SAN DIEGO — BEMA has announced the launch of Nexus, an all-new baking convention that will take place September 25-28, 2023, at the Omni Dallas Convention Center, Dallas. 

The convention will be hosted by BEMA in the off years of the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), said Tim Cook, BEMA chairman and chief executive officer, Linxis Group, during the event’s unveiling at BEMA 2022. 

“For years, we’ve had conversations with our board of directors on the topic of relevance,” he said. “How do we continue to bring to BEMA more opportunities to connect as an industry, more opportunities to learn as an industry, and more opportunities to grow in the way we all work together to run our businesses?”

After forming a task force to answer this question, BEMA landed on Nexus. Task force leader Jim Warren said the goal was to design the most inclusive, member-focused exchange in the baking industry. 

Nexus is centered around three pillars: Spark Sessions, Ignition Education and BEMA Collaboration. 

Spark Sessions are team-to-team meetings focused on building the baker-supplier relationship and discussing existing and future projects.

The Ignite Education sessions will discuss all-new and relevant topics, including keynotes, demonstrations of industry innovations and a focus on elements of sanitary design.

BEMA Collaboration will include general membership, BEMA committee and board meetings, baking industry forums and joint board and/or IBIE meetings. 

“Nexus is where I bring my new employees, my future leaders,” said Kerwin Brown, president and CEO, BEMA. “Nexus is where I come to learn about the industry, about trends, about things to grow my business. Nexus is where I collaborate with other suppliers, and Nexus is where I go to show my latest and greatest innovations to the baking industry. Those are the things you’re going to be saying after next September.”