SNX, the inaugural event by SNAC International, took place March 27–29, 2022, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Hilton Pointe Tapatio Cliffs resort. The schedule was packed with keynote speakers, Experience Zones, and Supplier Suites. The conference concluded on March 29 with "SNAC Tank," a Shark Tank-style competition that awarded $10,000 to one innovative start-up company.
“The snacking sector is one of the most competitive—and most innovative—arenas in business,” said SNAC president and CEO, Elizabeth Avery. “And our SNAC Tank competition is designed to highlight and reward the most innovative products being developed by the savviest entrepreneurs and the most creative companies in the consumer-packaged-goods marketplace today.”
The "Breakout Education" sessions kicked off on March 28 with a keynote entitled "The Culture of Snacking," given by Davey McHenry from The Hartman Group. McHenry spoke about long-term cultural shifts impacting consumers' eating and drinking habits, as well as their priorities and evolving snacking considerations. She said that 48% of all food and beverage occasions are snacking occasions, and that number is even higher among Gen Z (53%) and millennials (51%).
Kristy Lewis, founder of Quinn Foods LLC, also gave a keynote, entitled "Toward a More Transparent and Sustainable Food System." She said that she once dissected a microwaveable popcorn bag and was appalled to see the inside of it, as it had so many chemicals. She thought to herself that "there must be a better way," and Quinn's first product, organic microwaveable popcorn in a chemical-free, plastic-free bag, was born. The company has a transparent "Farm-to-Bag" policy, introduced in 2011, as well as a "Be Better. Do Better." mission that "aims to make a critical impact in the food industry by supporting and helping farmers take the first steps towards a more regenerative agriculture approach." She also shared insights on how the food industry can create a food system that helps growers, their communities, and the planet, while still providing healthy products to consumers.
At the "SNAC Bite" areas in the midst of the Experience Zone ballroom, attendees heard from Reading Bakery Systems, Spoiler Alert, and U.S. Soy, on topics ranging from excess inventory to sustainability.
On Tuesday, March 29, a Product Showcase was held for the SNAC Tank nominees, as well as a few other manufacturers in attendance, such as OMG! Pretzels and Wine Chips. Later in the day, the winner of SNAC tank was Candid, for its Noons cacao bites, and Pulp Pantry was the winner of the audience choice award. The audience choice award originally did not include a cash prize, but Rohan Oza, guest judge on "Shark Tank" who helped judge the panel, pledged to give the brand $5,000.
The other three SNAC Tank finalists included Ka-Pop! Snacks, Cosmic Carrot Chews, and Daily Crunch Snacks.
The next event by SNAC International will be SNAXPO23, March 19–21, 2023, in Orlando.
