Baking is a science, an art — and a constantly evolving industry. Technology, shifting consumer preferences, trends, new challenges (like today’s staffing shortages) and a variety of other factors are changing the baking game. How can you make sure your operation is ready for what’s next? The answer might surprise you …   Attend the 2022 the National Restaurant Association Show, May 21-24 in Chicago. This event has been trusted by professionals from every facet of foodservice (bakers included!) for more than 100 years, because it offers all the key ingredients for lasting success —information, inspiration, connections, and quality products.… Read more →

The global baking community will reconvene at IBIE 2022, the first international baking industry event to take place in-person since the pandemic. Regarded as the most comprehensive baking industry event in the Western Hemisphere, with 30% of attendees visiting from 109 countries outside of the United States, IBIE is a truly worldwide event not to be missed. “We can’t wait to welcome bakers and suppliers back for a reunion of epic proportions,” said Jorge Zarate, vice-chair of 2022 IBIE and global senior vice president of operations and engineering at Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV, Mexico City. “This year’s event is… Read more →

Dave Watson serves on the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) 2022 committee and is a subject matter expert and project manager with The Austin Co. He has been in the baking industry for 39 years, and IBIE 2022 will be his seventh Baking Expo as a committee member.   What are you looking forward to most about IBIE 2022? More than ever, I am looking forward to getting together and engaging in-person with the global baking community. I am excited about the new West Hall, the expanded education programs, and the opportunity to see the latest in new bakery equipment.… Read more →

  Michael Cornelis is vice president of international sales and development for American Pan, a Bundy Baking Solution, and has worked in the industry since 1985. He’s attended the International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) since 1989 and served as chairman in 2016.   During your time on the IBIE committee, what areas have you been most passionate about? The two things that have been near and dear to my heart from both my administration as chairman and now has been increasing international attendance and increasing educational offerings. Why? What’s the point of all that? The point is we study the… Read more →

Allen Wright serves on the IBIE 2022 committee and is vice president of sales and marketing at Hansaloy. He has been in the baking industry for 27 years. What are you looking forward to most about IBIE 2022?  Having the industry together in one location and engaging in person will be exciting as this has not happened globally on this scale since IBIE 2019. I think all participants, both attendees and exhibitors, will have a renewed appreciation for being face-to-face and connecting in that environment as opposed to virtual meetings.   How will this show be different from 2019?  The… Read more →

LA QUINTA, CALIF. — While celebrating the first in-person annual meeting of the American Bakers Association in three years, the importance of the upcoming 2022 IBIE also was given a central importance at this year’s gathering. “I don’t recall a more important Expo in my entire career,” said Bradley K. Alexander, the outgoing chair of the ABA and chief operating officer of Flowers Foods, Inc., Thomasville, Ga. “When I became ABA chair two years ago, it certainly wasn’t the experience I had envisioned,” he said of his term, kicking off the 2022 meeting in-person March 27 at the La Quinta… Read more →

Jorge Zarate is the global senior vice president of operations and engineering at Grupo Bimbo, Mexico City, and vice chairman of the International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) 2022. He has been working in the baking industry for nearly 35 years, entirely with Grupo Bimbo. His first IBIE was in 2001, and he has served on the planning committee the past three show cycles. What are you looking forward to most about IBIE 2022? I’m eager to see and be reunited with my colleagues, my friends, especially from the United States. Not just the bakers, but also equipment manufacturers and suppliers.… Read more →

Dennis Gunnell is the president of Formost Fuji and the chairman of the International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) 2022. He has worked in the baking industry for 36 years, and IBIE 2022 will be his 12th Baking Expo. What are you looking forward to most about IBIE 2022? At IBIE 2022 I’m most excited about reuniting and reconnecting with everyone in the industry in person. It’s been too long. A close second is seeing all of the new and exciting innovations. And since IBIE is a triennial show, I always look forward to seeing the revolutionary products/equipment debuting at the… Read more →

As the Western Hemisphere’s most comprehensive event for the grain-based foods industry, IBIE is the best place to find what you need to achieve your professional goals. To help you prioritize and maximize your time, we’ve put together this list of five popular objectives that IBIE can help you accomplish in just a few days. Take a look and discover smart ways to enhance your experience in Las Vegas, September 17-21, 2021.   1. SOLIDIFY SUPPLIER PARTNERSHIPS Severe commodity price increases, inflation and supply chain hurdles have impacted bakers for much of 2021. These issues aren’t likely to disappear in… Read more →

Many things have changed since the Baking Expo™ took place in September 2019. For our industry, those changes included shifting safety and sanitization best practices, grappling with multifaceted supply chain challenges, and appreciating our collective ingenuity more profoundly. Something else changed, too — perceptions about in-person gatherings, like trade shows and expos.   IBIE’s triennial cycle meant that we didn’t have another live event on the calendar until 2022. But many other events took place over the last year and a half, and they’ve produced a lot of useful data. That data proves an important point as we look to bring our community together again this September: Live events can be (and have been) held safely.   How is that possible? For starters, live events are controlled situations. Unlike grocery stores, public transit, etc., event venues only include registered… Read more →