The 2023 Sweets & Snacks Expo will be held Monday, May 22 – Thursday, May 25 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The show floor will be open on May 23, May 24 and May 25. The Sweets & Snacks Expo’s Supplier Showcase will be on May 22 and May 23, also at McCormick Place.

The Sweets & Snacks Expo’s annual awards celebration honoring innovative ideas, people and products celebrates the best of the confectionery and snack industries. The Most Innovative New Product Awards will be presented on Monday, May 22, 6:00 – 6:45 p.m. during this exciting kickoff to the show. Doors open for a networking cocktail reception at 5:15 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis Chicago.

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is a trade-only event. Attendance is restricted to companies in the confectionery and snack industries, and the show is not open to the public. Before registering, prospective attendees should view the Sweets & Snacks Expo’s admission qualification requirements.

No one under age 16 will be admitted to the Sweets & Snacks Expo. Only nursing infants (swaddled or carried) are allowed on the show floor, and they must be carried in some sort of harness attached to the body. No car seats, buggies, wagons or strollers will be permitted.

There is no deadline to register as Sweets and Snacks offers both online and onsite registration. However, the registration fees increase as the registration date draws closer to the show.

No. Unless the Sweets & Snacks Expo is canceled, refunds will not be issued to attendees.

Only approved buyers and broker/supplier members are permitted to bring a spouse to the Sweets & Snacks Expo. The spouse can be registered during the registration process, or eligible attendees can log into the attendee dashboard and click “ADD SPOUSE.”

The Sweets & Snacks Expo requires unique email addresses for attendees, exhibiting personnel and media. In addition to making the registrant easier to verify, using a unique email address allows each Sweets & Snacks Expo badge holder to utilize and customize the online show planner and the show’s mobile app and receive timely Sweets & Snacks Expo information and communications.

Sweets & Snacks Expo show management requires for 3-5 business days to process a pending application. To help expedite the process, prospective attendees should upload or email all of their qualification documentation during the process.

All of registration will be located on Level 3 at McCormick outside the West Hall. Registration for attendees will open Monday, May 22nd at 8:00 a.m. Full hours listed below:

  • Monday, May 22nd - 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, May 23rd - 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, May 24th - 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, May 25th - 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

 

Attendee badges are necessary credentials to attend the Sweets & Snacks Expo. In order to remove any possibility for badge duplication, a badge verification policy is strictly enforced. Attendees with a lost or stolen badge will be charged a $100 replacement fee.

The Sweets & Snacks Expo does not offer one-day passes.

The Sweets & Snacks Expo will not mail badges in advance. The show will have multiple locations at McCormick Place for all attendees, media and exhibitors to pick up their badges.

No, badge passing/sharing is not permitted and can result in being banned from the Sweets & Snacks Expo.

Click here to access our shuttle schedule.

Yes! Sweets & Snacks Expo exhibitors will be distributing product samples. Only bags authorized by the Sweets & Snacks Expo are permitted on the show floor.

Book your hotel by clicking here. Alternatively, attendees can explore hotel options at the end of the registration process. OnPeak is the official show housing company and offers discounted rooms to Sweets & Snacks Expo attendees.

Please be aware that non-official housing companies are known to be particularly aggressive and have already begun their predatory email campaigns to deceive Sweets & Snacks Expo attendees. Please consider your options very carefully before sending a deposit to any housing company besides onPeak, the only official housing company of Sweets & Snacks Expo. Should you choose to book housing outside of onPeak, the Sweets & Snacks Expo will be unable to assist in any way should there be an issue or concern with your hotel stay.

No animals will be permitted except properly identified, on-duty ADA-recognized service animals. No branding of any type is permitted on the service animals.

Please contact attendeehelp@SweetsandSnacks.com to request special accommodations, including language services. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is hosting a Supplier Showcase — a face-to-face marketplace dedicated to helping confectionery and snack suppliers connect with prospective and existing customers. The Supplier Showcase will take place 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, May 23, and Tuesday May 24. If you are arriving in Chicago early, please stop by our Supplier Showcase all Sweets and Snacks registrants are invited. Click here for more information.

Sweets & Snacks Expo permits certain non-exhibiting manufacturing companies to visit the show strictly to experience it in consideration of future participation. Only two badges per company will be permitted for a fee, and “suitcasing” is strictly prohibited. Every non-exhibiting manufacturer must agree to abide by these guidelines in order to attend the show.

Instructions for requesting a visa are included as part of the registration process. For more information, please contact us.