LAS VEGAS — The International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) showcase floor opened Monday morning to an eager crowd. Exhibitors’ booths greeted attendees with displays ranging from cake decorating contests to machinery demonstrations.

The convention is running from Sept. 18-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. After a buzzing first day yesterday, the expo is only picking up speed as day two continues.

“This will be the first international baking show, and to be honest, one of the first international food shows of any kind since IBIE 2019,” Robb MacKie, president and chief executive officer of the American Bakers Association (ABA), said in a Sept. 17 interview ahead of the start of the triennial event owned by ABA and BEMA. “With the last three years without any of these shows and all we’ve been through, if you miss IBIE until 2025, that feels like two lifetimes.”