Sweets & Snacks Expo marks 25th anniversary in fine Chicago style
Returning once again to its long-term home in Chicago, this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo marked the event’s 25th anniversary in style. Editor Neill Barston casts an eye over key developments.
They say that few are able to throw a party or celebration quite as impressively as in America, and that certainly proved the case with this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo.
The 25th anniversary event made a notably strong return to Chicago’s McCormick Place after a break in Indianapolis last year, with a host of industry innovations sparking the interest of industry professionals attending from around the world.
There had been plenty of anticipation surrounding its revival in the ‘windy city,’ which is destined for further change, owing to a key announcement that from 2024 it will take to the road.
As organisers, the National Confectioners Association (NCA) enthused, the move, which will see it alternate between Indianapolis and Las Vegas, has been undertaken in a bold bid to broaden its appeal even further within the sector.
Certainly, there was no shortage of interest in this year’s event, as pandemic concerns faded into the background, with a total of 16,000 visitors exploring more than 700 exhibitors’ offerings.
Despite wider supply chain challenges, the US market has remained impressively resilient during the pandemic. This was underlined by the NCA’s latest State of Treating report, that put the American confectionery sales in the past year at $36.9 billion, with projections for that to continue rising up to around $44 billion over the next few years.
Notably, the aisles were packed with visitors keen to experience its complete range of offerings, from intriguing artisan creations, through to developments from global brands including Ferrero, Mars, Mondelez, Ferrara, Hershey, and Barry Callebaut – with the latter standing out for unleashing its latest Plant Craft dairy free organic chocolate as a key breakthrough for the region.
There were some smart innovations from independent businesses including edible ink printers targeting artisan confectioners, plus a broad contingent of bold snack flavours and textures from businesses as far and wide as Turkey, Brazil and a handful of British firms represented by the UK’s Food and Drink Exporters’ Association.
In addition, it also delivered with a quality education programme providing insights addressing trends including the rise of online shopping, generational preferences, through to the latest new product developments in snacking.
Major business presence
In terms of market-leading brand presence at Sweets & Snacks, there was once again significant representation, including a new key two-storey exhibition stand from Hershey.
Among the highlights of its range were some significant arrivals, including Nuggets dark chocolate truffles, a zero sugar bar offering, as well as KitKat Strawberry Duos, which all attracted notable interest.
There was also a key appearance for its Reese’s brand, as it unveiled a novel Big Cup with Potato Chip variety – a sweet and salty offering that upped the game for one of its standout performers.
An additional highlight came with a distinctive tie-up with America’s oldest brewer, Yuenling, for a special chocolate porter drink that offers something completely different for the brand.
Kaylee Dugan, associate manager of public relations said: “In terms of flavour, KitKat has a big release for us this year with the Duos, in strawberry and dark chocolate. This follows a really successful line that included mint and dark chocolate, as well as mocha varieties, which people loved. There’s also another exciting development with KitKat thins, which now have hazelnut, offering another very good flavour.”
Her colleague Todd Scott added that another key focus for the show this year had centred on engaging with retail stores on how they can best use their space – which has led to an introduction of new pantry packs of its snack-sized candies.
As far as new products were concerned, Mondelez International offered some notable range extensions on its existing lines, with the business placing a sustained focus on the success of its Oreo brand – including its ‘Cakesters’ product line.
Rick Brindle, vice president of industry development, reflected on its progress. He said: “I think it was a terrific show. I’ve been tracking the attendance level of our association events since the start of the year, and we started in the 50s (per cent) against 2019, and for Sweets & Snacks, we were up in the high 80s per cent. So the excitement was palpable – I felt like a ringleader at a circus, talking to young professionals and suppliers, moving them in the right direction. It was great, and I love that level of energy,” he enthused.
He added that it ‘felt like old times’ in terms of the overall atmosphere and quality of the event, with a strong innovation across the show. Furthermore, he explained the business offered a strong commitment to engaging with customers on its insights and overall brand mission.
For its part Haribo also enjoyed a particularly enjoyable event, with its classic Goldbears line celebrating its centenary. Lauren Triffler, director of corporate communications believed there had been a key response from visitors.
She said: “We’re so excited to celebrate 100 years of Goldbears, so we’re marking it with bunch of limited edition products, consumer sweepstakes, and a social media campaign.
