2024 Judges Coming Soon!
Kyle Dell’Arciprete
BJs Wholesale Club
Title: Category Merchant
Channel: Club
Portfolio: Everyday and seasonal confections, fruit snacks
Why Kyle attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
The Sweets & Snacks Expo is a great event to find innovation within our category and network with the industry.
Amanda Falitz
Bp/ampm/Thornton’s
Title: Category Manager – Private Label
Channel: Convenience
Portfolio: Candy, snacks, beverages, meat snacks, chips, nuts, seeds, packaged bakery, ice cream
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation helps communicate to our guests that we are on top of big trends and always have the new items for them to try. It keeps our sets fresh, fun and exciting so our guests come back to try more!
Deb Sammon
Coborn’s
Title: Category Growth Manager
Channel: Grocery
Portfolio: Candy and general merchandise
Why Deb attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
I attend the show to look for new growth opportunities -– new items and new vendors – and to see what products are going to be the next best sellers.
Jim Hachtel
Core-Mark
Title: Director of Category Management
Channel: Distributor
Portfolio: Confections, meat snacks, salty snacks, nuts/seeds, breakfast, nutrition, sweet snacks, packaged pastry
Why Jim attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
The Expo is the place to see innovation in person, to network with industry colleagues, to meet new friends and to re-connect with old ones. Also, I make a point to attend the educational sessions and see what is happening in our industry across the various channels.
Sarah Bibbs
Core-Mark
Title: Senior Director of Merchandising
Channel: Distributor
Portfolio: Confections, meat snacks, salty snacks, cookies, sweet breakfast and nutrition
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation provides a fun and exciting addition to core products to enhance incremental sales. As a distributor we find it crucial to be first-to-market with high-priority innovation.
Andy Vennum
Costco
Title: Buyer
Channel: Club
Portfolio: Nuts, candy, chocolate, meat snacks, fruit snacks, bars, gum, count goods, salty snacks, cookies and crackers
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation drives member excitement and engagement across our entire business. We are constantly trying to create a treasure-hunt environment for our members and innovation is at the heart of that process.
Brian Freel
Family Dollar
Title: Category Director
Channel: Grocery
Portfolio: Confections
Why Brian attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
I attend the Expo to meet new potential suppliers, see on-trend innovation and conduct strategic planning sessions with my supplier partners. It is an excellent opportunity to drive our business forward and to support our customers’ needs.
Susan Grassey
Harris Teeter
Title: Category Manager
Channel: Grocery
Portfolio: Front-end candy, everyday and seasonal candy
How does innovation drive your business?
Product innovation is what keeps customers excited. Innovation plays a key role in introducing novelty to existing product lines or processes, leading to increased market share, revenue and customer satisfaction.
Todd Gean
Hy-Vee
Title: Category Manager
Channel: Grocery
Portfolio: Everyday and seasonal candy
Why Todd attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
The Sweets & Snacks Expo is one of the most important trade shows of the entire year. Our team attends to look for the most innovative and exciting new items, as well as to create new partnerships with the tremendous number of vendors that attend. This helps us create a roadmap for confections for the entire year.
Chris Lindstedt
IT’SUGAR
Title: Vice President of Merchandising
Channel: Specialty
Portfolio: Confections
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation is a tremendous part of what we do at IT’SUGAR. We are focused on providing new, innovative, exclusive and exciting products to our customers each time they visit. We are “retailtainers” and innovation is the key to success and growth.
Tabitha Sewell
KeHE Distributors
Title: Director of Category Management
Channel: Distributor
Portfolio: Front-end candy, everyday and seasonal candy
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation brings new experiences to our customers, whether that’s using new technology to solve a consumer need or developing better practices as we look to resolve sustainability issues. Innovation helps customers find unique alternatives to the foods they purchase today. New ingredients and methods are introduced every day. It’s exciting to help bring these ideas to retail.
Lindy Smith
Maverik
Title: Senior Director of Category Management
Channel: Convenience
Portfolio: Confections and snacks
Why Lindy attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
Sweets & Snacks Expo is a great opportunity to network and reconnect with manufacturers on the latest and greatest products. Stepping away from the office also allows us a chance to meet and talk with other retailers who may offer differing viewpoints, insights and ideas.
Ashley Borden
Murphy USA
Title: Director of Merchandise
Channel: Convenience
Portfolio: Sweet and salty snacks
Why Ashely attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
I attend Sweets & Snacks Expo every year to look at new and upcoming trends and meet new suppliers. Expo is also the perfect opportunity to connect and grow our relationships with current suppliers.
Mayra Falcon Fernandez
Murphy USA
Title: Category Manager
Channel: Convenience
Portfolio: Salty and alternative snacks, packaged sweets, grocery and ice cream
Why Mayra attends Sweets & Snacks Expo?
It’s the perfect time to network with industry colleagues, meet new vendors and keep myself up to date with the latest trends in the market with the educational sessions.
