – Now in its fifth year, submissions for the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Most Innovative New Product Awards are now being accepted. Hosted by the National Confectioners Association, the Sweets & Snacks Expo is the confectionery and snack industry’s premier event featuring more than 200 new exhibitors as well as a new, second hall in 2016.
With an average of 300 item submissions every year, the Most Innovative New Product Awards provide exhibiting companies a tremendous opportunity to showcase their new products to the more than 16,000 Expo attendees. The awards highlight the most innovative ideas, concepts and products the industry has seen this year.
“At Edward Marc Brands, innovation has become a pillar of our success,” said Chris Edwards, COO of Edward Marc Brands, whose product, Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Snappers, received recognition as the winner of the 2015 savory segment. “This success was helped tremendously by submitting our product in the Most Innovative New Product Awards. Being nominated two years in a row and then winning the savory segment was invaluable to launching our item at retail. The awards gave us the exposure needed to the panel of judges consisting of the top retailers in the country, along with the recognition of winning such a prestigious award throughout the industry."
The Most Innovative New Product Awards also serve as an evaluation tool for new products hitting store shelves as the judging panel consists of more than 90 percent of the buying market, representing a wide range of industry executives across all leading channels impacting the confectionery and snack industries. Companies that submit an entry will receive direct feedback from the taste panel judges following the Sweets & Snacks Expo.
In total, there are nine award categories with five nominees per award selected as finalists. Of the 45 nominees, the highest rated product will be announced “Best in Show” for 2016. The nine award categories are: chocolate, non-chocolate, gum & mints, novelty/licensed (candy & snacks), gourmet/premium (candy & snacks), seasonal (candy & snacks), salty snacks, sweet snacks and savory snacks.
"Since winning, our product has quickly become one of our top items and will continue to stand out from other competitive products due to this recognition. The awards program has proven to be a valuable resource offered to us by the NCA, and I highly recommend other companies make innovation a priority and take advantage of this unique opportunity," concluded Edwards.
Submissions for the Most Innovative New Product Awards are now being accepted at the Sweets & Snacks Expo website. The deadline to submit products is Monday, April 11th.
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The National Confectioners Association is the trade organization representing the $35 billion U.S. confections industry. NCA and its members value the fun and enjoyment of chocolate, candy, gum and mints, serving as a transparent and trustworthy source while building and promoting a responsible industry. As the leading trade association for the industry, NCA is proud of the role it plays in the public’s understanding and appreciation of candy’s unique role in a happy, balanced lifestyle. For more information, visit www.CandyUSA.com.
Source: The National Confectioners Association
