Snack and confectionery innovators and tastemakers will return to the Sweets & Snacks Expo, hosted by the National Confectioners Association (NCA), this May 14–16 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Attendees are ready to flock to the Hoosier State for the newest and greatest in salty, savory, and trending treats.

About the show
The Sweets & Snacks Expo is extremely useful both for producers and for buyers, who will get to peruse snack and confectionery innovation, according to John Downs, president and CEO, NCA.

"As the top innovation showcase in the confectionery and snack categories, the Sweets & Snacks Expo offers an opportunity for the community to come together to debut products, gain insights, and create meaningful connections,” he says. “[The 2024 show] solidified that there is no better place to do so than right here in Indianapolis. You could feel a renewed energy on the show floor from manufacturers, retailers, brokers, and suppliers alike—and everyone is buzzing about our bright future.”

The show—the largest candy and snack event in the Americas—promises another best-in-class experience for manufacturers, retailers, brokers, and suppliers, who will see the latest trends, products, and innovations across the candy and snack industries, notes Carly Schildhaus, director of public affairs and communications, NCA.

“By popular demand, registration for this year’s show opened earlier than ever before—a clear indication that attendees cannot wait to experience all that Sweets & Snacks has to offer,” she adds.

The conference will boast 950+ candy, snacks, and supplier exhibitors; 350+ innovative product releases; and 40+ insights-driven education sessions.

Exploring the show
Innovation is the heart of the candy and snack industries, and the Most Innovative New Product Awards (MINPA) is one window into all that’s fresh and exciting in these dynamic categories, says Schildhaus. The MINPA reception and awards ceremony will take place at 5:30 pm on Monday, May 12, the day before the show floor opens.

Last year’s MINPA winners ranged from Skippy’s Milk Chocolate PB Minis, to Amos Sweets’ Peelerz (banana flavor), to PepsiCo’s Doritos Dinamita Smoky Chile Queso and others. Awards were given to new products in various categories, including chocolate, meat snacks, savory snacks, seasonal, gourmet and premium candy, baked goods, salty snacks, sweet snacks, and more.

“Judged by leading retailers and distributors, MINPA is a well-established launchpad for brands looking to reach the next level. But that’s not the only place to find the hottest new products: 5x5 allows five confectionery and five snack companies from Startup Street to present their products to a panel of retailers and receive feedback in five minutes or less,” Schildhaus shares.

The show’s Startup Street features businesses who have been in the industry for three years or less, and whom are debuting their wares at the Expo for the first time. This year’s 5x5 presentation, featuring five of the Startup Street companies, will take place on May 13 at 3:00 pm at the Gold Stage.

A selection of this year’s Startup Street participants include:

• AGRO POWER Jerky: plant-based snacks with 10 g of protein per serving
• Blobs: fruit-flavored candy with 2 g of sugar per bag
• Bri Marie Gourmet Popcorn: a woman-owned company which specializes in delivering two flavors in one bag, such as Buffalo & Garlic Parm, or PB & Jelly
• Dolce Amore Artisan Cookies: cookie dough, Italian soft biscotti, and keto cookies
• Fry Daddy’s: a Michigan-based brand specializing in snack mixes
• Harken Sweets: date caramel candy bars, with 13 g of prebiotic fiber and no added sugars
• Nebula Snacks: specialty chocolate bites, made with organic cacao from the Dominican Republic
• The Brittle House: an artisan brittle company, with vegan products such as Sunflower Brittle

“This reflects the wide range of exhibitors we have at the show—Sweets & Snacks guarantees the opportunity to discover businesses that are just getting started, right alongside the classic and well-established brands they’ve come to know. Exhibitors range from large, multinational companies to small- and mid-sized businesses, many of them multigenerational and family-owned,” Schildhaus adds.

Sweets & Snacks Expo also offers a top-tier education program, according to Schildhaus. “We’re especially focused on delivering content that addresses topics that are top-of-mind for attendees, so expect education sessions on regulatory developments, Gen Z’s favorite flavors, and more. We will also cover the State of Snacking and the State of Treating reports to level-set on the health of each category,” she explains.

