As I write this, I’m planning on going to what I think is my 12th Sweets and Snacks Expo (although please forgive me if the count is off—like many journalists, I’m bad at math). In fact, I’ve been going since before it was called “Sweets and Snacks” (if you can email me at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com and tell me what it was named before, I’ll send you a wee prize).

If you look back through the photos I’ve taken throughout the years at the National Confectioners Association event, you’ll think it was nothing but a fun annual romp through Chicago’s McCormick Place. I never missed a chance to snap a selfie with any of the myriad mascots at the various booths. Here’s me with Twinkie the Kid at Hostess. There’s me with Darth Vader and a storm trooper visiting Jelly Belly. While perusing the Jel Sert booth, I met Foodstirs founder Sarah Michelle Gellar. In one of the smaller snack booths, I met Abraham Lincoln (actually impersonator Michael Krebs, a great guy whom I later became friends with and has since, sadly, passed on).

However, while the pictures don’t lie—Sweets and Snacks is one of the most-fun industry events you can ever imagine—they don’t tell the entire story. NCA puts on an entertaining expo, but the event is serious business. If you’re a snack, bakery, or candy producer, it’s a stellar place to spot current and emerging food trends—or to see what the competition is up to. If you’re a retailer, there’s hardly a better place to see all the new and yet-to-be-released products and plan what you’ll be offering your customers in the coming months. And if you’re a food journalist like me, it’s a great place to make connections with everyone who’s anyone in the business, from big names like Hershey and Mondelēz International to the up-and-coming snack start-ups.

Much like the namesake journeys of our elementary school days, a field trip for a trade journalist is an opportunity to stretch your legs, go someplace new, and learn. When Kemin Industries, Des Moines, IA, extended an invitation to a select group of food industry reporters to visit its Bakery Innovation Center (BIC) at their headquarters, I happily accepted—in small part for a change of scenery, but mostly because in-person learning opportunities have been in short supply since the start of the pandemic.

During the visit, the other journalists (including my BNP Media colleague Prepared Foods Chief Editor Bob Garrison) and I used all five senses in our tour of the BIC, a 2,300-square-foot facility equipped with an analytical lab, pilot-scale production equipment, and other features. We got to see the BIC staff in action, hear them explain the various services they offer tortilla and baked-good customers, get our hands on corn tortillas as we mixed and baked them in preparation for testing, smell the aroma of the cooking disks, and taste the fruits of our labor. Then, we got to put fresh-made tortillas through a number of tests. According to Marketing Director Courtney Schwartz, Kemin customers are invited to visit the BIC and share in these experiences.

If you’re a Sweets and Snacks veteran like me, you know, more or less, what to expect and how to prepare. Check out the exhibits and educational sessions before you go. Reach out to key contacts to make appointments. Don’t eat every sample you see (trust me on that one—your stomach will thank you). Bring business cards. Wear comfortable shoes. Etc., etc. What if you’re new to the massive event? Senior Editor Liz Parker has you covered—read her pre-show feature in this edition of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery (actually, it’s a good guide for vets, too—just maybe there’s some new stuff to check out).

One additional tip for you—if you’re going, email me at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com and let’s meet up. It’s always great to make new contacts and friends, and Sweets and Snacks is a tasty place to do just that. SF&WB