INDIANAPOLIS — The Sweets & Snacks Expo, sponsored by the National Confectioners Association (NCA), moved to Indianapolis in 2024, and announced a multi-year partnership with the city.
The show reported a record number of 1,000 exhibitors from more than 80 countries this year, and more than 300 first-time exhibitors. The NCA attributes this growth to its new host city, with the Indiana Convention Center, its new venue, offering space for expansions.
For more than 20 years, the Sweets & Snacks Expo was based in Chicago. However, it held its 2021 edition in Indianapolis in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped inspire this move.
“Hoosier hospitality was on full display,” John Downs, President and CEO of the NCA said of the 2021 event. “Everyone involved in the show — from attendees to show management — recognized that the city was a perfect fit and we jumped at the unique opportunity to return.
“Indy is a city on the rise — and it is the right city to meet the demands for our show and our community. Indy has hosted multiple top-tier events successfully and now Sweets & Snacks joins the ranks of these world-class events. We’re starting a new chapter together in this first year of an exciting partnership with the city of Indianapolis, and this collaboration has a significant impact on the ability for our show to continue to grow to new heights in the future.”
Sweets & Snacks Expo introduced two unique networking opportunities this year, which were rooted in Indianapolis’ rich culture and history. A happy hour was held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Additionally, at the show’s Fast Track event, attendees could experience an official Indy 500 practice session.
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More than 16,000 attendees visited the 2024 edition of Sweets & Snacks Expo, which offered 250,000 net square feet of exhibit space.
“As the top innovation showcase in the confectionery and snack categories, the Sweets & Snacks Expo offers an opportunity for the community to come together to debut products, gain insights and create meaningful connections. This year’s show solidified that there is no better place to do so than right here in Indianapolis. You could feel a renewed energy on the show floor from manufacturers, retailers, brokers and suppliers alike — and everyone is buzzing about our bright future,” Downs shared.
The Sweets & Snacks Expo will return to Indianapolis from May 13-15, 2025, move to Las Vegas in 2026, and alternate between two years in Indianapolis and one year in Las Vegas until 2032.
Learn more about Sweets & Snacks Expo here.
Photo Credit: National Confectioners Association