“The thing that people tell us about the most is the quality of our ranges – which is consistent – with every bag they pick heartwarming, brings a sense of nostalgia and makes people happy.”
Awards success
Among those setting the standard for visually engaging stands was, Mars Wrigley, which showcased a broad portfolio of new products, as well as its very own music lounge for good measure.
Mike Gilroy, vice president of trade development, commented: “For this year, we have our sampling stations focused on the here and now with our innovation, but for the generation z’s who are getting into the workforce, we’re looking at our company purpose as well.
“This means not just simply being focused on making a dollar, but having a good world too, so we have shown an evolution of our M&Ms brand purpose, which is all about inclusivity. Above all, the one thing it stands for is fun – and that should be for everyone.”
He also welcomed the company’s event award honours for its Extra Refreshers fruity mix sugar-free chewing gum. This delivered another highlight, alongside a key transaction team initiative consisting of front-end experts tasked with implementing market solutions for category managers and in-store operations.
Plant-based solutions
For its part, Barry Callebaut caught the attention of visitors with its forward-thinking release of dairy free organic chocolate developed for the US market. Its wide-ranging plant-based solution range, known as Plant Craft, has set its stall out catering the growing demand for vegan options within sweets and snacks industries. A recent survey forming part of its Future of Indulgence report showed 81 per cent of consumers are seeking chocolates that not only taste great but are also ‘good for me and good for the planet’.
There was particularly good news related to the company at the event’s annual awards – at which the recently-emerged Trü Frü brand of hyper-chilled real fruit snacks featuring Barry Callebaut’s ruby chocolate, gaining a best in show award.
Laura Bergan, the company’s director, brand marketing, said: “It’s great to be back again. I think it’s a good combination of everyone being energised, who are just plain excited to see each other and talk about products.
“As well as it being the 25th anniversary of the show, ironically, it’s the 25th birthday of the Barry Callebaut merger, so it’s a win win for us. The event has gone really well as
showcasing our chocolate solutions.
“We brought our plant based dairy free organic chocolate capability and product line, which we believe will bring another tool in their toolkit for our customers, so they are able to look to the future surrounding growth in plant-based ranges.”
A further key brand for the region, Ferrero, also found itself among the honours with the event awards. Its Nutella B-Ready and Kinder Holiday Mix Countdown Calendar, both claimed accolades at the industry showcase. Jim Klein, Chief Customer Officer, welcomed the success, which comes amid a period of notable expansion for the company. He said: “With continued growth happening across the category, we’re humbled to be recognised by the National Confectioners Association and hear the extremely positive response from our retailers.”
As Confectionery Production reported, the brand launched a number of new products at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo, including a regional release for the much-anticipated Ferrero chocolate bars, as well as its Golden Signature Caramel chocolates. In addition, there were also several notable launches for the company’s Fannie May brand, including premium chocolate bars, as well as a range of new rocky road in several varieties.
Meanwhile, Ferrara, which is under ownership of the Ferrero group, also recorded its strong degree of success at the sector showcase, with its Nerds being amid the winners this year.
Spanish flair
Spanish-headquartered Vidal Candies reported a positive response to its latest ranges at the premier trade fair. The business, which was established in the early 1960s, has steadily grown its international presence, operating in America as a subsidiary since 2010 with its popular series of gummies.
Matt Hanna, sales director, Vidal Candies said: “The Expo this year was a much-needed event for so many of us. Many things have changed since Chicago 2019 and our lives and businesses have had to de reorganised and be reinvented.”
Another company reporting a strong performance at the event was global snacking group, Pladis (pictured below), which indicated there had been positive reaction to its enhanced portfolio at this year’s event.
Aundria Cummings, senior vice president of sales for the company, enthused at the results for 2022’s show. She said: “I felt the show was fantastic. For us, we have been extremely excited that we have been able present here again and we’ve transformed as a company in terms of how we are showing up, and bringing products to market. We’re riding the wave of amazing growth in the US market.
“Flipz in the past year has grown 42%, which is dramatically outpacing the market, as well as our Turtles products that have also seen notable growth in the past year, so we are very proud of those results. A lot of that has to do with the partnerships that we have formed with our customers,” as she explained that the substantial growth of the Flipz brand in particular had been a defining success for the business in the region.
