SNAXPO 2007, to be held March 24-27, 2007, in Hollywood, Fla., provides snack food industry members an exclusive opportunity to increase their knowledge of key industry issues while making new contacts and finding new business solutions to help them gain a competitive advantage in today’s highly competitive marketplace.

SNAXPO returns this year to the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, with its state-of-the-art convention center and upscale sleeping rooms. It’s the perfect venue for SNAXPO, which was held there in 2005 to rave reviews.

An outstanding educational program will feature a detailed analysis of the impact of the world’s largest retail company, Wal-Mart, on the snack food industry, as well as the annual State of the Industry report from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI). There will be eight in-depth concurrent seminars, with plenty of opportunity to do business and network on the trade show floor and at social events.

SNAXPO 2007 will offer its 7th Annual Latin American Track on Saturday, March 24, with the entire program in Spanish. There also will be a special reception inside the SNAXPO exhibit hall Sunday evening to honor international attendees and their involvement and commitment to global expansion of our industry.

Snack Food Association Chairman Rich Rudolph, president and CEO of Rudolph Foods, urges fellow SFA member company executives and suppliers to attend and participate in SNAXPO 2007.

“This is our major event of the year,” he says. “It’s an opportunity for our industry to come together and for SFA member companies to get ahead of the curve with respect to new products and services that are available and understanding the key issues that affect our business.”

Presenting the keynote address on Sunday, March 25, will be Charles Fishman, author of “The Wal-Mart Effect,” who will examine how the world’s most powerful and influential company will continue to influence the snack food industry and our customers.

According to Fishman, Wal-Mart reaches deep inside the operations of the companies that supply it and changes not only what it sells, but how those products are packaged and presented, what the lives of the workers are like who make those products, and even where in the world those factories are located.

Fishman points out that Wal-Mart has changed the way shoppers think, their sense of quality, and the relationship between price and quality. The company, he adds, reshapes the economic life of communities, and indeed, the United States itself. Since 1996, Fishman has been senior writer at Fast Company magazine, and in 2005, he won a Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business journalism.

On Monday, March 26, Sally Lyons Wyatt, senior vice president of IRI, will present the annual State of the Industry report during the morning general session.

Wyatt believes that the opportunity to inject healthier options provides many opportunities to the snacking industry. She will discuss how consumer and market demands for new options are literally and figuratively “reshaping” the industry.

Wyatt will review category performance for 2006 and provide consumer insights into all major snack food categories. She will discuss how current trends are affecting industry performance, including how healthier product introductions have reconfigured retailers’ merchandising strategies.

Wyatt is responsible for overall management and development of the Frito-Lay-IRI relationship and the specific business activities required to service this division of PepsiCo.

A series of concurrent educational sessions will be offered on Sunday, March 25, throughout the afternoon. They will include:

• Food & Nutrition Policy: A 2007 Outlook — Presented by Lisa Katic, SFA nutritionist and health policy advisor and president of K Consulting; Susan T. Borra, executive vice president, International Food Information Council (IFIC); and Kari Heckler, Ph.D., corporate nutritionist, Frito-Lay, Inc.  Session will address current food and nutrition policy issues affecting the snack food industry, governmental developments, and industry responses.

• Understanding the Retailer’s View of Obesity: Opportunities to Maximize Products, Packaging and Promotions — Presented by Dr. Nancy M. Childs, professor, Department of Food Marketing, Saint Joseph’s University. Session will focus on how retailers are reacting to obesity and offer suggestions for snack manufacturers to work with retailers to promote their products. Childs will blend this with children’s attitudes toward snacking.

• Effectively Lower Energy Costs — Presented by Gray Campbell, founder, Power Systems Group. Session will explore ways to effectively lower energy costs without compromising product output. Elimination of unnecessary charges produces a direct impact on profitability. The SFA has partnered with Power Systems Group to bring effective information to negotiations of energy costs and offer methods to minimize costs.

• Commodity Price Management — Presented by Perry Iverson, managing director and Brendan Dorais, manager, business development, Commodity & Ingredient hedging, LLC. A case study on identifying and managing a company’s commodity price risk will be presented as the presenters lead participants through a price forecasting method combined with a company’s natural position in the market. In a follow-up session, participants will form teams to address realistic market conditions and implement futures and option strategies.

• Selling to Hispanic Markets — Presented by Dr. John Stanton, professor, Department of Food Marketing, Saint Joseph’s University, this session will address the values in the Hispanic culture that influence buying decisions including the need for an emotional connection. The session will address the different ethnic groups that comprise the Hispanic community, how generations and classes differ, and roles within Hispanic families.

• Electronic Commerce & Scan Based Trading (SBT): Efficiency & Profitability — How do variables such as accuracy of data, data synchronization, readability of bar-codes and shrink affect manufacturers and retailers. Industry leaders will discuss how electronic commerce and scan-based trading have changed the snack food industry and how snack food manufacturers and retailers will be using electronic commerce and SBT in the future.

• Pandemic Planning — Learn how to prepare and respond effectively in the event of global disease outbreak. While much of the responsibility is in the hands of government, here at home we can plan to create a seamless preparedness network where we all work together for the benefit of the American people.

The SFA will present its seventh annual Latin American program in Spanish at SNAXPO 2007. The program kicks-off on Saturday, March 24, with a continental breakfast, followed by a full day of educational sessions.

Topics will include new products in snack food manufacturing, current economic trends and international trade issues, health and wellness issues, such as obesity, food safety and food security/bioterrorism laws and regulations, and more.

Attendees will have an opportunity to meet snack food industry executives from Latin America and discuss important industry issues affecting the Latin American snack food market.

Only Full SNAXPO registrants may attend this program for free. Others should contact SFA for the separate registration fee.

