INDIANAPOLIS — The National Confectioners Association (NCA) opened registration for Sweets & Snacks Expo, the largest candy event in the Americas, earlier than ever before for its 2025 edition, which broke its record for exhibitor-count.
The event took place May 13-15 at the Indiana Convention Center, reporting 14,500 attendees and 250,000 net square feet. The show featured more than 1,000 exhibitors –– with more than 300 first timers –– and generated more than $12 million in economic impact. The number of countries represented at the event rose to 85, which is five more than 2024.
“Beyond all the exciting products and trends to discover on the show floor, Sweets & Snacks offers a top-notch education program and countless opportunities for relationship-building,” Carly Schildhaus, Director of Public Affairs & Communications at the NCA, said. “It’s that combination of business and camaraderie that really sets Sweets & Snacks apart from other shows and keeps attendees coming back year after year.”
Success Strategies
The NCA opened registration for the show in December of 2024, which is earlier than it ever had.
“With the record-breaking success of the 2024 Sweets & Snacks Expo, attendees were eager to secure their place and ensure they would have access to this best-in-class experience,” Schildhaus explained. “Our Indianapolis locale provides the space to bring the entire candy and snack ecosystem –– manufacturers, retailers, brokers and suppliers –– together under one roof for maximum impact. Plus, our ongoing partnership with Visit Indy has made the city itself a part of the show, bringing attendees to top Indy destinations for additional networking and fun.”
The event’s 2025 edition introduced a Startup Street, which highlighted companies who had been in the industry for three years or less. Startup Street also featured a 5×5 series where five companies presented their products to a panel of retailers and received feedback in five minutes or less.
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“There is truly no place better than Sweets & Snacks to see all the innovations taking place across the candy and snacks categories at once,” Schildhaus said. “For nearly 30 years, Sweets & Snacks Expo has been recognized as the place where trends are born, but we haven’t maintained this reputation by resting on our laurels. Innovation is at the heart of the confectionery and snack industries, so it is important that the organization of the show be equally forward-thinking.
“For example, building out the Supplier Showcase has created a dedicated platform for packaging, ingredient, equipment and business service suppliers to forge meaningful relationships without splitting attendees’ attention. From end to end, we’re strengthening every link in the confectionery and snacks production chain.”
The NCA also kept the show’s education cutting-edge and explored topics that were top-of-mind for attendees this year, such as regulatory developments and Generation Z’s favorite flavors.
Looking Ahead
Sweets & Snacks Expo is headed to Las Vegas next year and will rotate between two years in Indianapolis and one year in Vegas until 2032.
“Indianapolis and Las Vegas are the right fit to continue meeting the growing demands for Sweets & Snacks Expo,” Schildhaus explained. “As the show completes the first of its rotations through Indianapolis, the city has proven itself to be the ideal home turf, providing the necessary space to deliver the innovation, insights and connections that the candy and snack industries want and need. Looking ahead, we cannot wait to see what new heights the show will reach in Las Vegas.”
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