“We’re just getting started,” she says in terms of its wider growth plans, which she believed remained firmly on-track despite the underlying supply chain challenges that had impacted on the business as much as with the rest of the sector amid the peak of the pandemic.
For its part, speciality US confectionery group Nassau Candy has celebrated the launch of its extended Clever Candy brand that was unveiled in Chicago. As the business revealed, its upgraded offering enables retailers and their customers a whole new way to enjoy their favourite playful and creative confections.
The inaugural products for its latest line will be packaged versions of the company’s bold Sour Sidekicks. These sour gummies are said to have focused on offering a notable chew, wide range of colours and intense fruity flavours. With such an eclectic mix of exhibitors, including a zone dedicated entirely to start-ups, it did not disappoint in terms of providing plenty of food for thought across the industry.
Supplier showcase returns to Chicago
In addition to the core show, a dynamic range of equipment, systems and ingredients came under the spotlight for this year’s supplier showcase at the 25th anniversary edition of Sweets & Snacks.
Businesses from across the sector in the US and further afield came together again for this notable element of the show, which was successfully revived last from its founding inclusion in the event back in the late 1990s.
More than 100 supplier companies participated, shining a valuable light on some of the region’s latest machinery, ingredients and product applications, as well as wider sector services.
Notably, Cargill joined the event’s ranks with its North American chocolate division, alongside its sweeteners team. They discussed the delivery of its latest Eversweet stevia solution, and ClearFlo natural flavouring for use within chocolate and a number of additional market categories.
Courtney LeDrew, marketing manager for starches, sweeteners and texturisers, was encouraged by the response. She said: “We have invested heavily in stevia over the past decade and what we are doing, over time, we’re figuring out how to improve its flavour and functionality. As part of this we launched our EverSweet and ClearFlo, stevia sweetener and natural flavour – the benefit is that they help mask some bitterness and helps curb the sweetness linger that you typically have with some legacy stevia ingredients.
“So, we initially developed it for the beverage industry, but what we found was that it also works nicely in chocolate application. We have samples with many of our customers and we are looking forward to what kind of results they get as well,” she explained, noting that it had been produced with particularly strong sustainability credentials, with its lab developed formulation having a 97% reduced environmental footprint compared against traditional Stevia leaf products.
Colombia’s Luker Chocolate were also in attendance for the showcase, with the team noting to Confectionery Production that there had been a strong response to its sustainably-focused chocolate series, with the company now supplying a wide range of manufacturers around the world.
Among machinery and systems businesses reporting a strong response, GEA Food, manufacturing a number of equipment lines for the confectionery field noted there had been a good response from existing and new customers at the event, which the team felt had been well worth engaging with.
Similarly, Tricor Systems, specialising in chocolate tempering systems told Confectionery Production that it had found an encouraging response from visitors across the two days, with the business reporting comparatively buoyant trading, despite wider market supply chain challenges.
Also on the equipment side, Edward Smagarinsky, from Australian headquartered NID, part of the tna packaging equipment solutions business celebrating its 40th anniversary, welcomed a return to the event.
He said: “It’s been a long two and half years that we have not been able to travel, but I am glad to be back here in the US as I used to come and see customers here quite regularly. I’m happy to be back and it’s the start of a long trail of visits that we will be doing.
“I believe the business has coped quite well with the pandemic, as the tough times that we have had have seen more people buying confectionery as a treat, so in a strange way, the industry often does well in tougher economic times. On the heels of that, the suppliers to the industry do rather well in these times. With NID now being part of tna, this has given us the opportunity to update the design and efficiency of our equipment.”
From the UK, DT&G Ltd was also exhibiting at the show, offering visitors a showcase of its coating systems equipment, with the business enjoying export to the US for more than four decades. Speaking on making a return to the event, director Lyn Pitt believed that it had been well worth the investment in travelling to the show, and welcomed the revival of the supplier showcase.
She said: “The Sweets & Snacks Expo is a great event, and it’s lovely for us to be reconnecting with people here that we met at the State of the Industry Conference earlier in the year. The market is really positive over here, and people seem to be enjoying the opportunities at the show. We’re here in Chicago to meet a large confectionery customer, so being at the event has been really positive for us,” added the director on the event that offered a valuable counterbalance to the wider celebrations for what proved a highly memorable event.
