SNAXPO25 announces education lineup

ARLINGTON, VA. — SNAC International announced its full education and presenter lineup for SNAXPO25, which will be held March 30-April 1 in Orlando, Fla.

The education lineup includes: 

GENERAL SESSION KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Monday, March 31 | 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.  

Snack Category Overview 

Circana’s Sally Lyons Wyatt will provide attendees with an in-depth analysis of the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in the snack industry for producers and manufacturers. 

Tuesday, April 1 | 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. 

Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence 

Erica Dhawan, a globally recognized expert on 21st-century teamwork, collaboration and innovation, equips organizations with strategies to thrive in an increasingly digital world. In this session, she shares innovative approaches to unlock team potential, build trust across distances and drive authentic engagement for lasting competitiveness. 

Tuesday, April 1 | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Building Winning Teams: 

Leadership Lessons from Coach Jim Larrañaga 
 Renowned for his leadership and team-building skills, retired Miami Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Larrañaga will share insights on how his championship strategies can be applied in the corporate world. 

EXCLUSIVE INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP 

Sunday, March 30 | 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. 

Building Strong Business Relationships to Win New Accounts & Increase Sales 
 This hands-on workshop led by Rodney Schlosser will equip participants with strategies to enhance business relationships with fellow innovators and boost sales growth for products. 

EXHIBIT HALL KNOWLEDGE ZONE SESSIONS 

Monday, March 31 | 10:30 - 11:15 a.m.

A New Era of Food Policy and Regulation 
 Presented by Martin Hahn, partner, Hogan Lovells and legal counsel to SNAC International, this session will allow attendees to gain valuable insights into the changing landscape of food regulations and policies shaping the snack industry. 

Monday, March 31 | 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.

Overview of Latin American Snacking 
 Daniela Balcazar, leader of new business for Mexico at NielsenIQ, will provide an overview of trends, growth opportunities and predictions for the future of the diverse and evolving snack market in Latin America. 

Monday, March 31 | 2:00 - 2:45 p.m. 

Panel: The Playbook for Successful Manufacturing Relationships 
 Moderated by SNAC International’s Brandon Partridge, a panel of industry experts explores strategies for fostering successful partnerships between manufacturers and service providers to optimize efficiency and product success  

Panelists: Vincent Tseng, co-founder and chief executive officer, PartnerSlate; Jamie Valenti-Jordan, founder and CEO, Catapult Commercialization Services; and Catherine Barrow, vice president, US Sales, Proven Partners Group.

Tuesday, April 1 | 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. 

Panel: Snack R&D Challenges in 2025 and Beyond 
 A forward-looking panel discussion on the evolving challenges and innovations in snack product development, moderated by Trifecta Research’s Managing Partner Dan Arnold. 

Panelists: Alex Tipton, global director foods ingredients, PepsiCo; David Lestage, vice president global growth and chief R&D Officer, Kellanova; Lori Kelly, regulatory and nutrition consultant, former senior director global regulatory affairs, PepsiCo.

Tuesday, April 1 | 12:15 - 12:45 p.m.  

The Future of Snack Packaging and Sustainability 
 Presented by Mark Bescher, founder of Legacy Public Policy and consultant to SNAC International, thi session will allow attendees to discover the latest solutions and technological advances shaping the future of snack packaging. 

Tuesday, April 1 | 1:45 - 2:15 p.m. 

Leveraging Insights to Build Winning Products and Execution Strategies 
 

Brands face overwhelming data, but winning companies use key insights to drive growth. Fernando López Martinez, the leader of strategic analysis & insights for Mexico at NielsenIQ, will demonstrate how to transform insights into successful products through best-in-class execution, showcasing global and LATAM case studies. 

EXHIBIT HALL SNAC BITES SESSIONS 

Monday, March 31 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 

Formers International: Preventing Bacterial Contamination: Water Sustainable Sanitizing Solutions 

President John Dominguez III and Regional Sales Manager James Leija of Formers International will demonstrate how the food industry can mitigate contamination risks to prevent recalls. 

Monday, March 31 | 1:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Reading Bakery Systems: Baking for a Better Tomorrow – Driving Efficiency and Sustainability with Flexible Oven Designs 
 This session will share insight from North American Sales Manager Nico Roesler on how Reading Bakery Systems’ innovative ovens are setting new benchmarks and addressing production challenges. 

Monday, March 31 | 3:00 - 3:30 p.m. 

FoodSafe Drains: Drain Considerations for the Modern SNAC Facility 
 Vice President of Sales Engineering Viking Kristjansson of FoodSafe Drains shares insights into the history of food-safe drainage layouts, various types of floor drains and how to select and implement the appropriate drainage features for your products. 

Tuesday, April 1 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Heat and Control: Cascade Water Recirculation and Water Sustainability 
 Rick Bajema, director of raw material processing innovation at Heat and Control Inc., will introduce how environmental benchmarks require new approaches to food processing and how Heat and Control is helping processors reduce water consumption by 75%. 

Tuesday, April 1 | 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. 

ELEA: Pulsed Electric Fields – New Opportunities in the Snacks Industry 

PEF (Pulsed Electric Fields) improves texture, slicing and yield in tubers, fruits and vegetables. Benefits include less breakage, reduced frying time, lower oil uptake and better texture. Stefan Toepfl, managing director at ELEA, will discuss process parameters, yield advantages and recent innovations in quality control. 

Tuesday, April 1 | 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. 

Formic: It’s a Now, Not a Later: How to Get Started with Robotic Automation and Your CPG Manufacturing Facility 
 Listen to Formic CEO Sama Farid discuss how manufacturers can navigate the challenges of integrating robotic automation, as well as how to develop a business and deployment strategy for it. 

To register for SNAXPO25, visit here.