A dynamic trade show with more than 200 exhibitors will offer attendees an opportunity to discover cutting-edge products and services and discuss possible business arrangements for the future.

Exhibitors from virtually every aspect of the snacking industry will be represented on the trade show floor, from milling to flavors, packaging, technology, commodities, logistics, business systems and services, and more. By taking advantage of SNAXPO, attendees will have an opportunity to do business and prepare for the future, gaining the inside track over competitors that do not attend.

The SFA still is accepting applications for booth space, although time is running out. Orders are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, and exhibitors are limited to one 10-in. by 10-in. or 10-in. by 20-in. booth per company. Remember: exhibiting at SNAXPO 2007 will increase your opportunity to reach all the major snack industry players at once — an efficient and effective use of time and resources.

Exhibitors who register for a badge and full SNAXPO registrants will honor international attendees with a reception inside the exhibit hall Sunday, March 25 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibit hall officially will be open Monday, March 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Tuesday, March 27, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Exhibitors and attendees can obtain additional information or to register, please call the SFA at 1-703-836-4500, or visit www.sfa.org. SFA contacts are: Exhibit Information — Tarrie Dortch, ext. 222; Program Information — Liz Wells, ext. 202.

Hotel reservations should be made now by calling the hotel at 1-888-627-9057. Mention SNAXPO to get the $259 room rate. The deadline for this rate is Wednesday, February 21, 2007. Visit www.starwoodmeeting.com/book/snaxpo to reserve your room at the SFA rate.

The SFA’s political action committee, SnackPAC, invites attendees to register for its golf or tennis tournament, both scheduled for Tuesday, March 27, during SNAXPO 2007. Network with colleagues, have fun outdoors, and at the same time support the SFA’s political action committee.

There still are opportunities to sponsor programs, activities and amenities at SNAXPO 2007. Doing so gives companies unbeatable visibility with their logos on all SNAXPO signage and helps to solidify an image of industry support.

A reception and dinner honoring exhibitors and sponsors will be held the final night of SNAXPO, Tuesday, March 27.

Here is a list of SNAXPO sponsors to date:

-A.C. Horn/Cantrell International -AET Films -AFP advanced food products llc -AZO Incorporated -Baptista’sBakery Inc. -Black Gold Potato Company -Better Made Snack Foods -BluePrint Automation, Inc. -Bryce Corporation -Casa Herrera -Commercial Creamery Co. -CP Flexible Packaging -Evans Food Group Ltd. -FMC FoodTech -Frito -Lay, Inc. -Fuchs North America, Inc. -Golden Flake Snack Foods, Inc. -Heat and Control, Inc. -Herr Foods Inc. -Inteplast Group Ltd., AmTopp Division -The Inventure Group Inc. -Ishida Co. Ltd. -J.C. Ford Company -Kerry Savory -Kliklok Woodman -Lance Inc. -Land O’Lakes Ingredient Solutions

-McCormick Flavors -McLean Packaging Corporation -Michigan Potato Commission -Mike -sell’s Potato Chip Co. -O’Malley Grain -Overwraps Packaging LP -Packaging Products Corporation -Plastic Packaging Technologies, LLC -Presco Seasonings -Pretzels Inc. -Printpack Inc. -QUALISOY -Quest Intl. -Reading Bakery Systems -Rudolph Foods Company, Inc. -Secor Sales & Marketing -Shearer’s Foods, Inc. -Snak King Corp. -Snyders of Hanover, Inc. -Spray Dynamics -The Bachman Co. -TNA North America -Toray Plastics (America) Inc. -United Soybean Board -US Potato Board -Utz Quality Foods Inc. -Wyandot, Inc.

Sponsorships available as of February 1 were:

This will be SNAXPO’s premier event for all registered attendees. The evening includes cocktails, a buffet dinner, dessert party and entertainment.

This cocktail reception in the exhibit hall honors international attendees.

This sponsorship will entice attendees to remain in the exhibit hall a little longer with refreshments such as Chili Pies, soda and snacks, as well as a continental breakfast on Tuesday.

Includes logo-on-counter signage, which each registrant will see when they pick-up their badges and tickets for the event. 

SNAXPO will provide a number of educational sessions. Topics this year include: Energy, Obesity, Environmental Issues, Pandemic Planning, Consumer Issues, Hispanic Markets, Commodity & Ingredient Hedging.

The State-of-the-Industry Session will be combined with the SFA’s annual recognition of the outgoing and incoming Chairman, officers and committee members.

Advertise your company in the SNAXPO Program Book.

Advertise your company on the back cover of the SNAXPO Registration List.

Design a high-quality beach towel with your company logo to be given out to those attendees who purchase the full package and come to the beach party.

Everyone loves T-Shirts!  Especially those with your company logo on it.

Provide an opportunity for attendees to remain in the exhibit hall, between visits to exhibit booths, so they can check their email and surf the Internet.

A favorite session for SNAXPO attendees.

The Snack Food Association has reached an agreement with The Ohio State University and Saint Joseph’s University to offer new online courses for credit in the disciplines of food science and technology and food marketing. Representatives of both universities will be at the SFA Information Booth at SNAXPO to answer questions.

Offered through an affiliation with OSU will be five courses, including Introduction to Food Processing, Introduction to Food Science, Food Safety and Quality, Food Biosecurity, and Food Chemical Safety. Courses are designed for industry professionals and lead to a Certificate of Proficiency in Food Science. Tuition costs for the program will be $450 per course, reflecting a 10% discount for SFA members.

Offered through Saint Joseph’s University will be courses in food marketing and related subjects customized for the snack food industry. That curriculum and additional details still are being finalized, but will be announced soon.

Watch this space or the weekly Snack Report for more information as it becomes available.