Exploring Conventions and Expos in Chicago

WOW New Necco Smooties

Still trying to catch up from the backlog of great stuff from the Candy Expo last week.

I had to take a break from sampling because frankly I went into sugar overload!

So now that I am back, the first thing I decided to taste today was the new Necco Smoothies flavor ... Those of you who grew up in New England I am SURE are familiar with Necco Wafers and its manufacturer, New England Confectionery Company. Those of you outside the confines of the North East may not be so familiar.

The company has been around since 1847 and until recently, their wafer candies tasted like they had been untouched in 150 years.

While some people liked the chalky, "classic" looking candies, many people (including myself) weren't terribly fond of them - despite my love for the company.

That's all changed now!

With their new flavor, Necco Smoothies I am once again a fan!

Instead of the classic lemon (yellow), orange (orange), lime (green), clove (purple), cinnamon (white), wintergreen (pink), licorice (black), and chocolate (brown), Smoothies features blueberry (blue), banana caramel (yellow), tropical (white), peach (orange) and strawberry cream (pink).

Heather and I both LOVED the banana, but thought the peach was a surprise, it wasn't bad ... just sort of tasted out of place at the end of our roll. For some reason, our roll was pretty evenly distributed, but at the end it had 3 peach right next to each other.

Chick-O-Stick and Laffy Taffy ... Is the Key to Retro Candy Success Being in a Rap Song?

  At the All Candy Expo, I talked with various vendors about "retro" candies and how they are working to make their brands more current.

The story that took the prize however was when a representative from Atkinson's told us they had seen extrodinary growth (especially in urban areas) following the release of the "Chick-O-Stick Song."

Interestingly though, this  was not the first time that a rap artist had used a classic candy reference (Laffy Taffy Song), nor is it the first time that this led to a dramatic increase in sales.

What's next, the "Nut Roll Song?"

Did Cee Dee Blow it? WTF is Smarties Bubble Gum?

There were a lot of new products and new spins on old products at the All Candy Expo, but not all of them were good.

As I was working on an article about how classic candy brands are being updated to appeal to a contemporary audience I tried the new Smarties Bubble Gum. Thinking that it was just a "new flavor" like the "Tropical Smarties" I threw some in my mouth and started chewing.

Much to my chagrin however it turns out that these ARE bubble gum ... not just bubble gum flavored! Plus it isn't even that good of a gum.

Sometimes you have to wonder why they would make something like this. The individual tablets are too small ... you basically need to put half the roll in your mouth to have the equivalent of a regular stick of gum and aside from the packaging, it bears no similarities to its daddy, the candy we all know and love - Smarties.

Stay Tuned for an upcoming article I am writing for RetroBlast.com about how other classic candy companies are trying to adapt their branding to appeal to today's market.

Warning Not all Candies are for Kids!

Not everything at All Candy Expo was for kids this year. Infact, there were a couple companies that heartily embraced the adult market with some XXX candies such as penis and breast shaped candies and candy bra's, panty's, garter's and even a male "pouch" type underwear.

Visit the Photo Album For more Images. (WARNING, This is NOT for Kids!)

MMMMMM! Cheese Flavored Larvae!

Ok, a lot of stuff at All Candy Expo wasn't exactly "sweet" ... but HotLix is one company that takes the prize.  Not only did they have suckers with worms and even scorpions embedded but they had cheese flavored (like popcorn flavorings) "larvae" ! 

Of course, I just had to try some. 

Surprisingly it wasn't bad, but I didn't finish the rest of my sample cup.

Giant PEZ Invade the Expo!

Not just one pez at a time anymore! Apparently even tiny PEZ dispensors have succumed to the "Bigger is Better" theory ... unfortunatly I am not sure how to eat an entire stick of PEZ without taking off the wrapper.

VIB Boat

How many conventions do you know of that have a special boat ... reserved just for buyers?  This was literally a floating hospitality tent that they called the VIB ...  "Very Important Buyer" boat.

Sugar Rush!!!!

This is my first time at All Candy Expo and it is certainly an overwhelming experience. Imagine being in the worlds largest candy store ... and everything is FREE ... not just to take, but people actively handing out samples ... candy coated coffee beans, gum, chocolates, gummy bears, candy canes, super caffeinated coffee treats, and even "worm larva" that was powdered with some sort of cheese flavor! (stay tuned for a photo of me eating that!)

Probably the most surprising - but not surprising at the same time - is the amount of gluttony among various attendees. Each person is given a sample bag with which they are to collect their samples. Some people are abusing this by packing their bags, running to a corner and filling up a large briefcase or plastic shopping bag. One kid I walked past had 3 sample bags overflowing with delectable treats.

What about his parents you ask? Well, they were there, standing next to the little piggy smiling!

What a great message to send to your kid.

Off to All Candy Expo ...

The marketinghelpnet.com / Chicago Convention Help "Editorial Team" is heading down to All Candy Expo tomorrow morning to check out some of the sweet scoop that can be found there.

For more information on the expo, visit their website (www.allcandyexpo.com).

We'll have the full story tomorrow afternoon and hopefully some moblogging photos from the show floor too!