Sally Lyons-Wyatt, Executive Vice President & Practice Leader, IRI
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This session provides the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s perennial view of the snack category from a shopper, consumer and retailer perspective.

Chris Walsh, CEO, Hemp Industry Daily; Tish Pahl, Esq., Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC
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This session covers a regulatory update on the safety, federal and state laws, risks and rewards of entering the cannabis market and provides an overview of the market for CBD products, with a specific focus on edibles.

Larry Deutsch, CEO & Co-Founder, dvk marketing; Doug Van Andel, Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, dvk marketing
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This session will share actionable insights as attendees explore creative merchandising and brand activation in the candy category, as well as relevant examples outside the category that can be leveraged and applied.

Michael Sansolo, Author & Columnist, Morning News Beat
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This presentation will examine how technologies from 5G phones to virtual reality will enable smart shopping and smart stores like never before and build an entirely new shopping experience.

Ted Curtin, Chief Innovation Officer, ProdigyWorks
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This session reveals why innovation is so hard, what keeps companies from realizing breakthrough innovation and what leaders can do to foster a more creative and innovative culture within their organizations.

Mindy Asper, Principal, Impulse Marketing
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This session will explore overall checkout category sales, unit conversion and merchandising best practices to drive both sales for the retailer and deliver a better experience for the shopper.

Jared Koerten, Head of Packaged Food at Euromonitor International
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This session will provide extensive insight into the global landscape for product claims in snacks, including a vantage point into prominent marketing claims for snacks across clean, ethical and dietary labels.

Gina Peterson, Senior Manager of Retail Experience, The Hershey Company
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From evolving pay points to queueing strategies to cashier-less checkout, this session explores which investments in the front end are meeting shopper demands today and positioning stores for the future of retail.

This session explores new occasions and moments, both everyday and seasonal, that are driving treating and snacking.

Cam Cloeter, Founder, Impulse Marketing
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This session will focus on how lighting can impact the shopper's mood, time in store, basket size, satisfaction and loyalty.

Rachel Tipograph, Founder & CEO, MikMak
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This session will help confectionery brands tackle the changes in shopper behavior caused by this mass exodus to e-commerce and start to think about how to develop a strategy that's relevant for today's consumers.

Michael Sansolo, Author & Columnist, Morning News Beat
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This session will detail the many challenges and decisions companies must make in management, finances, technology, merchandising and more to successfully enter the omni-channel world with examination of how this impacts product suppliers.

Larry Levin, Executive Vice President, Market and Shopper Intelligence, IRI
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Holiday confectionery sales traditionally rely on brick-and-mortar sales, but as shoppers adopt new shopping habits, online opportunities are a “must-have” for manufacturers and retailers. This session explores the boundless online opportunities ahead for our industry’s manufacturers and retailers.

Kelli Heinz, Vice President of Marketing & Industry Affairs, Bell Flavors & Fragrances
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This session explores recent flavor trends in the candy and snacks categories. We’ll look at how each generation reacts to flavor innovations and how manufacturers are marketing innovations to appeal to their respective demographic segments. We’ll also show how Covid-19 has impacted flavor choices with consumers this past year.

Jehan Hamedi, CEO, VIZIT; Christina Garnett, Senior Insights Strategist, VIZIT
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This session will reveal four actionable tips to improve images along the path to purchase, resulting in a strong e-commerce path to purchase for any product.

Graham Cloeter, Partner, Impulse Marketing
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This session explores how self-checkout continues to evolve alongside shopper behavior and delves into the operational and personal needs of shoppers to find balanced checkout solutions.

Marcia Mogelonsky, Director of Insight, Mintel Food and Drink
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Consumers are refocusing their attention on health and wellness, and confectionery’s role in supporting their emotional well-being has never been stronger thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. This session, grounded in the latest research by Mintel, examines ways in which confectionery manufacturers should consider consumers’ needs and desires when marketing their products.

