This week I’ll offer a simple note of thanks to all those who’ve participated in this year’s World Confectionery Awards forming an integral part of our industry celebrations at our World Confectionery Conference.

It has been particularly impressive to see entries across our categories from as far and wide as across the UK, Europe and the US, through to the Hawaiian island of Maui, reflecting our true intention to make these global honours marking achievements across our sector.

Judging from our independent panel including from our editorial advisory board alongside our own input is concluding this week, and given the diverse range of entries that have been put forward, it has been no mean feat in assessing candidates across categories.

In many ways, the range of entries has shown that there could easily be a case for far more categories, yet we believe the format has worked well on its present footing, which covers our core areas of interest across finished products, equipment and ingredients, as well as our other allotted categories of sustainability initiative of the year, team of the year, and emerging enterprise rounding out our annual celebration of the industry’s collective attainments for the past 12 months.

Our awards presentation at this year’s World Confectionery Conference on 10 September forms a fitting conclusion to the event, which will also feature additional optional networking and an evening meal for those attending, so we look forward to sharing the occasion with as many of you as possible.

Furthermore, our broad programme for this year’s conference includes keynotes from Caobisco, Ferrero, Cargill and Euromonitor International research group, alongside contributions from equipment firms Kruger & Salecker, DT&G Ltd and Intralox, as well as manufacturers including Cordillera Chocolate, Plamil Foods, ZRO Group (formerly Sweetdreams Ltd, and ingredients firm Bartek.

Our centrepiece Q&A on sustainability will encompass views from Fairtrade through to Ferrero and the views of manufacturers, who are all ultimately engaged in a similar goal of ensuring the future of our combined industries continues to thrive.

Moreover, the event will once again take its lead from sustainability as a core topic, alongside innovation for the sector, as well has companies demonstrating how business resilience strategies can make a major difference in comparatively testing times around the globe.

We also have notable gathering of exhibitors linked to the event, including Dohler, Paradise Fruits, Sunbeth Global Concepts, Plamil, and S&P Global (the latter two of these are also speaking at the event), ensuring for an engaging and dynamic full day of industry engagement. So if you have yet to do so, please register for our event via our website: confectioneryconference.com,

Thanks once again, and we look forward to seeing you soon, Regards, Neill Barston, editor, Confectionery Production

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