What is the Sweets and Snacks Expo?
At Cottage Country, we’re always looking for what’s new in candies and snacks. The Sweets and Snacks Expo is the ultimate place to find inspiration and exclusive insight into the candy world. This year, we travelled from Cottage Country in Burlington, Ontario, to Indianapolis, Indiana, to attend the event.
Wondering just how big this fantastic event is? Let’s break down some quick stats:
The Sweets & Snack Expo has over 1,000 exhibitors and 14,000 attendees. There’s no shortage of booths to explore, with over 250,000+ square feet of show floor full of candy and snacks. It’s not just a North American event either, with over 80+ countries represented at the Expo.
Our team was excited to attend again this year in 2025, walking the rows of booths to gather behind-the-scenes views into the industry. At Cottage Country, our days are filled with the ins and outs of everything sweet, but that doesn’t mean we don’t jump at the opportunity to get out of the office and into the broader world of confectionery and snacks.
What makes this event truly special is that the Sweets and Snacks Expo isn’t open to just anyone—during the main event, only those connected to the candy and snacks industry are invited to attend. The Expo is an inside look into new products, solutions and education for the people who care about it most.
Let’s dive into what it’s like to attend Sweets and Snacks, covering everything we saw, did and taste-tested!
What We Saw and Did at Sweets and Snacks 2025
Walking the Supplier Showcase
The Expo ran from Monday, May 12th to Thursday, May 15th this year. At the start of the week, the Supplier Showcase gave us a chance to see what’s new in the supplier world, from packaging to ingredients and equipment.
We understand the importance of sourcing quality products from trusted manufacturers. Our strategy enables us to offer new and exciting products to customers while also providing classic and nostalgic candy favourites. Our suppliers are an integral part of our business, which is why we connect with them at the Sweets and Snacks Expo.
Picking Up New Insights at Educational Sessions
Even at an event as fun as Sweets and Snacks, we still take time to learn. After the main Expo has begun, educational sessions are hosted, inviting attendees like us to learn from other experts.
Hearing from these speakers gives us direct insights into candy and snack trends. After decades in the candy retailing and wholesaling business, we know the importance of learning from the best.
Scouting the Exhibition Floor for Trends
The Sweets and Snacks show floor is huge, so we dedicate much of our time to exploring.
Around the Expo, you’ll find eye-catching booths from international brands like Mars Wrigley, Haribo, Lindt, Hershey, Black Diamond, Ferrero, and more.
As we walk the floor, we look for new trends and themes among all the booths we visit to help us better understand where the industry is headed.
With bright colours, video displays, free samples, mascots, and more, Sweets and Snacks is the most exciting place to be.
You might even see some unique advertising methods like these larger-than-life-size almond tins!
Discovering the Specialty Market
In addition to the big-name brands, Sweets and Snacks has a whole area dedicated to specialty goods in categories such as allergen-free, organic, sustainable, and gourmet.
We love seeing the creativity of these brands as they find exciting ways to cater candies and snacks to consumer tastes.
What’s New on Startup Street
The Sweets and Snacks Expo offers a special spotlight to brands that may not yet be household names with their Startup Street. This area of the show floor highlights innovative and emerging companies that are bringing creativity to the industry.
Although candy and snacks have been around for hundreds of years, we know there’s always room for new creations. Startup Street is a great place to gain inspiration and get excited about what will be coming to market very soon.
Building Industry Connections
We always look forward to connecting with our industry partners and suppliers at Sweets and Snacks. As a company specializing in the packaging and distribution of delicious candies and snacks, our supplier network is one of the most integral parts of our business.
At the Expo, we stopped to say hello to the team from one of our suppliers, Astra Sweets. It’s always great to connect with our supply partners, especially when they make the trip from Belgium!
Team Debriefing
After a long but exciting day on the show floor and learning from educational sessions, we debrief everything we saw. Together, we compile our highlights and insights into actionable ideas that we can take home with us. As CEO and COO, we’re able to take what we’ve learned and apply it to every area of our business. Putting it all into action when we return to Cottage Country is the most essential part of attending Sweets and Snacks.
The work doesn’t stop just because we’re away at events or expos like this one—Cottage Country always continues to run smoothly, thanks to our incredible team. We know that running a fourth-generation business means there will always be some communication with our team back home while we’re away on business.
Can’t Forget the Best Part – Free Candy and Snacks!
Sweets and Snacks wouldn’t be a success without some candy and snack taste-testing. With almost every booth offering a taste of their products, there’s no need to go hungry. From candy and chocolate to nuts, snacks and mixes, there’s so much to try.
We even got to taste-test some Cottage Country favourites from our suppliers, like Salt Water Taffy, Cola Bottles, Peach Rings and more!
A Wrap on Sweets and Snacks 2025
We are always excited to attend this iconic event and can’t wait to see what future years have in store. The Sweets and Snacks Expo is just one way we connect with our industry, helping drive our success into the future.
If you’d like to learn more about partnering with Cottage Country, we’d be happy to connect with you.
