WASHINGTON – The 2018 Sweets & Snacks Expo is pleased to announce its educational tracks for this year’s multifaceted program. The tracks, grouped around the themes of How We Shop, How We Eat, and How We Work, will explore consumer behaviors and trends in treating and snacking. Hosted by the National Confectioners Association, the 2018 event will host more than 20 educational sessions addressing various topic areas for the confectionery, snack and specialty categories.
“We know our educational program is a big part of what makes attending the Sweets & Snacks Expo a great business decision for retailers,” said Barry Rosenbaum, Expo chairman and president of Nassau Candy Distributors, Inc. “This year’s lineup promises to deliver actionable insights to help attendees gain a competitive edge, anticipate trends and find solutions that address their specific challenges and needs.”
How We Shop sessions will focus on shopper behaviors and patterns as they relate to confectionery and snack products. Featured sessions include:
- State of the Market: Candy and Snack
- Engaging Treats and Snacks Shoppers Across the Path to Purchase
- Bricks and Clicks Retail: From Enemies to Allies
How We Eat sessions will explore consumers’ decisions on evolving treating and snacking patterns, and how consumption is changing across different demographic groups. Featured sessions include:
- The Snacking New World Order
- The Why Behind What We Buy
- On-the-Go Snacking: Omni-channel Implications for In-Store Shopping
How We Work sessions focus on how we collaborate as an industry to stay relevant with today’s shopper. Featured sessions include:
- Power Pitch III: Lessons for Buyers and Sellers
- Driving Profit Through Balance at the Front End
- What’s Next in the Rise of Female Entrepreneurs and Leaders
The full educational schedule can be viewed at sweetsandsnacks.com/learn.
The 2018 Sweets & Snacks Expo, May 22-24, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. will welcome more than 18,000 attendees from 90 countries. More than 850 exhibitors will display the most innovative products the confectionery, snack and specialty categories have to offer.
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About the National Confectioners Association (NCA):
The National Confectioners Association is the trade organization that promotes the unique role of chocolate, candy, gum and mints in a happy, balanced lifestyle and the companies that make these special treats. Through advocacy and regulatory guidance, communications, industry insights and retail and supply chain engagement, NCA helps create an environment that enables candy makers and confectionery retailers to thrive. As the leading association for the $36 billion U.S. confectionery industry, NCA works to ensure that chocolate and candy are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy and everyday moments of joy. Confections are produced in all 50 states, creating jobs for approximately 55,000 workers in more than 1,300 manufacturing facilities across the country. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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. 18,000 qualified professionals attend with global presence from 90 countries. More than 850 companies displaying more than 4 acres of candy and snack products participate in the Expo. The event is held each May at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
