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Food Ideas

June 1, 2013
M&M's at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
M&M's at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

A giant, fierce-looking M&M guarded the event's entrance at Chicago's McCormick Place West—and signaled to guests that they were indisputably in the right place, the Sweets & Snacks Expo.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Peeps at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Peeps at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Just beyond the entrance, a bright yellow car—decked with a rather large chick—advertised Peeps. The punchy "Peepster" Volkswagen was part of Peeps' "Magical Moments Tour," which saw the branded car touring through the mid-Atlantic region to distribute marshmallow-y treats and coupons during the holidays.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Sweets & Snacks Expo
Sweets & Snacks Expo

Banners and signage took on a candy-centric spin and featured dangling pieces of prop chocolate. To help guests navigate the 570 booths, the show also had its own app, sponsored by the Hershey Company.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Hershey at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Hershey at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

The Hershey Company also had a significant presence on the trade show floor with a modern, curved booth punctuated by a giant Hershey's Kiss hanging overhead.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Sweets & Snacks Expo
Sweets & Snacks Expo

It wasn't too early for gingerbread houses at the expo, where guests included some 15,000 buyers already ordering their holiday inventory. Organizers said that the show's attendees represented $150 billion of worldwide buying power in the confectionery, snack, and cookie categories.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Gary Poppins Popcorn at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Gary Poppins Popcorn at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Gary Poppins Popcorn had a whimsical booth that looked like a giant box of its signature crunchy snack. Product reps doled out mini bags of caramel and cheddar popcorn; the company also makes the product in more unusual flavors such as pumpkin-spice and French-vanilla-coffee. 

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Yum Junkie at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Yum Junkie at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

A not-uncommon site at the expo: tables filled with bowl upon bowl of sweets arranged by color. The candies from Yum Junkie had fun names such as "Sassy Spheres," "Squiggly Pops," and "Tesla's Tiny Twist Pops." 

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Awake Caffeinated Chocolate at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Awake Caffeinated Chocolate at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

The booth for Awake Caffeinated Chocolate was decked with cartoon night owls.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Lucky Country at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Lucky Country at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Lucky Country Licorice was displayed in a rainbow-like arrangement of giant bins. Each clear vessel held the snack in a different flavor, including pineapple, green apple, and the new cherry flavor.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Rickland Orchards at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Rickland Orchards at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Who better than costumed Greek gods and goddesses to hand out samples of Rickland Orchards' Greek yogurt bars? The celestial staffers gave each guest several samples of the snack, which comes in flavors such as Orchard Peach and Toasted Coconut.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Marshmallow Fun Company at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Marshmallow Fun Company at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Guests lined up to test their skills with the Marshmallow Fun Company's Bow & Mallow toy, which let them shoot marshmallows at a target bull's-eye. If guests hit the right spot, they were rewarded with marshmallows.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Smarties at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Smarties at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

The Hershey's Kiss wasn't the only oversize candy to hang from the ceiling of McCormick Place. A larger-than-life Smarties package also crowned the trade show floor.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Jelly Belly at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Jelly Belly at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

A smiling, clog-sporting jelly bean was on hand to pose with guests. His home base was the giant Jelly Belly booth, which had a wall printed with jelly beans, a built-in step-and-repeat where guests could pose and snap pics with the jolly mascot. 

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Byrd's Famous Cookies at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Byrd's Famous Cookies at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Byrd's Famous Cookies were displayed on a vintage wooden hutch in old-fashioned cookie jars. To add to the gentile, Southern-style vibe, staffers manning the booth wore bow ties.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
Candyality at the Sweets & Snacks Expo
Candyality at the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Local candy shop Candyality donated pieces from its "Life is Sweet" museum for a display in the hallway outside the show floor. The display contained everything from dresses made out of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers to shoes made out Tootsie Roll pop wrappers and candies.

Photo: Dustin Berta for BizBash
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