LAS VEGAS — The International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), being held Sept. 7-11 in Las Vegas, started with a full day of education sessions and workshops before the show floor opened on Sunday.

Retail, wholesale and commercial bakers gathered to learn about a variety of topics, including consumer trends and workforce retention strategies. IBIE introduced the dedicated education day this year to help attendees balance their time at show.

“By introducing this dedicated day of learning before the exhibit hall opens, we’re creating an opportunity for attendees to take full advantage of IBIEducate, gain a more complete experience at IBIE and return home more prepared with new ideas and strategies to improve their products, optimize production and support business growth,” Andrea Henderson, chair of the IBIE Education Task Force and vice-president, Rondo, told Baking & Snack managing editor Nico Roesler. 

While bakers spent the day in the classroom, suppliers worked around the clock to get booths ready before the exhibit hall opened. More than 1,000 exhibitors are showcasing a range of equipment, ingredients and technology this year, with many products making their debut at IBIE.