Last week, I attended the National Confectioners Association's (NCA) State of the Industry Conference, informally known as SOTIC, for the first time. The event took place in Aventura, Florida (near Miami), at the JW Marriott resort.

One person I met at the conference called it a "hype event," and I agree, in the best possible way: it's where the confectionery industry gathers as sort of a "family reunion," as NCA calls it, and with 700 people there, it was a packed house.

The event kicked off on Sunday, March 10, with the NCA Awards Ceremony being the first major event, followed by a welcome reception and Network & Nosh after-reception.

The next day, on March 11, several major general sessions took place, including the 2024 State of Treating, a State of the Industry outlook, and a fireside chat with political columnist George Will. The day ended with a session on "The Transformative Power of AI" for business.

On the final day of the conference (Tuesday, March 12), attendees were able to attend a keynote with Lone Survivor author and former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell as well as a "Sweets & Treats - Feeling the Heat" keynote session. The last session of the day, "Mind Games: The Power of Perception," with mentalist Oz Pearlman, was a lot of fun, as well. 

As a first timer to this conference, I wasn't sure what to expect, but both NCA and the other attendees made me feel welcomed. I made a few friends walking to and from the venue—I was staying at the Residence Inn across the street from the JW Marriott, and so were other conference attendees—and also at mealtimes. Name tags helped, as well, in introducing myself and having others introduce themselves to me; I recognized a few people in the industry whom I have seen quoted in press releases and on LinkedIn, but never actually met in person before.

I also felt, much like the NCA said, that the conference was a "family reunion," in that I saw a lot of people I recognized from other trade shows—even from last month's ECRM—and it was nice to see so many familiar faces.

My favorite session at SOTIC was probably a tossup between "The Transformative Power of AI for You!," presented by Conor Grennan, dean of MBA students at NYU Stern, or "From TikTok to Your Shop: Driving Awareness & Sales with Influencers." The second session included a panel with influencers Hannah Gray (@onesweeetmama) and Josh Jordan (@snackolator), the latter of whom I follow on Instagram, and it was interesting to hear insights from both of them and also peek "behind the curtain" a bit to see how candy brands work with influencers (although maybe not as relevant to Candy Industry, I maintain a personal Instagram page, so it was fascinating from that aspect).

"Chocolate and candy play important roles in celebrations and holiday, as a reward, a little escape, a gift, or to share with others," states NCA's State of Treating report, and SOTIC felt the same: a little escape from everyday life (and Michigan winter weather), but with informative panels, speakers, and networking.

I look forward to attending next year's iteration, which will again be held at the JW Marriott, from March 2–4, 2025.

Related: Trends, takeaways from the NCA State of the Industry Conference