Steve Wright, president of Hansaloy Corp., Davenport, IA, will receive BEMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the association’s annual Winter Summit, which will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3, at the Chicago Downtown Marriott.

The award will be presented at the BEMA luncheon Sunday, as the group helps to kick off the Best Week in Baking. The American Society of Baking’s BakingTech 2013 conference will get under way later that afternoon with MarketPlace from 4 to 6 p.m. Those not yet signed up for BakingTech, only have a few more days to save $100 on fees by meeting the early bird registration deadline on Feb. 1.

Tickets for the BEMA luncheon may be purchased on site, and entertainment during the event will feature the mental stunts and mind games of Michael C. Anthony.

BEMA also launches 4th Track, an education session on a variety of issues its member business face at its Winter Summit. This new 4th Track session will be held during BEMA’s traditional committee meeting timeframe Saturday morning. Members are encouraged to attend two committee meetings that interest them and then select a 4th Track session.

“This is the biggest change to meeting content we’ve made since we introduced Business IQ,” said Kerwin Brown, BEMA president and CEO. “The best news is that 4th Track was born from suggestions from our members and the board.” 

Attendance at BEMA’s committee meetings has grown, and at the same time, members were requesting education on new and varied topics. “We felt that 4th Track would help us create another valuable session for attendees and reduce attendance at committee meetings, making them more productive as well,” Mr. Brown added.

Inaugural 4th Track topics include Protecting your Intellectual Property in a Global Market, Maximizing R&D Tax Credits and Integrated Safety Solutions to Increase Efficiencies.  

BEMA’s 2013 program will also feature a baker panel on vendor relations to be held Sunday morning.  Bakers contributing to the panel include Dave Watson, vice-president of engineering, Pepperidge Farm, Norwalk, CT; Joe Turano, president, Turano Baking Co., Berwyn, IL; and Mike Alagna, COO, Nation Pizza & Foods, Schaumburg, IL. Scott Fischer, director of sales and marketing at ShickUSA, Kansas City, MO, will lead the panel in discussing topics such as how vendors and bakers can build a mutually beneficial relationship, baker expectations, and internal pressures on the baker/vendor relationship. 

BEMA’s Sunday morning educational sessions will also feature a Baking Industry Forum (BIF) presentation on one solution to creating a skilled workforce, hiring veterans.  Marady Leary, director of strategic programs for the US Chamber of Commerce, and retired US Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Scott Dearduff will be the key speakers for this panel.

Winter Summit also includes a welcome reception at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Woman’s Athletic Club of Chicago. All members of the baking industry are invited to attend this free event.