The Sweets & Snacks Expo is seeking speakers for its 2020 event, slated for May 19-21 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.  

The event, which is hosted by the National Confectioners Association, welcomes more than 90 percent of the confectionery buying market and more than 75 percent of the snack buying market, has featured past speakers from major companies like IBM, Google, Hershey, Mars Wrigley, Walgreens, Mintel, Euromonitor, IRI and more.

“The show’s exceptional atmosphere of candy and snack category learning and collaboration is exclusive to the Sweets & Snacks Expo and cannot be replicated elsewhere,” said John Downs, president & CEO of the NCA. “During the Sweets & Snacks Expo, speakers are able to present their research, insights and predictions on a world-class stage in front of thousands of industry leaders eager to expand and improve their companies and our shared industry.”

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is seeking experts to deliver relevant insights and solutions for the following topics relevant to candy and snacks:

• E-commerce sales and shopper behavior across all major online retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Candy.com, etc.)

• Industry implications and potential applications for click and collect, frictionless checkout and home delivery

• New technologies in on-shelf merchandising and aisle reinvention

• The latest shopping behaviors of each generation of consumers (Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, Silent)

• Domestic and international flavor trends

• Shopping trends and best practices in retailing around core confectionery seasons (Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Winter Holidays, etc.)

• Summer merchandising opportunities and fostering summer as the fifth core confectionery season

• Novelty candy and licensing segments, including best practices for retailers

• The opportunities and challenges of buying local

• Activating influencers to build a brand

• The store of the future/creating excitement in the candy and snack aisles

• Opportunities to support shoppers’ emotional well-being

• The state of the industry and future prospects for treating and snacking

• Sustainability implications and opportunities for confections and snacks

• Winning consumer loyalty with transparency

• Lessons for entrepreneurs, particularly concerning bringing an innovation to market

• Other topics relevant to confections, snacks and specialty products

Selected speakers must have experience presenting their insights to large groups in plain language. Speakers should provide insights backed by relevant facts and research, precise implications and opportunities for category decision makers and recommendations for leaders to drive category expansion.

Speakers will receive a number of benefits including:

1. Complimentary admission to the Sweets & Snacks Expo, which includes access to the four-acre Expo floor and dozens of learning opportunities and networking events

2. Consideration to be included in the Expo’s summer-long Unwrapped webinar series, allowing speakers to expand on their presentation to hundreds of attendees with a second industry touch point

3. Unmatched exposure and networking opportunities with industry leaders, including CEOs, brokers and senior brand representatives.

4. Prominent display in all Expo marketing materials dedicated to raising speaker profile and building excitement around speaker events

Proposals are due no later than August 30, 2019. To submit a proposal, potential speakers should visit SweetsAndSnacks.com/call-for-speakers.