Christine Prociv is senior vice president of marketing, innovation and R&D for Aspire Bakeries, Los Angeles. 

IBIE Point of View offers an inside look at how bakery professionals across disciplines get the most out of attending IBIE, held Sept. 17-21 in Las Vegas.  

What are your goals for attending IBIE 2022? How will those fit in with your overall business strategy/company’s goals? 

My goals for IBIE are to identify unique ingredients, meet with new and existing industry partners, and explore new trends. Our company goals include innovation and growth, so IBIE is an opportunity to discover the “what” as well as identify the “how” with external partners, suppliers and experts. 

How do you determine what those goals are? 

I attended in 2019, so I know what to expect, and then I try to match that to our business goals

How do you plan to ensure those goals are met? How will you measure a successful IBIE?

I’ll summarize trends that I see while walking the floor, identify two to four supplier partners to begin or continue conversations with and hopefully come up with a few new ideas for Aspire. Then, I’ll know it’s a success.

What resources are you using to plan your trip? 

I’ll be relying on the IBIE website and Lili Economakis, our IBIE coordinator. 

What aspects of IBIE do you expect to be the most helpful in meeting your goals? 

The numerous ingredient companies, being able to meet customers there, as well as the trend presentations 

Which education sessions or demos will you be attending? What are you hoping to gain from those sessions? 

I need to review the full list, but those focused on trends and current market issues such as supply chain, inflation, etc.

What will be your strategy for approaching the show floor?

I typically try to quickly go up and down the aisles until I see something where I’d like to stop and explore ideas and opportunities. Of course I have a number of companies on my hit list.

Will your time be spent with existing suppliers or looking for new ones? How will you be coordinating booth visits? 

Both, but especially new ones. 

How will new suppliers catch your attention? 

With application ideas and sample.