Our 2022 National Technical Seminar will take place October 17-19 at the Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook, Illinois. For supplier shipping instructions, click here.
Hotel: Hotel reservations must be made directly with the Hyatt Lodge online here or by calling +1 (630) 568 1234 (be sure to mention AACT to secure group rate). Room rates are $165 per night (single or double). Room block availability is not guaranteed after September 19, 2022.
Monday, October 17, 2022
1:00 pm Optional Hard Candy Making Demonstration
5:30 pm First-timers and Under-30 Reception
6:00 pm Wine & Cheese Reception (until 8:00 pm)
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Morning Session
8:30 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
8:35 am Supply Chain Best Practices: Planning for Disruption (Ryan Miller, Spangler Candy Company)
9:20 am Remote Troubleshooting: Production Trial Support (Jamie Valenti-Jordan, Catapult Commercialization Services)
10:05 am Break
10:20 am Sweet Ways to Solve Problems while Building Camaraderie (Mustafa Mustafa, VP IT)
11:05 am Fun with Math! Calculating Dry/Wet/Finished Weight Basis (Michelle Frame, Victus Ars)
11:50 am Lunch
Afternoon Session
1:00 pm NCA Regulatory Update (Farida Mohamedshah, National Confectioners Association)
2:00 pm The Race to Reduce Sugar: Regulatory and Product Development Considerations (Gwen Evenstad, G-Force Consulting)
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Taffy/Nougat: How to make and troubleshoot (Georgia Pate, ADM Wild Flavors)
3:45 pm Candy Past Is Our Future (Beth Kimmerle, author)
4:30 pm Supplier Exhibits & Reception (until 6:30 pm)
6:45 pm Stroud Jordan Award Banquet
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Morning Session
8:30 am Opening Remarks
8:35 am Can I Call This “Chocolate”? (Allyson Martin, Clasen Quality Chocolate)
9:20 am Fat Bloom Development — Influence of Tempering, Storage and Oil Migration (Silvana Martini and Melissa Marsh, Utah State University)
10:05 am Break
10:20 am Round Table Round 1
10:45 am Round Table Round 2
11:05am Round Table Round 3
- Round table topics (all topics will be available for each of the three sessions):
- Working with consultants
- Diversity and inclusion
- Chocolate regulations
- Supply chain issues
- Hidden challenges of scale-ups
- Networking
- Cannabis in confections
- Alternative sweeteners troubleshooting
- Functional/nutraceutical candymaking
- Upcycled ingredients
11:30 am Lunch
Afternoon Session
1:00 pm Exploring confectionery attributes through starch functionality (Sanjiv Avashia, Mariana Perez, Tate & Lyle)
1:45 pm Packaging and Sustainability (Claire Sand, Packaging Technology and Research)
2:30 pm Break
2:45 pm Influencers: Innovative Marketing in the Modern Age (Kasey Stewart, Suckerz)
3:30 pm Break
4:00 pm Iron Confectioner Competition
6:00pm Dinner