Kathy Douglas
Paradies Lagardère
Title: DMM/Director of Merchandise North America
Channel: Travel
Portfolio: Confections and snacks
Why Kathy attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
We have trend-savvy customers who expect to see newness and innovation in our selections – with new products and also new presentations to enhance the customer experience.
Alyssa Snyr
S. Abraham & Sons
Title: Category Manager
Channel: Distributor
Portfolio: Candy and snacks
Why Alyssa attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
Sweets & Snacks Expo is my favorite trade show of the year. The confectionery industry is a tight-knit family, so it is great to catch up with industry professionals I haven’t seen in a while. Meanwhile, there are always plenty of new vendors and products to discover. Whether networking with connections from prior years, current suppliers and retailers or perspective new vendors, I always walk away with closer relationships than I began with and find plenty of leads on innovative products to keep my product mix fresh!
Todd Budzinski
Sam’s Club
Title: Senior Merchant
Channel: Club
Portfolio: Candy and commercial bread
How does innovation drive your business? Innovation brings new members down the aisle and gets them acquainted with our everyday offerings, which then brings them back throughout the year.
Jeff Mudd
Schnuck Markets
Title: Category Manager
Channel: Grocery
Portfolio: Confections and bakery
Why Jeff attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
I attend Expo for the ability to connect with current vendors and keep up to date on cutting-edge trends.
Amber Seibert
The Exchange
Title: Sr. Buyer
Channel: Military
Portfolio: Seasonal Candy
Why Amber attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
The Exchange attends the Sweets & Snacks Expo to meet new up-and-coming brands as well as connect with longstanding partners. The Expo provides a venue to see industry trends and strategize with our vendor community for the upcoming year. It is a must for our organization each year.
Heather Key
The Exchange
Title: Sr. Buyer
Channel: Military
Portfolio: Everyday candy, chocolate, fruity confections, gummy, gum, mints
Why Heather attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
I love seeing all the new innovation and offerings from all candy suppliers in one place. It’s also great networking with current and potential partners.
Meredith Stringer
The Fresh Market
Title: Director of Merchandising
Channel: Distributor
Portfolio: Seasonal chocolate and non-chocolate candy
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation is key to the shopping experience at The Fresh Market. Introducing our guests to unique, new items enhances our reputation, gives our guests an extraordinary shopping experience and provides shoppers a reason to return often.
Holly Adrien
The Kroger Company
Title: Natural and Organic Strategy and Innovation Manager
Channel: Grocery
Portfolio: All-natural and organic
Why she attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
It’s a great opportunity to see innovation and trends while making meaningful industry connections.
Grant Demers
McLane Company, Inc.
Title: VP of Sales, Mass, Club, Drug and Value
Channel: Distributor
Portfolio: Confections, seasonal confections, salty snacks, cookie/cracker
Why Grant attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
The Expo is a premier scene for connectivity, product innovation and discussing real issues with the thought leaders of our industry.
Peter Kempton
TravelCenters of America
Title: Senior Category Manager
Channel: Convenience
Portfolio: Candy, salty snacks, jerky, bakery
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation brings freshness to the category and helps drive the core business.
Ellen Idler
Walgreens
Title: Associate Category Manager
Channel: Drug
Portfolio: Take-home and seasonal candy
Why Ellen attends Sweets & Snacks Expo?
I attend Sweets and Snacks to re-energize and spark strategic conversations with suppliers. It’s always great to be face-to-face with industry professionals, out of the office, and brainstorming about ways to implement new trends and provide the best candy assortment for our customer.
Brian Rinker
Walgreens
Title: Director/Divisional Merchandise Manager: Snacking and Confections
Channel: Drug
Portfolio: Confections and snacks
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation is the lifeblood of the category, with younger generations having a 3x flavor preference vs older ones, and millennials are the most health and social conscious generation; we need to foster innovation to meet these demands.
Dominic Scardina
Walgreens
Title: Category Manager – Confections
Channel: Drug
Portfolio: Candy bars, gum, mint and impulse candy
Why Dominic attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
Expo is the most important event of the year because it brings all of the talent under one roof to ideate and strategize. It’s a great opportunity to catch up with our partners and follow up on what’s been happening with their brands.
Leslie Edmiston
Wawa
Title: Senior Category Manager – Snacks
Channel: Convenience
Portfolio: Sweet and salty snacks
How does innovation drive your business?
Innovation is huge for our business. Not only does it drive excitement and incremental sales for our customers, but it also reinforces the base of the categories and highlights the strength of our offerings in stores. It’s important to us that customers have a chance to try out the market’s newest offerings in our stores first and, in doing so, continue to use us as their destination for innovation.
Lisa Ham
Yesway
Title: Director of Merchandising
Channel: Convenience
Portfolio: Candy, snacks, grocery, general merchandise
Why Lisa attends Sweets & Snacks Expo:
Sweets & Snacks Expo provides an opportunity to discover new products, network with industry professionals and attend educational sessions for professional development and learn about the latest trends in the market.
