At iba, participants will attend a host of education sessions and view live competitions such as the iba Cup.
With exposure to international cultures and foods, consumers embrace a wider swath of baked foods and snacks that’s driving the type of equipment that bakers buy. In Europe, it’s not uncommon to see American-style donuts and muffins sold next to classic croissants, French baguettes or Old World rye bread in the same store, cafe or supermarket in-store bakery.
“The biggest challenge is bakers responding to changing consumer demands,” said Jim Kline, founder and president of The EnSol Group. “There have always been changing consumer demands, but what I’m seeing more is the demand for European-style, harder crust. And I’m seeing a lot more interest in ciabatta and specialty bread than ever before. So how do you take your technology and produce these types of products efficiently? That’s been a major goal of American bakers over the past few years.”
Shifting consumer preferences are reflected in the face of international events such as iba and the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), scheduled for Sept. 8-11, 2019, in Las Vegas.
Production of Old World breads and classic European baked goods remain a mainstay at iba.
In 2015, iba attracted 77,814 visitors from 167 countries — a bump of 10% compared with 2012. For the 1,309 exhibitors from 57 nations, a post-show survey indicated more than half of them completed sales transactions during the event. According to iba organizers GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen GmbH, the total volume of orders placed during the six days of the show reached €1.3 billion ($1.6 billion). The survey noted 87% of the companies judged iba as “very successful.”
This year, more than 1,100 exhibitors already have signed up for iba. Moreover, the IBIE/US Pavilion is nearly sold out, said Jerry Kallman, president, Kallman Associates, whose company organizes the pavilion. Limited space was still available as of March, Mr. Kallman added.
Hotels and travel arrangements as well as exhibitor and attendee information may be found here. However, because Oktoberfest begins on Sept. 22 — just two days after iba ends — show organizers encourage international baking professionals to secure travel to the exhibition as soon as possible. More information about the show’s many events is expected later this spring.
At IBIE, the Innovation Showcase displays the technology and equipment from suppliers.
Likewise, IBIE 2016 was one of the most successful events in its history, reflecting the strength of the global baking industry and the event’s burgeoning international popularity, said Kerwin Brown, president and chief executive officer of BEMA, which sponsors the trade show along with the American Bakers Association and the Retail Bakers of America. Mr. Brown anticipated that the 2019 show floor will be sold out just like the previous one.
Although both trade shows compete in some ways, the globalization of the baking industry has created a somewhat symbiotic relationship as these events bolster their presence on the world stage. Organizers for both shows are reaching out to a broader audience that includes professionals from industrial and wholesale companies to craft bakers to snack manufacturers, packaging exhibitors and even confectionary, pizza and coffee operations.
“We aspire to extend iba’s leading position in the bakery, confectionery and snack sector because the trade fair portrays the world’s most important trends of that industry,” explained Dieter Dohr, c.e.o., GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen GmbH.
Many bakers and food manufacturers are searching for packaging innovations to streamline their operations.
Michael Wippler, president of the German Bakers’ Confederation, suggested that bakers should promote bread as “back to basics” and other traditional baked foods as promoting good health and well-being.
“Being up-to-date, constantly learning new things and recognizing wide-reaching trends are also indispensable parts of the job,” Mr. Wippler said. At iba, he added, bakers will get an overview of the global market as well as insights on opportunities for growth.
Mr. Brown noted the IBIE/US Pavilion at iba provides a stage to promote IBIE and attract a greater number of countries attending the Las Vegas event.
“We like to use iba as a platform to connect with associations from around the world,” Mr. Brown explained.
He added that IBIE will leverage its presence at iba to identify the best opportunities to enhance attendance at next year’s trade show and talk to exhibitors and counterpart associations from a plethora of countries.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet in person,” Mr. Brown said. “So many times, we’re discussing opportunities via email, and it’s great to sit down with people face-to-face and talk about what we all have in common in the baking industry.”
