Baking in Every Corner of the World

IBIE Committee attendS INTERNATIONAL bAKING shows

Always eager to keep a finger on the pulse of the international grain-based food industry, the IBIE Committee makes a point to attend some of the best shows in baking. We recently traveled to Munich, Germany to attend iba, September 12th– 17th. IBIE’s presence at iba was huge this year. IBIE hosted the U.S. Exhibitors Lounge within the BEMA Pavilion. The lounge served as a place where U.S. exhibitors could congregate, hold meetings or utilize translation services to connect with their international customers.

The show proved to be a great place to build and foster international relationships. Robb MacKie, President and CEO of ABA, and Kerwin Brown, President and CEO of BEMA, met with representatives from South Africa, China, Brazil, Italy and Germany to discuss partnerships for the upcoming IBIE 2016 show. Needless to say, we expect our international attendance to continue to grow!

In addition to meeting with prospective delegations, we also noted some interesting trends. Here are a few items that stood out:

Coffee: The symbiotic relationship between coffee and baked goods is only growing stronger, making knowledge on both markets absolutely key. At this booth, coffee cups were used as a projector to display the images of coffee and baked goods! It was fantastic.

Snacks: Coffee and baking may have intrinsic ties to one another, but the snack industry will not be left behind. European snacks are usually hot and bread is almost always involved! This particular snack bar featured a commitment to organic ingredients.

Packaging: There has been an increased focus on packaging within the food industry in recent years and this was evident by the increased number of packaging exhibitors present on the floor. These machines ensure fresh and preserved products in aesthetically pleasing packages.

Of course, the baking industry moves very quickly. Long before the next iba in 2018, these trends will either evolve to meet ever-changing market conditions—or they’ll be supplanted by innovations and ideas that aren’t yet on the horizon. The only way to know with certainty, and to profit as a result, is to keep a constant and comprehensive eye on the industry.

With that in mind, we invite you to stay tuned get all the latest grain-based food news and commentary — plus updates on all things IBIE, including registration info, session descriptions, exhibitors previews, networking opportunities and much, much more.