Anne-Marie Roerink, Principal, 210 Analytics, LLC
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This session provides the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s perennial view of the candy category from shopper, consumer and retailer perspectives. Attendees will preview NCA's latest signature research, which will debut for the first time to Sweets & Snacks Expo attendees during this session.

Sarah Alter, President & CEO of Network of Executive Women; Natasha Miller Williams, Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Ferrara Candy Company
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This session puts confectionery industry leaders in conversation on the topics of diversity, equity and inclusion and will touch on the business case for DEI, the importance of allyship and the issues facing women, people of color and other diverse groups in the confectionery and snack industry.

Charles Guilbeau, Vice President of Consumer Understanding, Ferrero North America
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This session explores how to stay on top of quickly shifting consumer behaviors while preparing for a post-COVID world. Attendees will learn how to leverage Ferrero’s data-driven insights from the people who pioneered these strategies and will walk away with an understanding of the industry’s post-pandemic future.

Gina Peterson, Senior Manager of Retail Experience, The Hershey Company
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From evolving pay points to queueing strategies to cashier-less checkout, this session explores which investments in the front end are meeting shopper demands today and positioning stores for the future of retail.

Larry Levin, Executive Vice President, Market and Shopper Intelligence, IRI
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Holiday confectionery sales traditionally rely on brick-and-mortar sales, but as shoppers adopt new shopping habits, online opportunities are a “must-have” for manufacturers and retailers. This session explores the boundless online opportunities ahead for our industry’s manufacturers and retailers.

Laura Bergan, Director, Barry Callebaut Brand
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What are consumers looking for on the shelf? What experiences are affecting consumer purchase behavior with chocolate treats? Take a look at the future of chocolate alongside Barry Callebaut’s marketing team, which will present a preview of how chocolate will be reaching new consumer groups in the near future and how taste and sensory delight will stay front and center for all consumers.

Rachel Tipograph, Founder & CEO, MikMak
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This session will help confectionery brands tackle the changes in shopper behavior caused by this mass exodus to e-commerce and start to think about how to develop a strategy that's relevant for today's consumers.

Michael Sansolo, Author & Columnist, Morning News Beat
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Back again for another season, this highly-engaging Shark Tank-style pitch session offers two companies the opportunity to present their product innovations to a panel of retail category decision makers.

Larry Deutsch, CEO & Co-Founder, dvk marketing; Doug Van Andel, Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, dvk marketing
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This session will share actionable insights as attendees explore creative merchandising and brand activation in the candy category, as well as relevant examples outside the category that can be leveraged and applied.

Trish Mielke, Senior Manager of Holistic Captaincy, The Hershey Company
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This session will outline how retailers and their trusted CPG partners can ensure the fundamentals of the path to purchase are in place across in-store and digital platforms with a goal to delight and satisfy each and every shopper.

Cam Cloeter, Founder, Impulse Marketing
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This session will focus on how lighting can impact the shopper's mood, time in store, basket size, satisfaction and loyalty. Attendees will learn how retailers are using lighting to enhance both their shoppers’ experiences and their bottom lines.

Michael Sansolo, Author & Columnist, Morning News Beat
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This presentation will examine how technologies from 5G phones to virtual reality will enable smart shopping and smart stores like never before and build an entirely new shopping experience.

Larry Levin, Executive Vice President, Market and Shopper Intelligence, IRI
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Holiday confectionery sales traditionally rely on brick-and-mortar sales, but as shoppers adopt new shopping habits, online opportunities are a “must-have” for manufacturers and retailers. This session explores the boundless online opportunities ahead for our industry’s manufacturers and retailers.

Jehan Hamedi, CEO, VIZIT; Christina Garnett, Senior Insights Strategist, VIZIT
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This session will reveal four actionable tips to improve images along the path to purchase, resulting in a strong e-commerce path to purchase for any product.

