Education & EPPS Programs
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Vendor Setup: Buyers' Choice Awards Hosted by Candy Industry Magazine
420 minutes
Join us for the Buyers' Choice Awards hosted by ECRM and Candy Industry Magazine.  Suppliers will submit their product offering and attending buyers will cast their vote for their favorite product!  They will choose their favorite product in 3 different categories:  Best Chocolate, Best Non-Chocolate, and Best Novelty.  First place and finalist winners will be recognized during cocktails on Tuesday, August 29th.  For more information about how you can participate please contact your Client Success Manager. 
Store Tours
120 minutes
While in Chicago, take time to check out some local retail stores. Below are the 3 we recommend walking distance from the hotel. We also will have a shuttle running from 2 PM - 4 PM on arrival day if you want to catch a ride between stores!

Store Tours Shuttle 
Sunday, August 27th 2 PM - 4 PM 
Potash Markets
Bockwinkel's
Foxtrot
Monday, August 28, 2023
What's Next for the Candy Category? Trends & Insights from Circana (formerly IRI)
35 minutes

Despite supply chain issues, record high inflation, and shrinking display space, the candy aisle continues to outperform other categories in the store. Circana’s Daniel Sadler will examine key drivers fueling the candy category, including:

  • What segments are growing/declining

  • Seasonal performance

  • Impact of Price/Inflation

  • Consumer behaviors

  • Opportunities to drive growth. 


Dan Sadler is a Principal of Client Insights at Circana (formerly IRI), providing insights and solutions to the industry.  He has spent his entire 25+ year career within the CPG industry, with the last 10 years dedicated to the confections market and manages the partnership between Circana and many confection manufacturers. 


Dan Sadler, Principal of Client Insights
Circana (formerly IRI)
TIP Session - Thought Interaction Pods
45 minutes
Monday, August 28th 5:45 PM - 6:30 PM
TIP, short for Thought Interaction Pods, will take place Monday evening.

This is a great networking event giving participants the opportunity to discuss relevant industry topics in a round table format with fellow industry professionals sitting at the table.


Conscious Consumers- Wayne Bennett, SVP of Retail, ECRM

  • Discuss the ongoing trends around purpose driven and sustainable products and initiatives

Industry Trends- Patrick Dougherty, Director- SMB, Grocery, NielsenIQ

  • Discuss the latest trends across retail and how it impacts our categories, brands, and decisions. 

Masterful Marketing- Joe Tarnowski, VP of Content, ECRM

  • Discuss how brands and retailers can best collaborate on marketing efforts that get consumers into the stores and buying their products..

Generational Trends in CPG – What Are You Seeing?- Bethany Gomez, Managing Director, Brightfield Group

  • Each generation approaches wellness differently. Today, brands are honing on these generational differences, using them to target accordingly. Led by Bethany Gomez, Managing Director of Brightfield Group, this roundtable will ask participants to discuss the key generational differences they are seeing affect their industry and business, as well as those trends guiding brand strategy.