Sweets & Snacks Expo Premieres Online Gallery For Most Innovative New Product Awards Program

Washington, D.C. (June 26, 2017) - The Sweets & Snacks Expo, hosted by the National Confectioners Association, announces the long awaited debut of the Most Innovative New Product Awards online gallery on SweetsandSnacks.com. The digital portal provides 2017 Expo registrants with access to all 360+ products submitted into this year’s awards program. 

Online visitors will be welcome to the gallery with a view of all the nominated and winning products from the 2017 Sweets & Snacks Expo. They can then drill down to every submission in each segment. For each submission, the gallery features the product, brand, flavor, SRP, weight and photo. Each product also includes an innovation statement written by the exhibitor on why their item can give retailers a competitive edge in the marketplace, setting the gallery apart from similar online tools. 

“This new tool allows retailers to continue treasure-hunting and building their strongest selling item assortment even after the show closes,” commented Barry Rosenbaum, Expo chairman and president of Nassau Candy Distributors, Inc. “Providing this unique online gallery to our attendees furthers our mission to provide incredible value not only to our exhibitors who submit an item into the program, but also to our retail attendees looking for the next great product.” 

Recognizing the latest innovations in candy and snacks, the 2017 Expo’s Most Innovative New Product Award program broke all records in its sixth year. The award winners – including those for Best in Show and the newly added Small Business Innovator – represent the most creative, innovative and fun products that the industry has to offer. 

The winners were selected from more than 360 new product award entries across nine candy and snack categories: chocolate, non-chocolate, sweet, salty, savory, novelty, seasonal, gourmet/premium, and gum & mints. Product submissions were rated by a retail panel representing nearly 85 percent of the U.S. buying power based on four weighted criteria in the areas of taste, packaging, innovation and go-to market feasibility. 

Also making its debut in 2017, the Small Business Innovator Award was specially designed to showcase companies with net sales of $500,000. The award provided incubating companies just starting in the industry with a chance to shine and gain recognition along with well-established companies. All small businesses are highlighted in the gallery for retailers looking to infuse unique small batch items to their set.  

About the National Confectioners Association (NCA) 
The National Confectioners Association is the trade organization that advances, protects and promotes chocolate, candy, gum and mints, and the companies that make these special treats. As the leading association for the $35 billion U.S. confectionery industry, NCA educates the public to help ensure that it understands and appreciates the unique role that chocolate and candy can play in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Confections are produced in all 50 states, creating jobs for approximately 55,000 workers in more than 1,000 manufacturing facilities across the country. More than 400,000 jobs in agriculture, retail, transportation and other industries rely in part on the sale of confections for their livelihood. For every one job that is created by confectionery companies, another seven are supported in related industries. Learn more about the “Power of Sweet” at CandyUSA.com, or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

About the Sweets & Snacks Expo 
Sponsored by the National Confectioners Association, the Sweets & Snacks Expo is the confectionery and snack industry’s most successful, world class event. It is unrivaled in new product launches, business building solutions and innovations in merchandising. 17,000 qualified professionals attend with global presence from 90 countries. More than 800 companies displaying more than 4 acres of candy and snack products participate in the Expo. The event is held each May at Chicago’s McCormick Place.