Snac World - Snaxpo: Official Show Issue 2020 - 31

SNX PREVIEW

"We want to highlight all the changes
going on in the industry, which are
really reflecting the changes going on
in the broader business world."
Rob Sarlls, 1st vice-chairman, SNAC International

members, and how do we get our total membership more engaged and interactive?" was the main
question Mr. Sarlls and his fellow board members
faced. "The thought was that we really needed to
upend the smaller show to be something very exciting that would bring a lot more innovative exhibits,
interactive exhibits, and greater opportunity for
manufacturing members to have quality dialog with
suppliers," he said.
Designed to spark collaboration, innovation
and marketplace growth, SNX will feature three
structured areas for education and supplier-customer engagement including the Education Arena,
Experience Zones and Supplier Suites.
The Education Arena will serve as a thought
leadership platform dedicated to keynote speakers, concurrent sessions and the SNAC Tank Pitch
Competition.
"I think we've been very strong on the education
side; I just think you're going to see it enhanced,"
Mr. Sarlls said. SNX will also place an increased
focus on the social and cultural issues facing snack
manufacturing. "There are ongoing workplace and
labor challenges, as well as the need to balance
automation with giving people in our community
fulfilling careers," he said. "You're going to see a lot
more of that [in the education offerings]."
Industry suppliers will have the option to reserve
suites for private meetings and small display areas
as a private venue for more in-depth producersupplier conversations. Suppliers that reserve suites
for meeting space will also have the option to reserve Collaboration Kiosks in the Experience Zones.
"We want to highlight all the changes going on in
the industry, which are really reflecting the changes
going on in the broader business world," Mr. Sarlls
said. "SNX will be a more interactive, more dynamic
and much more interpersonal show."
One of the main draws for SNX will be the
Experience Zones, which will be composed of
five areas that will lead attendees through the
SNAXPO OFFICIAL SHOW ISSUE

snack manufacturing process, beginning with
raw materials and ending with finished product.
Each zone will feature supplier kiosks, pop-up
education presentations and producer-supplier
engagement areas.
"You'll have a dynamic floor flowing people
through every aspect of the snack process. That
gives people an opportunity to feel how things are
done at every step from flavoring and ingredients
to manufacturing to packaging. It's as tactile as
you can get at a tradeshow," Mr. Sarlls said. "We
wanted to do something that replicates what goes
on with our manufacturing members and have people who represent each piece of production have
a meaningful presence so that visitors can literally
walk through the process."
The concept for SNX is a rarity in the tradeshow
world, where the majority of the focus stays on the
show floor. With SNX putting education and networking at the forefront, attendees will walk away
with a different perspective.
Feedback on SNX has been positive thus far,
Mr. Sarlls said, with members calling it a "breath
of fresh air." He believes the event reaffirms the
organization's pillars of networking, education and
advocacy.
He also sees the event as a way for SNAC
International to better serve its membership.
"All this leads us as a group to becoming better
advocates and having a greater appreciation for
what everybody in the association contributes to
space," he said.
"I see it as a petri dish of greater collaboration, in
terms of working in a very focused environment with
trusted suppliers and industry peers and trying to
think what five, 10, 15 years out looks like for the industry and how we can collectively prepare to meet
the changes," he continued. "I hope our members
will walk away from SNX with thought-provoking
possibilities to consider. The better the world is for
us, the better we do in the world."
2020 SNAC WORLD

Snac World - Snaxpo: Official Show Issue 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snac World - Snaxpo: Official Show Issue 2020