Some educational session standouts include:

• Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Create New Snacks, May 12, 12:15 pm, Supplier Showcase Stage. Speaker: Oisin Hanrahan, CEO and founder, Keychain
• Increase Consumer Engagement with Augmented Packaging, May 12, 2:00 pm, Supplier Showcase Stage. Speaker: Scott Burkey, technology fellow, Smurfit Westrock
• State of Snacking, May 13, 9:00 am, Wabash Ballroom. Speaker: Sally Lyons Wyatt, global EVP and chief advisor – consumer goods and foodservice insights, Circana
• The Snack50 Report: What’s Driving Candy & Snack Consumers Into Action? May 13, 11:00 am, Gold Stage. Speaker: Hunter Thurman, CEO, Alpha-Diver
• Reinventing Chocolate: Cutting-Edge Science Behind Cocoa-Free Indulgence, May 13, 11:00 am, Blue Stage
• From Bean to Bar: Getting to Know Chocolate Consumers, May 13, 1:00 pm, Wabash Ballroom. Speaker: Anne-Marie Roerink, president, 210 Analytics
• Trending Flavors in Confections and Snacks, May 14, 11:00 am, Gold Stage. Speaker: Kelli Heinz, VP, marketing and industry affairs, Bell Flavors & Fragrances
• Snacking in 2025 and Beyond, May 14, 2:00 pm, Gold Stage. Speaker: Tamara Barnett, SVP – strategic insights, The Hartman Group
• State of Treating, May 15, 9:00 am, Wabash Ballroom. Speaker: Anne-Marie Roerink

Click here to see the full educational lineup.

Time for relaxation
“The combination of business and camaraderie sets Sweets & Snacks apart, and we have two special events planned off the show floor to bring attendees together,” Schildhaus adds.

The show’s Happy Hour will take place on Wednesday, May 14, from 5:15-7:15 pm at the Bicentennial Unity Plaza at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“Our Happy Hour at Gainbridge Fieldhouse—home of the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever—will provide for casual networking over games, entertainment, and snacks. And after the show closes, attendees are invited to join Fast Track, a unique opportunity to witness an Indianapolis 500 practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” she relates.

Fast Track, which also was a perk of last year’s show, will take place Thursday, May 15 from 1:00-6:00 pm. The experience is free to all Expo badge holders, with a special ticket to be distributed onsite at the show, and transportation will be provided to and from the track. Ticketholders will also have access to a private Sweets & Snacks Expo hospitality area with food and drinks at the Pavilion, and they can move between the viewing grounds and grandstands to view racing action from different vantage point; attendees can even check out the garages where teams are preparing cars for the track.

The Expo advises to plan for 90 minutes to two hours at Fast Track to get the full experience, but guests are welcome to stay for as long as they like.

First-timer advice
“With more than 250,000 square feet of show floor to cover and more than 16,000 fellow attendees, first-timers to the show can expect a bustling, lively environment. They also won’t be alone in the crowd—last year, nearly one-third of our exhibitors were new to the show, and we anticipate similar numbers in 2025,” says Schildhaus.

Sunday, February 16

• Society of Bakery Women Professionals’ Networking Annual Brunch
• Spouse/Guest Welcome Reception
• Young Professionals’ Event
• Group Dinners

Monday, February 17

• Kansas State University/Florida State University Alumni Breakfast
• Future Forward Luncheon
• Interactive Group Activity: People Bingo

Tuesday, February 18

• Hall of Fame Luncheon
• Carnival Extravaganza
• VIP Reception

“Our education sessions are the best way to glean insights related to the industry, our networking events are the perfect opportunity to create connections, and the expanse of offerings on the show floor are the ideal way to find the trends that will delight consumers in the coming months and years,” Schildhaus adds. “Whether you’re looking for sweet, salty, or something entirely different, Sweets & Snacks has something to offer every attendee—and we can’t wait to see everyone in Indianapolis in May.” SF&WB