Tip #236: Join RCI in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico is the destination for Retail Confectioners International’s (RCI) Fall Regional Conference. If you’re a candy maker, chocolatier or industry supplier, keep reading for the top 4 reasons why you should join RCI in the “Land of Enchantment” October 4-6, 2017.

1. Experience the most photographed event in the world.

Extend your stay to experience the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta—the largest hot air balloon festival and the most photographed event in the world. Conference goers can take advantage of a special partnership between RCI and Tour New Mexico to receive a discount on general admission and avoid the congested traffic and parking conditions of an event that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Visit retailconfectioners.org/balloonfiesta for more details.

2. Turn up the heat with the flavors of New Mexico.

Discover the distinctly local flavors of New Mexico, such as red and green chiles and piñon nuts, while touring innovative businesses who have distinguished themselves by utilizing these local ingredients to create unique products, during RCI’s popular behind-the-scenes tours. Long-time RCI member, Buffett’s Candies has developed a reputation for their use of piñon nuts, which is unique to the southwest region. Other tours will include the Buffett family’s Popcorn Cannery, where they manufacture over 20 flavors of popcorn. Attendees will also tour one of the largest coffee roasters in the state, New Mexico Piñon Coffee, praised for their sweet and nutty custom pinon-flavored blends. During tours, attendees will experience the production sides of these facilities in order to gain perspective and inspire new ideas to use in their own businesses.

3. Learn how to look at your business with fresh eyes.

Learn how a taking a different approach toward common business and industry concepts such as growth, leadership, communication, flavor development and sales can help you take your business to the next level in this thought-provoking lineup of education:

• A Fresh Look at Growing a Business
• Leadership: New Mexico Style
• Learn the Language of Chocolate
• Local Flavor: Truffle Demo
• Optimizing Sales by Targeting Mobile

4. Watch authentic Flamenco come alive.

Experience the passion and energy of flamenco come alive during a private performance at Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque. Attendees will are sure to delight in the authentic Sevilla tapas served at this unique farewell reception Friday, October 6.

Although RCI has traveled to 35 states (plus Washington D.C.), 16 countries and four continents over the trade association’s lifetime, RCI  has never traveled to New Mexico. Making this a long-awaited destination for many members looking to gain inspiration from the state’s distinctive culture and heritage.

“You never know what will spark the next great idea. At RCI, we enjoy creating event experiences that encourage the generation of new ideas,” says Angie Burlison, RCI’s Executive Director. “We support many small-to-midsize businesses who can use flexibility to their advantage to implement such ideas as a means to standout in their communities, as well in the industry.”

Registration for RCI’s fall regional event is welcome to members and non-members online at retailconfectioners.org/fall. Additional event details such as schedule, registration and hotel information may also be found there.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #177: Meet Up with RCI in 2016!

Visit RCI website for event updates.

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.

Here are the dates to mark on your calendar:

• 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.

Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on RCI happenings. We’ll see you in 2016! 

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #156: Meet Up With RCI in 2015

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!

Here are the dates to mark on your calendar:

• 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.

Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on RCI happenings. We’ll see you in 2015! 

Tip #153: Use Pistachios in Nougat

As has become our custom on the RCI Tip of the Week blog, we’ll make the posts quick and brief this month for you since we know it’s a very busy time of year for candy makers.

For this first quick tip, we are encouraging you to think outside of the box when it comes to nuts in your confections, specifically nougat. For example, consider using pistachios in your holiday nougat for a fun and different color and flavor enhancement. Chef En-Ming Hsu provided this idea during her nougat demonstration at our recent Fall Regional Conference, and many attendees commented on how great the pistachios tasted as well as how beautiful they were.

If you have other fun uses for pistachios in confections, leave us a comment below!

Tip #41: Halloween-themed Rice Krispies Treats

Image from RCI 2011 Fall Regional Institute Candy Clinic

One of the great things about Rice Krispies treats is that they can be formed and cut to take on a plethora of shapes. In preparation for Halloween, this week’s tip is to shape your treats into a variety of Halloween-themed shapes. From pumpkins to candy corn to witch’s hats, many Halloween shapes are easy to form and then you can use colored white chocolate and/or coating to “paint” them and use other candies in your store to add fun embellishments. A variety of sizes, from snack-size to a full-size serving, will give your customers options.

Extra tip: Place the treats on a lollipop stick and you can create a bouquet of Halloween-themed treats that will make a great display for your store and catch the eye of your customers. 

Fall Regional 2011 - Texas

We're so excited to be in Houston and Galveston, Texas this week. We've had some great education sessions and are in the midst of our tour days. Be sure to check out our Facebook page for pictures. Videos will be coming soon!