Sweet and Savouring in Las Vegas

The 2026 Sweets & Snacks Expo opened on Monday at the Las Vegas Convention Center with the Most Innovative New Product Awards Ceremony & Reception, where 12 companies hit the jackpot in a celebration of creativity, flavour and category-defining innovation.

Before the official opening of the show floor on Tuesday, the Expo eased into action with The Supplier Showcase, where companies unveiled the latest advances in packaging, ingredients, equipment and business services. But even before the doors fully opened, there was already a sense that this year’s edition marked something bigger than a simple change of venue.

A 'Game Changer' For The Industry

Billed by organisers as a ‘Game Changer’, the Expo’s move to Las Vegas has injected fresh energy into one of the confectionery industry’s premier global gatherings. Inside the cavernous West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, exhibitors were putting the finishing touches to sprawling displays as anticipation built for three days of candy-coated networking, trendspotting and innovation hunting.

And in true Vegas fashion, simply getting there felt like part of the show.

Travelling from a hotel on The Strip to the Convention Center becomes its own immersive experience. The monorail ride begins at the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino, weaving through the faux Parisian streets, cafés, and boutiques of Paris Las Vegas. Then, beneath the city, visitors descend into the Convention Center Loop, where a fleet of Teslas ferries guests through winding underground tunnels to the West Hall – more theme park attraction than shuttle service. Only in Las Vegas could a trade show commute feel like an entertainment package.

For the National Confectioners Association (NCA), however, the move to Vegas represents more than spectacle – it is also a calculated gamble.

Worth The Risk?

Previous editions in Indianapolis and Chicago allowed the Expo to dominate the host city. In Las Vegas, Sweets & Snacks must compete with countless conventions, headline entertainment acts and the city’s endless distractions. Yet the NCA appears confident the risk will pay off and runs a slick operation, already committing to return to Las Vegas in 2029 after scheduled editions in Indianapolis in 2027 and 2028.

“Sweets & Snacks Expo is the premier showcase for the confectionery and snack categories, and last year’s record-setting attendance and exhibitor participation reaffirmed its unmatched value to the industry,” said John Downs, president and CEO of the NCA

“With Sweets & Snacks heading to Las Vegas for the first time, manufacturers, retailers, brokers and suppliers are sure to hit the jackpot. With winning opportunities for networking and relationship building, trendspotting and discovering the latest innovations, we can’t wait to welcome them to the centre of the candy and snack universe.”

That optimism carried into the opening awards ceremony, hosted by Sarah Atkinson, who joined the NCA earlier this year as Vice President of Membership & Business Development. Framing the Expo as an industry-wide platform for “innovation, partnership and growth.” In a command performance worthy of any stage, Atkinson highlighted the scale of the event, which this year features more than 1,800 exhibitors from 136 countries.

“The supplier showcase, featuring over 200 companies, is crucial for brand innovation,” she told delegates, while also announcing the return of the NCA’s Ruby Award for supplier innovation.

Cargill and Voyage Foods Bring NextCoa Cocoa-Free Alternatives to North America Ahead of Sweets & Snacks Expo

As the confectionery industry gathers in Las Vegas this week Cargill and Voyage Foods will unveil their award-winning solution offering manufacturers a new option designed to address cocoa supply volatility, sustainability goals and evolving consumer demand

From The Desk of CocoaRadar™Anthony Myers

Among the suppliers attracting attention is Cargill, recognised for its cocoa-free confectionery alternative portfolio, NextCoa, designed to deliver a chocolate-style experience while addressing supply chain pressures facing the cocoa sector.

Sally Lyons Wyatt, Global Executive Vice President and Chief Advisor for Consumer Goods & Foodservice Insights at Circana, co-hosted the awards ceremony and noted that mounting pressure on core snack and candy categories is making innovation increasingly essential.

“With nearly 500 products entered this year – the largest field in programme history – the industry is clearly responding to changing consumer expectations,” she said, praising brands for driving consumer engagement through new formats, flavours and partnerships.

The Trailblazer Award and the Powerhouse Award

This year’s awards also introduced two new top honours – the Trailblazer Award and the Powerhouse Award – replacing the former Best in Show and Small Business Innovator categories. The refreshed structure reflects an evolving marketplace while recognising both disruptive newcomers and high-impact launches from established brands.

The winners dealt the strongest hands of the evening:

• Powerhouse Candy: WARHEADS Loud Mouth Bites | CandyRific
• Powerhouse Snack: Dot’s Snack Mix | The Hershey Company
• Trailblazer Candy: Mochi Gummies – Dark Chocolate Covered Cherry | Issei
• Trailblazer Snack: Raspberry Rose (Beauty + Glow) Popcorn | Belle’s Gourmet Popcorn
• Chocolate: Alli & Rose Strawberry Moochies | CAL Marketing
• Gourmet/Premium Confections: Freeze Dried Milk + White Chocolate Strawberries | Tru Fru
• Gum & Mints: Bubblicious Gummy Gum – Strawberry Orange | Perfetti Van Melle
• Gummy Candy: Squashies Sours – Cherry & Apple | Smarties
• Non-Chocolate Candy: Sour Tiniez | Rotten
• Novelty/Licensed: Mashups Candy Salad Kit | 1UP Candy
• Seasonal: Brach’s Crunchy Chewy Jelly Beans | Ferrara
• Meat Snacks: Cinnabon Bakery Inspired Flavoured Bacon Jerky | Wicked Cutz
• Salty Snacks: Cholula Hot Sauce Flavoured Tortilla Chips | Xochitl, Inc.
• Savory Snacks: Everything Bagel Pretzels | Promise Confections / Edward Marc Brands
• Sweet Snacks: Nutella Ice Cream Cones | Ferrero North America
• Baked Goods: Strawberry Milkshake Cookie | The Graceful Cookie

If opening day was any indication, the confectionery industry’s first roll of the dice in Las Vegas may already be paying off.

• CocoaRadar is one of the official accredited media companies covering the event, which runs until Thursday, 21 May, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.