Washington, DC – As the signature event for the confectionery and snack industries, the Sweets & Snacks Expo at Chicago’s McCormick Place (May 19-21, 2020) is seeking dynamic thought leaders to provide show attendees with unique insights, trend forecasts and solutions to accelerate candy and snack category growth.
Named one of the “Gold 100” largest and most accomplished trade shows in the country for the third consecutive year by Trade Show Executive magazine, the Sweets & Snacks Expo provides speakers with an unparalleled venue to showcase their area of expertise, as the event welcomes more than 90 percent of the confectionery buying market and more than 75 percent of the snack buying market. Past speakers have included leaders from major companies like IBM, Google, Hershey, Mars Wrigley, Walgreens, Mintel, Euromonitor, IRI and more.
“The show’s exceptional atmosphere of candy and snack category learning and collaboration is exclusive to the Sweets & Snacks Expo and cannot be replicated elsewhere,” John Downs, president & CEO of the National Confectioners Association, said. “During the Sweets & Snacks Expo, speakers are able to present their research, insights and predictions on a world-class stage in front of thousands of industry leaders eager to expand and improve their companies and our shared industry.”
The Sweets & Snacks Expo is seeking experts to deliver relevant insights and solutions for the following topics relevant to candy and snacks:
- E-commerce sales and shopper behavior across all major online retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Candy.com, etc.)
- Industry implications and potential applications for click and collect, frictionless checkout and home delivery
- New technologies in on-shelf merchandising and aisle reinvention
- The latest shopping behaviors of each generation of consumers (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, Silent)
- Domestic and international flavor trends
- Shopping trends and best practices in retailing around core confectionery seasons (Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Winter Holidays, etc.)
- Summer merchandising opportunities and fostering summer as the fifth core confectionery season
- Novelty candy and licensing segments, including best practices for retailers
- The opportunities and challenges of buying local
- Activating influencers to build a brand
- The store of the future/creating excitement in the candy and snack aisles
- Opportunities to support shoppers’ emotional well-being
- The state of the industry and future prospects for treating and snacking
- Sustainability implications and opportunities for confections and snacks
- Winning consumer loyalty with transparency
- Lessons for entrepreneurs, particularly concerning bringing an innovation to market
- Other topics relevant to confections, snacks and specialty products
Selected speakers must have experience presenting their insights to large groups in plain language. Speakers should provide insights backed by relevant facts and research, precise implications and opportunities for category decision makers and recommendations for leaders to drive category expansion.
Speakers will receive a number of benefits including:
- Complimentary admission to the Sweets & Snacks Expo, which includes access to the four-acre Expo floor and dozens of learning opportunities and networking events
- Consideration to be included in the Expo’s summer-long Unwrapped webinar series, allowing speakers to expand on their presentation to hundreds of attendees with a second industry touchpoint
- Unmatched exposure and networking opportunities with industry leaders, including CEOs, brokers and senior brand representatives.
- Prominent display in all Expo marketing materials dedicated to raising speaker profile and building excitement around speaker events
Proposals are due no later than August 30, 2019. To submit a proposal, potential speakers should visit //SweetsAndSnacks.com/call-for-speakers.
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About the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Sponsored by the National Confectioners Association, the Sweets & Snacks Expo is the confectionery and snack industry’s most successful, world-class event. It is unrivaled in new product launches, business building solutions and innovations in merchandising. Qualified candy and snack professionals attend with global presence from 90 countries. More than 800 companies displaying the latest in candy and snack products participate in the Expo. The event is held each May at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
About the National Confectioners Association (NCA)
The National Confectioners Association is the trade organization that advances, protects and promotes chocolate, candy, gum and mints, and the companies that make these special treats. As the leading association for the $35 billion U.S. confectionery industry, NCA educates the public to help ensure that it understands and appreciates the unique role that chocolate and candy can play in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Confections are produced in all 50 states, creating jobs for approximately 55,000 workers in more than 1,000 manufacturing facilities across the country. More than 400,000 jobs in agriculture, retail, transportation and other industries rely in part on the sale of confections for their livelihood. For every one job that is created by confectionery companies, another seven are supported in related industries. Learn more about the “Power of Sweet” at CandyUSA.com, or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
