Special Report: Sweets & Snacks Expo Preview
Industry and retail peers will descend in droves on Las Vegas from May 19 to 21 for the Sweets & Snacks Expo. Over 15,000 attendees are expected to roam the convention and peruse the more than 1,000 candy, snack and frozen exhibitors.
Attendees will have access to the most innovative candy and snack formats from around the industry. Snack giants like General Mills, Goya Foods, and PepsiCo to candy innovators like Hershey, Mars, PIM Brands and Ferrero. Or those blending the lines between sweet and salty, like Chunk Nibbles. There will be products that feature caffeine (Alert Pop is a lollipop made to help you stay alert), to sustainability (Alter Eco makes clean and green snacks), to sparkle (Art of Sucre is a brand with viral cotton candy drink glitter bombs).
The show features a specialty market area with products that cover everything from allergen-free to ultra-gourmet, including organic, sustainable, premium, plant-based, and whatever is trending next. There’s also a zone that spotlights startup companies that are making their Expo debut.
This will be Chunk Nibbles fourth time exhibiting at the Expo. Brad Cocklin, Founder & CEO of Chunk Nibbles, shared, “We are more excited than ever. With it being an international event with brands from around the world, the exposure you can garner through exhibiting there is unmatched. On top of the staff that puts it on, the show is always incredibly put together and well run. We love connecting with people ranging from the small independent retailers as well as the large corporate buyers who all attend.”
What is Chunk Nibbles’ showcasing? Cocklin revealed, “We are bringing some exciting new flavors to a this year. Our team has been busy reviewing flavor trends while also gathering feedback from our loyal customer base. We are expanding upon our current Fruit Flavor offerings while also leaning into some classic flavors as well. They will be debuted at the MINPA showcase, so stay tuned!”
Candy Dynamics has been exhibiting at the Expo for many years. “Since the Expo itself was called the All Candy Expo,” remarked Haley Peyron, Marketing Manager. “We continue to grow our presence at this show with larger booths, more interactive displays and strong product launches.”
She continued, “In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Toxic Waste brand, we are planning to innovate on our flagship item: Toxic Waste Hazardously Sour Candy. This innovation comes in the form of a limited-edition Toxic Waste drum with unique flavors not previously available in the United States. You can continue to grow your collection of Toxic Waste drums with this new launch!”
“PIM Brands has been part of the Expo community since its inception, and it remains one of the most important events on our calendar,” noted Lisa Eustic, Senior Vice President Marketing, Snacks at PIM Brands. “Our President and CEO, Michael Rosenberg, was instrumental in contributing to the early success of this event, and it’s remarkable how much the show, and the community supporting it, has grown. This year, the show will be in Las Vegas, and we are excited for all of the extra sparkle that will come with that!”
She continued, “The Expo has consistently brought together the best of the industry, from retailers and partners to innovators and thought leaders, and it’s played a meaningful role in the growth of our business over the years. We continue to return year after year because the Expo reflects what we value: innovation, collaboration, and connection. It’s a valuable opportunity to showcase what’s new across our portfolio, gather real-time feedback, and engage in productive conversations.”
“Imaginings 3 / Flix Candy has been attending the Expo for decades,” Dale Thomas, President of Flix Candy, reported. “It remains one of the most important events for our business and for the category. We come back every year because it gives us the opportunity to connect directly with our customers, brokers, and partners in a meaningful way. It is also a chance to showcase our creativity and the direction of the company. There is a tremendous level of energy and focus at the show that is hard to replicate anywhere else, and it consistently helps set the tone for the year. The best part of the show is the sense of community. The confectionery industry is large, yet small. It seems we all know each other and the respect for community and friendly competition is both invigorating and enjoyable.”
Thomas continued, “The biggest shift we are seeing is that candy has become more about the experience. Consumers are looking for something fun, familiar, and shareable, not just something to eat. Licensed products continue to lead over private label or emerging brands because they connect with consumers on an emotional level, especially across different age groups. Value is also front and center. Shoppers are being more selective, so products that feel worth it both in price and experience are performing best. Non-chocolate and novelty continue to gain momentum as quadrant leaders, and formats that are easy to carry, portion, and share are becoming increasingly more important.”
