Trick or Treating at the ALL Candy Show in Chicago

It felt like Halloween at the ALL CANDY EXPO last week, except that I didn’t have to wear a costume and it wasn’t cold in McCormick Place!



So, what was hot at this year’s show?

Let’s start with the most fun: Bloomsberry & Co. Chocolate Bars. Their theme is “Think Chocolate” and the bars have witty packaging that attracted everyone!



I met CEO Paul Pruett (see photo above), who talked about how important creativity is to packaging. And it’s obvious with their brand that creativity is a priority. My favorite bars were the “Do these ears make me look fat?” bar and the SMOOCH bar. Love and chocolate always seem to make a perfect match!


Other highlights were Appleheads from Ferrara Pan and the Black&White Kettle Corn from Lesser Evil. The Black&White Kettle Corn has a nice package design and a great natural product inside – they are low fat (See? They really are a lesser evil!) and sweetened with evaporated cane juice and brown rice syrup! Lesser Evil’s simple ingredients and great flavors stood out, and I’ll definitely be a returning customer.



So, what were the real trends that I saw at the show?

I noticed a lot more attention being paid to branding and packaging design, and a higher level of sophistication. More brands are doing a good job of relating their product lines to the main brand.

I also noticed some creative ideas in flavors and cross branding. Jelly Belly gave samples of their new ice cream flavored beans by Cold Stone Creamery™. This Ice Cream Parlor Mix really was tasty!

Overall, how can a (sweet) trade show where you leave with some fresh ideas and a bag of candy be bad?