Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Each profession serves its purpose for making the world go round, candy makers and chocolatiers just have a special way of making that journey so much more enjoyable.
If you are reading this, chances are you are pretty passionate about candy making. Whether your fondness came from a lifetime of learning through the family business or if it materialized more organically, that fondness keeps you coming back for more day after day.
As a treasured recipe is passed from generation to generation, so should the joy and love for the art of candy making. Keep the magic of the industry alive for generations to come by supporting the next generation of candy makers by mentoring a young family member or offering advice to a start-up. When doing so, keep in mind it may be just as important to share what you love about your business and the industry as a whole as it is to teach responsible business practices and time-proven techniques.
Share what you love about your business or the confectionery industry and your comment may be featured in the next issue of Kettle Talk, RCI’s quarterly magazine for members.
Not a member? Learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business at retailconfections.org/join.
Here’s 4 Quick Reasons Why You Should Get to Indy!
1. Touch, smell and even taste products from some of the industry’s best suppliers at RCI’s Industry Expo. When shopping for a piece of equipment, nothing beats the experience of seeing that enrober purr like a kitten right in front of your eyes. The same goes for examining packaging samples in your hands or taste-testing different varieties of chocolates until you find the perfect fit.
2. Something magical happens at RCI events. There’s a buzz of shared ideas and experiences throughout the week. This is a great way for candy makers of all levels of experience and expertise to get new recipe ideas, troubleshoot with suppliers, get ideas for your next promotion and make connections with other industry professionals.
3. Sharpen your skills and your knowledge with relevant education sessions designed for retail confectioners and taught by industry experts. Learn how advancements in technology allow business owners to operate a business by their fingertips and how industry innovations can lead to increased efficiency, just to name a few.
4. One of the most popular components of any RCI event are the behind-the-scenes tours. Through guided tours of manufacturing facilities and sneak peeks of storage rooms, awaits ideas and inspiration ready to catch fire. Nowhere else can you experience this level of idea-sharing.
With each new year, Retail Confectioners International (RCI) strives to offer exciting new events designed to help candy makers and chocolatiers build sweet businesses. We’re excited for the coming year and hope that you will plan to join us at one (or more) of the following events.
February 22-25 – Chocolate Boot Camp® – This popular education course moves to the east coast in 2016, providing a great foundation for working with chocolates. We accept a maximum of 25 students and, with five instructors; it provides a great student-to-teacher ratio and plenty of hands-on learning opportunities. Although the course is currently sold out, we will be accepting names for a waiting list.
April 20-22 –Merchandising Essentials- Designed with the retail candy maker in mind, this course is aimed at equipping students with the tools needed to remain relevant in a competitive industry. Students will learn how to build a consistent brand image, create an effective promotion, assemble attractive gift baskets, manage engaging social media content and more.
June 20-24 – Annual Convention & Industry Expo – We’re excited to be in Indianapolis, Indiana for our biggest event of the year. From a confectionery industry expo to quality education sessions and networking to behind-the-scenes tours, it’s an event you won’t want to miss!
August 10-12 – Caramels, Toffees & Brittles – Dive into the science behind making coveted caramels, toffees and brittles. Topics covered include ingredients, processes, formulas and troubleshooting. Attendees will take home the knowledge and experience needed to add these products to their lineup or improve existing recipes.
September 21-23 - Fall Regional Conference - Join RCI in the bustling coastal city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Attendees will take in the sights of this beautiful city while connecting with fellow candy makers and industry suppliers. Attendees can expect relevant education sessions, idea sharing through Candy Clinic and behind-the-scenes tours from some of the best candy makers in Canada.
Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
The New Year always holds a glimmer of promise. And it’s no different here at Retail Confectioners International (RCI). We’re excited for the coming year and hope that you will plan to join us at one of our events. That’s why this week’s tip is to meet up with RCI in 2015!
February 23-26 – Chocolate Boot Camp® – This popular education course provides a great foundation for working with chocolates. We accept a maximum of 25 students and, with five instructors, it provides a great student-to-teacher ratio and plenty of hands-on learning opportunities.
April 21-25 – Mid-Atlantic Chocolate Tour - One of our members’ favorites events are our bus tours. We load up on coach buses and tour an area, stopping to go on behind-the-scenes tours of candy stores along the way. Join us for this bus tour as we go from Baltimore to Washington, DC and then end in Ocean City, Maryland.
June 22-26 – Annual Convention & Industry Expo – We’re excited to be in Brooklyn, New York for our biggest event of the year. From the FREE confectionery industry expo to quality education sessions and networking to behind-the-scenes tours, it’s an event you won’t want to miss!
September 14-17 – Fall Regional Conference – The year will have a beautiful ending as we gather in Portland, Maine. It promises to include more great networking and education opportunities.
Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
Are you looking to get your customers and fans more engaged on Facebook?
