It’s not too late to plan for iba 2012, but be advised that many of the best and most affordable flight and hotel options have already been taken. Through the show’s website, www.iba.de, late-booking attendees can still find related links for airfare discounts and last-minute hotels or even private accommodations in Munich, Germany. Keep in mind that Oktoberfest begins right after iba ends, so hotel rooms will start to get extremely expensive for some nights toward the latter end of the exhibition.

In addition to information about iba tickets, which range from single-day visits to reduced prices for larger groups, the show’s website helps guide visitors on how to take public transportation to get around Munich and where to find a shuttle that runs between the city’s international airport and the convention center. Shuttles will run every 30 minutes from 8 a.m. until an hour after the show closes.

A number of US bakers will be staying in a block of rooms reserved by BEMA. This allied industry partner booked a block of 100 rooms for the upcoming show, and the rooms are all nearly spoken for, Kerwin Brown, BEMA president and CEO, noted recently.

For attendees needing a moment to relax or looking for a place to conduct business, the BEMA Lounge in the US Pavilion (Hall B-1) may be exactly what they’re seeking.

According to Mr. Brown, the association will take a much more active role in helping US suppliers and bakers who are planning to attend the show. In the lounge, multi-language translators will be available to assist suppliers.

Also in the US Pavilion, BEMA will have an IBIE 2013 booth for those who want to exhibit or simply attend next year’s show, which runs Oct. 6-9, 2013, in Las Vegas, NV. For more on what BEMA has planned for iba and to check on hotel availability, contact the association at www.bema.org.