Darren Seifer, Food and Beverage Industry Analyst, The NPD Group
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Using the NPD Group’s proprietary modeling techniques, this session will analyze America’s generations, their penchant for candy and snacks and the underlying motivations that drive their consumption.

Gina Peterson, Senior Manager of Retail Experience, The Hershey Company
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From evolving pay points to queueing strategies to cashier-less checkout, this session explores which investments in the front end are meeting shopper demands today and positioning stores for the future of retail.

Mindy Asper, Principal, Impulse Marketing
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This session will explore overall checkout category sales, unit conversion and merchandising best practices to drive both sales for the retailer and deliver a better experience for the shopper

Beth Nieman Hacker, Director of Global Market Research, Tate & Lyle;
Lynn Dornblaser, Director of Innovation and Insight, Mintel; Lauren Jans, R&D and Innovation Manager, SmartSweets
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This session dives deep into sugar and calorie reduction trends and opportunities and explores the purchase impact of various claims and labeling. Attendees will also hear from SmartSweets R&D & Innovation Manager Lauren Jans on how SmartSweets, a fast-growing non-chocolate confectionery brand, drove category growth.

Nancy Whiteman, CEO, Wana Brands
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This session offers advice from the CEO of North America’s largest cannabis-infused edibles producer on building a cannabis brand and preparing a company for partnerships with the cannabis industry. Attendees will learn about the challenges in the industry, including licensing and regulations, and the necessary steps to build a cannabis brand when regular marketing channels and strategies are not an option.

Melissa Tisoncik, R&D Director, Blommer Chocolate
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This session will review new ingredient technologies, including methods for adding functional benefits to a product, reducing ingredients in a product and replacing mainstream ingredients.

Jehan Hamedi, CEO, VIZIT; Christina Garnett, Senior Insights Strategist, VIZIT
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This session will reveal four actionable tips to improve images along the path to purchase, resulting in a strong e-commerce path to purchase for any product.

Rachel Tipograph, Founder & CEO, MikMak
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This session will help confectionery brands tackle the changes in shopper behavior caused by this mass exodus to e-commerce and start to think about how to develop a strategy that's relevant for today's consumers.

Larry Deutsch, CEO & Co-Founder, dvk marketing; Doug Van Andel, Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, dvk marketing
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How can the confectionery industry make shopping for candy as fun as consuming it? This session will share actionable insights as attendees explore creative merchandising and brand activation in the candy category, as well as relevant examples outside the category that can be leveraged and applied.

Cam Cloeter, Founder, Impulse Marketing
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This session will focus on how lighting can impact the shopper's mood, time in store, basket size, satisfaction and loyalty. Attendees will learn how retailers are using lighting to enhance both their shoppers’ experiences and their bottom lines.

Peter Picard, Vice President of Strategic Planning & Research, ‎Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide; Sonja Evans, Associate Director - Business Intelligence, ‎Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide
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This session will present key research-based findings and recommendations for how marketers can change the course of communications and show how the essential role of snacks and sweets differs by life stage; how marketers can successfully adapt communications to people in new situations; and where and when marketers can engage these audiences to support purchase.

Michael Sansolo, Author & Columnist, Morning News Beat
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This presentation will examine how technologies from 5G phones to virtual reality will enable smart shopping and smart stores like never before and build an entirely new shopping experience.

Graham Cloeter, Partner, Impulse Marketing
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During this session, attendees will learn more about Impulse Marketing’s holistic solutions for self-checkout that improve shopper satisfaction and drive sales.

Rachel Tipograph, Founder & CEO, MikMak
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This session will help confectionery brands tackle the changes in shopper behavior caused by this mass exodus to e-commerce and start to think about how to develop a strategy that's relevant for today's consumers.

Jehan Hamedi, CEO, VIZIT
Christina Garnett, Senior Insights Strategist, VIZIT
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This session will reveal four actionable tips to improve images along the path to purchase, resulting in a strong e-commerce path to purchase for any product.