Recent US Food and Drug Administration policies targeting artificial ingredients has many of the exhibitors ready to share their solutions. “There are a lot of changes being brought down through the new administration about removing artificial ingredients,” said Cocklin of Chunk Nibbles. “It is interesting to watch the titanic-size companies working to navigate these changes, but given our size and prior avoidance of these, we aren’t running into the same challenges. Outside of compliance, we feel very strongly about our brand’s positioning on ‘permissible indulgence.’ Our snacks can be enjoyed without the mental or physical guilt after the bag is empty, while also not sacrificing on taste or quality. Another trend is in the sensory experience of snacking. Our line of Chunk Nibbles Clusters gives our consumers a sensory overload of sweet, salty, and crunchy experiences that leave people craving more.”
Removing artificial dyes has been a decade-long R&D focus for PIM Brands, which produces Welch’s fruit snacks. They recently announced that their No. 1 fruit snacks brand is now made with colors from natural sources and contains no artificial dyes. They also hinted that even more innovations will be coming this May.
“The snacks and confections category continues to be reimagined by a focus on permissible indulgence, meaning snacks that deliver great taste but feel better aligned with today’s priorities,” said Eustic of PIM Brands. “Consumers don’t want to give up snacks; they want options that taste great, feel good to enjoy, and maybe even bring a functional benefit to the table. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to share that our entire portfolio of Welch’s Fruit Snacks is now free of artificial dyes, a milestone more than 10 years in the making. Celebrating this achievement will be a big moment for us at the Expo this year, and we announced the news now to build excitement and momentum heading into the show.”
Another challenge that companies are dealing with is the viral kind. TikTok candy challenges are still trending, and most companies don’t mind this additional exposure one bit.
Peyron of Candy Dynamics commented, “Challenges continue to be a hot trend, especially in sour—categories that thrive off the extreme nature of the product. Our brand was founded with this in mind, leading to the creation of the Toxic Challenge.”
For Flix Candy, the focus is on innovation and finding new ways to make candy more exciting to the consumer.
“We continue to build on our platform by introducing formats that combine play, entertainment, collectability, and great taste. This includes new delivery systems, interactive packaging, and products that encourage repeat engagement. We are also expanding into fruit snacks with a strong brand focus in Dole, which opens the door to a broader consumer base while staying true to our strength in licensed and novelty products. Everything we are developing is designed to stand out at shelf and give retailers something that drives incremental sales.”
Preparing for a show as big as the Expo is a team effort. For Chunk Nibbles, it’s also a family effort.
“A lot of time and planning go into the preparation of our show,” explained Cocklin. “From logistics, R&D, marketing and more. My wife and Co-Founder, Katie Cocklin, has exceeded all expectations at our last few shows, and I know this 2026 show will be just that. It’s one thing just to attend the show. It is a whole different hurdle to get people excited about your snacks and stop by your booth. Then, to keep them interested and engaged is the final step.”
“There is a lot of preparation that goes into the Expo, especially with the Expo moving to the West Coast this year,” commented Peyron of Candy Dynamics. “We start early with planning our product launch at the show and follow it up with planning the display. We host a unique theme in our booth each year—something that has built excitement in attendees, causing them to look out for our booth each year!”
Preparation for the Expo is a true collaboration across the organization for PIM Brands.
Eustic detailed, “Months in advance, our teams align on clear objectives to ensure that everything we bring to the show reinforces those goals. From engaging our creative team to develop the look, tone, and feel, marketing and sales to align on product and retail priorities, and working closely with R&D and supply chain on what will be ready in time to debut, it’s an all-hands-on-deck event!”
Thomas shared Flix’s show strategy: “Sales, R&D, licensing, and supply chain are all aligned around what we want to present and how we tell our story. We focus on bringing the right mix of innovation and proven performers, while making sure everything is ready from a product and operational standpoint.”
From bold flavors to cleaner ingredients and innovative brands, the Expo promises a delicious experience.
