WASHINGTON – The National Confectioners Association is currently seeking nominations of outstanding industry leaders across several disciplines for awards that will be presented at the 2025 State of the Industry Conference to be held March 2-4 at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort. The nomination period for all awards closes Friday, October 18.
Two Confectionery Leadership Awards will honor top retail or wholesale buyers, category managers, and executives for their effective business collaboration, category management best practices, and innovations in merchandising confectionery products in-store. Any employee of an NCA member company or a fellow retailer can nominate a deserving individual for a Confectionery Leadership Award.
NCA’s Woman of Influence Award, presented by NCA’s Women’s Leadership Group, honors a woman who has shown outstanding leadership, mentorship, and a track record of success in the confectionery industry. This award recognizes those who inspire other women and create opportunities for their advancement across the industry. Nominations for the Woman of Influence Award can be submitted by any member of the confectionery industry.
The Candy Dish Awards celebrate the special relationship between manufacturers and the broker/sales agent community. The Golden Candy Dish Award is presented to a broker or sales agent industry member who has gone above and beyond to champion the confectionery industry, demonstrated exceptional leadership, built strong relationships, and created new business opportunities with confectionery manufacturers and customers. Nominations for the Golden Candy Dish can be made by fellow brokers or manufacturers. The Silver Candy Dish Award is presented to a leader in a sales, marketing, or management in confectionery manufacturing who has made significant contributions to expanding the confectionery category utilizing a broker network. Only employees of an NCA broker member company may nominate someone for a Silver Candy Dish.
All the awards will be presented on Sunday, March 2 during a special recognition ceremony at NCA’s 2025 State of the Industry Conference. The conference will also feature one-of-a-kind education and networking events, the release of NCA’s proprietary State of Treating report, and two retailer-hosted roundtable sessions known as Treat & Greets. Learn more at CandyUSA.com/SOTIC.
About the National Confectioners Association (NCA):
The National Confectioners Association is the leading trade organization for the $48 billion U.S. confectionery industry. NCA advocates for an environment that enables candy makers to thrive and works to ensure that chocolate, candy, gum, and mints are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy, and everyday moments of joy. The industry employs nearly 58,000 workers in more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities across all 50 states and supports an additional 635,000 jobs in related fields. The U.S. confectionery industry has made a commitment to increasing transparency, providing more portion guidance options, and educating consumers about the role of confectionery in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
