Innovation Avenue to Showcase the Newest Products at Sweets & Snacks Expo Chicago
The newest candy and snack entrepreneurs are set to showcase their featured products at the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Innovation Avenue, May 24-26, at Chicago’s McCormick Place, US.
Several companies will be present in Innovation Avenue, which is comprised of up-and-coming startups new to the industry. Past Innovation Avenue participants include successful multimillion-dollar brands, including Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle and Project 7, whose products are now found at well-known retailers such as Walmart and Target.
Hosted by the National Confectioners Association, Sweets & Snacks Expo attendees represent 90 percent of the buying power in the candy category and 75 percent of the buying power in the snack category.
Innovation Avenue will be located inside the Expo’s new Skyline Hall, which will also be home to the Most Innovative New Products Awards showcase and ceremony as well as the Discovery Theater, with presentations focused on innovation and snacking.
The 2016 Sweets & Snacks Expo will set an all-time record in volume of confectionery and snack products with more than 720 companies showcasing nearly four acres of product innovation.
During the 2015 Sweets & Snacks Expo, the National Confectioners Association bestowed 45 Most Innovative New Product Award nominations on companies showcasing imaginative ideas, concepts and products in two of the fastest growing categories in the marketplace: confectionery and snacks. Retail and wholesale trade customers then electronically selected one winner in each of the nine categories that comprise the USD 90 billion sweets and snacks industry.
Brazilian companies at Sweets & Snacks Expo
Seven Brazilian companies representing some of the flavors that are conquering the world will be exhibiting at Sweets & Snacks Expo. They are: Docile, Embaré, Harald, Peccin, Riclan, Simas and Simonetto. These companies are part of the Brasil Sweets and Snacks Project partnership between ABICAB (The Brazilian Cacao, Chocolates, Peanuts, Candies and Byproducts Industry Association) and The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) to promote their products in the international market, and whose participation in the international fairs has been a great opportunity to achieve a significant number of potential clients.
Currently, Brazil is the sixth largest confectionery market, according to Euromonitor International, after the United States, China, Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Brazil is fifth in the chocolate market, after the United States, Russia, and Germany, and is also fifth in the sugar confectionery market, after China, the United States, Germany and Russia.
Educational program
Executives from Information Resources, Inc., Geometry Global and Integer will deliver presentations on the current state of snacking and what trends are shaping the future at the 2016 Sweets & Snacks Expo.
The snack-focused sessions will take place at the trade show’s new Discovery Theater located in Skyline Hall. “In addition to the business done on the show floor, we want to provide Expo attendees with the latest insights they can use to make informed business decisions,” said Barry Rosenbaum, Expo chairman and president of Nassau Candy Distributors, Inc. “With snacking clearly on the rise, we feel strongly that these category thought leaders will provide attendees with a unique learning experience.”
IRI’s Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive vice president & practice leader, client insights will present on the state of the snack industry, providing the latest research on segment growth and opportunity development.
Geometry Global’s Director of Multicultural, John V. Burn will examine how shifting demographics will impact shopping behavior over the next five years and specifically its impact on the snack category.
The Integer Group’s Craig Elston, executive vice president, insight & strategy will provide attendees with insights on how the growth of online purchasing can be an opportunity for the candy and snack industry.