Baking & Snack - February 2022 - 17

Meet
Jorge Zarate
The IBIE 2022 vice chairman anticipates a strong global presence at
the first international baking show since 2019.
by Charlotte Atchley
J
Jorge Zarate is the global senior vice president of operations
and engineering at Grupo Bimbo, Mexico City, and
vice chairman of the International Baking Industry Expo
(IBIE) 2022. He has been working in the baking industry
for nearly 35 years. His first IBIE was in 2001.
What do you hope people take away from the
show?
As the first major baking show to take place worldwide
over the last couple of years, attendees and exhibitors have
a lot to gain from the Baking Expo. First of all, innovation.
Our industry is driven to move faster and in a more agile
way - from our products, processes, even equipment - so
that we can fulfill the needs of the market. We've seen rapid
advancements not just on the equipment side but also in
the ingredients and in the processes.
Another big perk will be networking. Since we've been
apart from each other for a long period of time, the networking
is going to bring rich, new ideas. It's a great opportunity
for us to share how we're tackling challenges, not just
in America but also in Europe and Asia.
What kind of international attendance do you
expect at IBIE 2022?
As I mentioned, IBIE will be the first international baking
industry show to take place in person, so we expect an eager
and engaged market. We expect to have the same proportion
of international registrants as we have in the past.
As a result of our partnership with iba and participation in
ibaConnectingExperts, we expect our European participation
to increase. We anticipate participation from Asia to
hold strong. Latin America and Central markets have a lot
of new players, so we believe those small- to medium-sized
companies will come to IBIE as they're looking to grow.
What will be the biggest challenges and
opportunities for the international community?
While there are several, the most paramount in my opinion
is finding opportunities for growth without being damaged
by inflation. The cycle of inflation, increasing
costs and prices, can sometimes damage the
growth of companies. So the big question is
how can we find opportunities for growth
without incurring the damage of inflation.
Also, it's no secret consumer behavior is always
changing, but over the past two years it was
rapid and sometimes even showed conflicting desires.
For example, better-for-you snacking is on the rise
but at the same time so are comfort foods. We see these
preferences changing in terms of quality, nutrition value,
shelf life, value and quality flavors.
What does IBIE have to offer the international
baking community in 2022?
At IBIE we are partners of the US Commercial Services
Trade Event Partner Program and have the IBIE
International Delegation Program that provides benefits
like discounts on registration and education for participants.
Apart from the exhibit hall and networking in the
International Lounge, these attendees are seeking worldclass
education. IBIE is also a gathering where thought
leaders from across the globe can come together. We facilitate
meetings with leading companies and industry associations
from the NOAM, LATAM, APAC and the EU.
What new technology do you find the most
exciting?
Automation and robotics are especially important now for
overcoming labor challenges. The second phase of that is
getting into digital and analytics to inform our processes.
Once your processes are connected and more or less automated,
then work on gathering and analyzing that information.
For bakers, this data can be leveraged to enhance
the work of employees from the production lines to the
sales routes or accurate prospect lists. Not only do you support
your people better, but as a result, you'll have better
processes with less waste, better quality, more consistency
and so on.
*
www.bakingbusiness.com / February 2022 Baking & Snack 17
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - February 2022
