SNAC International, the international trade association of the global snack industry, has announced the creation of SNX, a new industry forum that will work in tandem with its trade show, SNAXPO, to provide snack producers and their suppliers with two distinct, but integrated, platforms designed to spark dialogue, innovation and marketplace growth.

“When it comes to snacking, the only constant is change,” said Elizabeth Avery, president and CEO of SNAC International. “SNX, our new education and collaboration forum, combined with SNAXPO, our flagship trade show, represents a powerful lineup of industry events designed to spur increased engagement between producers and suppliers that will help them, together, serve their consumers better, faster and more completely than ever before.”

SNX, the new forum, will be the snack industry’s premiere thought leadership and networking event.

There will be three structured areas for education and supplier/customer engagement:

• The Education Arena: a thought leadership platform dedicated to keynote speakers, concurrent sessions and the SNAC Tank Pitch Competition.
• The Experience Zones: a novel concept comprised of five zones that will lead attendees through the snack manufacturing process, beginning with raw materials and ending with finished product. Each zone will feature supplier kiosks, pop-up education presentations and producer- supplier engagement areas.
• Supplier Suites: dedicated hotel suites will be transformed into meeting rooms and display areas for snack suppliers, providing a private venue for producer-supplier conversations and planning on products, sourcing, operations, supply chain efficiency, sustainability and other relevant topics.

SNAXPO will continue to feature a two-day expo-style exhibit floor full of equipment, packaging, ingredients, seasonings, private label manufacturing and all other products and services related to producing and marketing traditional and innovative snacks.

“Providing opportunities for the snack industry – producers, suppliers and other stakeholders – to come together to develop new ideas and address their shared challenges and opportunities is essential to SNAC’s mission. This new lineup provides the value our members seek and will position attendees for individual and company success,” concluded Ms. Avery.