According to this infographic from Kissmetrics, a blog focused on marketing analytics, photos get 53% more Likes, 104% more comments, and 84% more click-throughs than posts that include just text or links. That is a huge difference!
Ideas for posting pictures include:
·Production– let them feel like they’re behind-the-scenes of a candy store
·Product– remind fans how beautiful and delicious your chocolates and candies are and they may meet a temptation they just can’t resist
·Promotions – create great images highlighting promotions and sales happening in your store
·People – make it personal by posting photos of your staff and customers
This is just another great reason for investing in quality photos just like we mentioned in Tip # 67!
**If you’ve visited RCI’s Facebook page, you know that we love to post photos from RCI events and education courses. Check out photos from last year’s Annual Convention & Industry Expo and then visit retailconfectioners.org/annual to get registered for the 2014 Annual Convention & Industry Expo in St. Louis this June. The expo is FREE to confectionery industry professionals and full registration for the convention covers education sessions, some meals, networking receptions, behind-the-scenes tours and an awards banquet. It’s a week you don’t want to miss!
In addition to seeing new product innovations and meeting suppliers and fellow confectioners face to face, you can save money on items such as packaging, machinery and ingredients by attending industry tradeshows. Many exhibitors will provide show specials just for those who take advantage of placing orders while at the show. For example, you could secure a reduced shipping rate, free product samples, or deep discounts by placing the same order you were going to place when the need arose a couple months from now. Note that most suppliers will allow you to place an order and arrange for later shipping dates so you could even place your Christmas order and know it will arrive at a later arranged date.
Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Updated: Thursday, April 30, 2020
Oftentimes the most random items or places provide inspiration for great ideas. That’s the case with this week’s tip that was originally shared by one of our candy making members in Candy Clinic, an idea-sharing session at our Annual Convention.
This member discovered that magnetic tape can be a great organizing tool. Many candy makers and businesses have metal shelving and storage units. Rather than using sticker labels which leave a residue and are difficult to replace, she found a great use for magnetic tape which can be purchased at retailers such as Wal-Mart for as little as $8 for a 20 foot roll. They use the tape to label storage shelves, etc. which makes it easy to move items around as needed and just peel the magnetic tape and restick.
Do you have a great labeling or organizing solution to share? Leave us a comment below!
RCI Members – Did you know you can watch past Candy Clinic videos on the member side of the RCI website under the ‘Candy Clinic’ tab?
Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Updated: Monday, May 4, 2020
Summertime is just around the corner so we have rounded up some fun product ideas for you to incorporate in your candy store this year.
Chocolate Flip-flops – Use colored chocolate to draw flip-flop straps on Nutter Butter cookies covered in chocolate and package with cello bags and colorful bows.
Summertime-themed moulds – Take advantage of the hundreds of chocolate mould options available to candy makers. Incorporate items unique to your area that tourists may enjoy such as palm trees for a tropical area.
Incorporate Seasonal Foods – Fruits and vegetables are great in the summertime. Pay a visit to your local farmer’s market to see what seasonal ingredients you can incorporate into your products.
Seasonal Flavors – Use flavors that invoke the memories, images and feel of summer. For example, coconut flavors nearly always bring images of the beach to mind so you could create a coconut-themed item and even have fun with the merchandising to have a beach theme.
If you have more ideas, please share them with each other by leaving a comment. If you are you looking for a supplier of seasonal items, RCI members can use the RCI Buyer's Guide to find supplier members who provide just what you need!
Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Updated: Monday, May 4, 2020
We’re busy planning and preparing for our upcoming Annual Convention and Industry Expo in San Francisco, June 11 through 15. This week’s tip is to join us there!
What can you expect at an RCI Annual Convention?
Industry Tradeshow – Meet face to face with confectionery industry suppliers and learn about the new and innovative products on the market. The tradeshow is FREE to confectionery industry professionals so print your free tradeshow ticket (insert link) and make plans to join us!
Networking – Connect with others in the industry throughout the week through a variety of networking opportunities. New this year, we have an evening set aside just for the next generation of industry leaders.
Education – We are excited to have education session topics including packaging, natural products, HACCP planning plus more. Additionally, we have a great idea-sharing session for RCI members called Candy Clinic and a question and answer session with a panel of industry experts.
Behind-the-scenes Tours – The last two days of the convention are filled with tours of area candy stores and suppliers. You’ll want to have a notebook in had because the ideas you can take back to your stores are endless.
For all the details and to register, visit retailconfectioners.org/annual. The early-bird discount ends May 11, so register today!
Posted By RCI,
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Updated: Monday, May 4, 2020
We're so excited to be heading west for the 2012 Annual Convention & Industry Expo! Link up with us June 11-15, 2012 for the convention and then reconnect in Hawaii June 17-20.
Want a taste of San Francisco? Watch the video below:
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