Baking & Snack - July 2016 - 27

Mr. Watson: I agree. New attendees need to spend more
time planning upfront - planning ahead for their visit.
There is so much going on between the show floor, the
educational sessions and all the other events that, if you
don't plan ahead, your day could fly by, and you wouldn't
catch half of what you'd like to see.
Ms. Henderson: And that's an important message we
have to get out there to the attendees because we have
such a large number of exhibitors and education programs. They need to take serious time to plan to get the
most benefit out of IBIE.
Mr. Cornelis: The IBIE App in 2013 that helped you
plan your day was an incredible, useful tool, and this
year's app has been upgraded and improved. I would encourage every attendee - exhibitors, bakers, suppliers
or whoever - to download the app and use it.

the baking industry. It was a small gap that we analyzed
in the planning sessions, and we made an effort to really
try to attract further exhibitor coverage with packaging
equipment. Our after-show surveys from IBIE 2013 also
indicated the need for further networking. Our attendees said we don't have enough networking opportunities aside from the show floor. So we felt that an opening party, the All-American Tailgate networking event,
would allow that.
Mr. Cornelis: And we're very pleased that Sosland is going to be one of the sponsors of that.

Finally, Mr. Cornelis, as IBIE chairman, what
is the most important aspect of IBIE 2016 in
your personal opinion?
Mr. Cornelis: Boy, just that everyone has fun. A lot
of fun.

How is international attendance trending?
Mr. Zárate: International attendance is up to 30% now.
We are expecting to have participants from all over the
world - at least 100 countries - and we're going to offer them so much more than in the past. Today, we're
working with 60 international associations and industry groups. We have participated in other international
shows, and it's bringing us not only more attendees but
also greater awareness of this show. We're seeing increasing interest from countries like Mexico, Canada, Brazil
and Chile and throughout South America. There are
also participants from Africa, especially from South
Africa, and Australia.
Mr. Cornelis: I'm actually hoping 2016 will turn the
corner on increasing our European attendance. Our
European numbers have been okay, but they could
be much better. With the October dates, I'm hopeful
that we might get more Europeans who will come to
our show. Jorge's points are really well-taken. In past
shows, we had international delegations that bring
30 to 40 members - these are actual, interested buyers and very targeted attendees - and those delegations really help contribute to our show by bringing
in quality and quantity from across the globe. The
International Buyer Program in cooperation with the
US Department of Commerce is a huge win for our
show. There are very few shows that actually qualify
to get that certification.

What else will be seen on the show floor that
may have not been at previous IBIEs?
Mr. Turano: The trend toward packaging flexibility and
customization is becoming increasingly important for

Andrea Henderson notes that IBIE 2016 offers education sessions on dozens of topics.
American Bakers Association

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