H.+Education+Sessions

**TUESDAY MAY 19:** **8-8:45am:New Item Trends** New products are the lifeblood of the confectionery and snack categories. In fact in 2008 it is expected that more than 7,500 new products were introduced to the categories. Our panelists review new items being introduced at the 2009 EXPO and trends as identified by NCA  Discover today's best-practices in measuring merchandising effectiveness of confectionery and snack programs and ways improving performance based on these measurements.  Discover the economic trends that will impact manufacturing and retailing in the near future and opportunities in the confectionery and snack industries that can improve the financial performance of your company
 * 10-10:45am: The Effectiveness of In-Store Merchandising**
 * 12-12:45pm: The Economy's Impact on Candy** 

Discover what consumers are looking for in their snack products today and where the category is headed in the future.  **8-8:45am: Growing Confectionery Sales in the Convenience Channel** The panel will provide insights and knowledge to help all segments improve their performance across the confections category within the convenience channel and create strategic advantage for all channel partners by identifying operational efficiencies, marketing opportunities, consumer trends, and manufacturer responses.
 * 2-2:45pm**: **Better for You Snacking**
 * WEDNESDAY MAY 20TH:**

Gain new insights on the influence of merchandising on consumer shopping behavior and improving the consumer experience at the checkout. Learn about the key role of Confectionery and Snacks at the checkout and the potential for growth with a collaborative approach for moving beyond basic category management to consumer driven in-store solutions.
 * 10-10:45am: Front-End Focus-Maximizing Check Out Performance with Confectionery and Snacks **

Fritz will discuss today’s hottest trends in cooking and baking with chocolate. This is one session you can really take a bite out of – while learning about cooking with chocolate you can sample the topic. The luncheon features a variety of recipes all incorporating the Food of the Gods – chocolate!
 * 12-12:45pm: Chocolate-Beyond Dessert**

During this engaging session, learn which consumer buying trends will stick around for the long term and what companies can expect from shoppers over the next six months. Hear what this shift in behavior means for the confectionery industry and walk away with specific examples of what some retailers and manufacturers are doing to compensate.   <span style="color: rgb(89, 207, 184);">8-8:45am: Eating Patterns in America ** Join your confectionery industry peers for the annual “Industry Awards Breakfast”, featuring the Doc Reed Silver Candy Dish, Lou Spector Golden Candy Dish and NCA Supplier Member awards followed by a presentation by Harry Balzer of the NPD Group.
 * 2-2:45om: The Consumer Has Changed...Now What?**
 * <span style="color: rgb(16, 114, 188);">THURSDAY MAY 21: