The 2025 Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis was packed with flavor, innovation, and excitement. But beyond the product launches and colorful booths was real-time, relationship-driven support that helped exhibitors maximize their presence and performance. That support came from the Map Your Show Exhibitor Engagement team, who were on-site throughout the event to provide personalized, in-the-moment guidance for exhibitors.

Content provided by Madison Frye, Content Marketing Associate at Map Your Show.

A Show Full of Flavor and Function

While attendees were treated to bold new flavors, nostalgic treats, and the ever-growing influence of snacks with functional ingredients and sustainable packaging, the event itself ran on a complex, tech-enabled infrastructure. With thousands of buyers, brands, and industry leaders converging on the Indiana Convention Center, the importance of smooth exhibitor support couldn't have been clearer.

Behind every well-placed booth, digital listing, or sponsorship banner was a thoughtful layer of event management, and a dedicated team helping exhibitors get the most out of their investment.

Onsite Engagement That Makes a Difference

Map Your Show's Exhibitor Engagement team plays a crucial role in the months leading up to the event, but their onsite presence adds a whole new dimension to exhibitor support. With decades of experience, our in-house team of Exhibitor Engagement Managers works as an extension of your team. During the 2025 Sweets & Snacks Expo, team members walked the floor, met with exhibitors face-to-face, and answered questions in real time. Whether it was assisting with mobile app listings or helping exhibitors understand their digital sponsorship placements, the team was there to guide and educate, ensuring exhibitors could create their company profile, upload content, and add enhanced listings.

This hands-on, high-touch approach gave exhibitors confidence and clarity during a busy few days. Instead of wondering if their efforts were paying off, exhibitors had a trusted resource just a few steps away, ready to optimize their experience.

From Conversation to Conversion

One standout story from the show came from Belle's Gourmet Popcorn, a brand that brought serious flavor and marketing savvy to the Expo. Belle's wowed attendees with their product and walked away with the coveted "Best in Show" title at the Most Innovative New Product Awards — not to mention another win for Best Salty Snack.

After an on-site conversation with the Exhibitor Engagement team, Belle’s made the strategic decision to invest in the Overall Sponsorship package, a premium opportunity offered by the Sweets & Snacks Show Management team and implemented through Map Your Show’s technology. The sponsorship included added visibility through online directories, mobile app features, and enhanced onsite branding, all elements that made sure their award-winning product got even more attention.

"The banner sponsorship gave Belle’s an incredible boost in visibility from the moment attendees walked through the doors," said Dror Sharon, CEO and Co-Founder of Belle’s Gourmet Popcorn.
"With hundreds of brands vying for attention, having our brand prominently displayed helped us stand out, drive consistent booth traffic, and reinforce our identity as a fun, trend-forward company. It created a sense of presence before people even tasted our popcorn, and we believe that early recognition contributed to our strong engagement and ultimately to winning two major awards at the show."

The Belle’s story is a perfect example of how real-time exhibitor engagement can drive meaningful outcomes. By providing timely insights and support, the team helped convert interest into action and action into added ROI for both the exhibitor and the event organizer.
You can learn more about this exhibitor with their Popcorn Personality Quiz and their website. To see all the winners of the 2025 Most Innovative New Product Awards, visit SweetsAndSnacks.com.

A Win-Win for Show Management

While exhibitors clearly benefit from onsite support, show organizers gain just as much. By partnering with Map Your Show and activating the Exhibitor Engagement team onsite, show management extends its service reach, increases exhibitor satisfaction, and ensures higher adoption of digital tools and sponsorships.

The result? A more dynamic, organized, and profitable event.

"Map Your Show is a valuable partner in ensuring the success of Sweets & Snacks Expo,” said Elise Fennig, Chief of Staff & Senior Vice President of Industry Engagement for the National Confectioners Association. “Their Exhibitor Engagement team brings both expertise and a collaborative spirit that helps our exhibitors feel supported and confident. That kind of partnership makes a real difference in delivering the positive outcomes our industry expects from this show.”

When exhibitors fully understand the tools available to them, from interactive floor plans and lead retrieval systems to marketing upgrades and sponsorship packages, they’re more likely to engage, invest, and return year after year. That long-term value creation is at the heart of what the Exhibitor Engagement team delivers.

The Human Side of Event Tech

At its core, this approach is about bridging the gap between powerful technology and the people who use it. Trade shows are full of moving parts, and it’s easy for exhibitors to feel overwhelmed or underinformed. The Exhibitor Engagement team serves as a bridge, not just between tech and user, but between goals and outcomes.

By making exhibitor support a priority, the Sweets & Snacks Expo created an experience where innovation didn’t just live in the products on display, but in the way the event itself was delivered and supported.

Looking Ahead

As the events industry continues to evolve, hybrid strategies that combine innovative technology with human support will define the next generation of trade shows. The 2025 Sweets & Snacks Expo showed just how effective that model can be.

We’re proud to work alongside the National Confectioners Association to help make this event a success, and the Exhibitor Engagement team that brought Map Your Show’s tools and values to life on the show floor.

To every exhibitor we connected with, thank you for your time, your questions, and your trust. And to those planning for next year, we’ll see you on the floor!

About the Sweets & Snacks Expo:  

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is the premier event for the confectionery and snack industries. Featuring new product launches, business-building solutions, and merchandising innovations, this annual trade show brings together qualified candy and snack retail professionals and company representatives who showcase the latest in candy and snack products. The event is hosted by the National Confectioners Association. Learn more at SweetsAndSnacks.com.

About Map Your Show:

Map Your Show is your trade show operating system. For 20 years, our technology has been trusted by the world's leading trade show and event organizers. MYS offers the technology solutions you need to power your event: building an expo floor plan, helping exhibitors stay on top of their deadlines, navigating attendees through the event with a mobile app, and driving booth and advertising sales. 

Now, with AI-powered technologies like Sales Accelerator and MYS Insights, organizers and exhibitors can drive more revenue from an event. Sales Accelerator helps exhibitors prioritize leads, find more contacts, and create personalized follow-up messages to drive more sales from an event. MYS Insights drives real-time analytics to track event revenue, find at-risk exhibitors, and benchmark the success of an event.  

 Our technology powers trade shows and conferences so that organizers can focus on what matters most: delivering a successful event. Learn more at mapyourshow.com.