IBIE - 2019 Special Edition & Show Preview - 47

BEMA PERSPECTIVE

Staying the COURSE
For the industry, strategy is more than a buzzword.
by Kerwin Brown, BEMA

With only weeks to go before the commencement of my
ninth IBIE, I was thinking back over the years and show
cycles. It is clear we are now operating with a new set of
priorities to meet the needs of our growing and evolving industry. Each planning committee, each partner and vendor,
each individual initiative is veiled in strategy with the overarching mission of connecting, educating and providing
resources for our members and the customers they serve.
I like to think of BEMA's strategic plan as a vehicle that
we are using to deliver an overwhelming competitive advantage to our members. As we work to diligently fulfill
our mission and vision as an organization, we must follow
a roadmap and ensure the vehicle paces as planned. Key
areas of interest include innovative training and education,
member-focused value and engagement, partnerships and
alliances, and financial strength and sustainability. BEMA's
involvement in IBIE personifies these four strategic areas
and our commitment to stay the course.
Training and talent are topics near and dear to BEMA,
as we have invested greatly in developing BEMA-U over
the past several years to provide customized training programs that are relevant, timely and actionable. In addition
to BEMA's belief in the education initiative, it's obvious to
anyone who has glanced at an industry publication or had a
conversation with a baker or supplier, that people are proving to be the biggest hurdle. We strive to create learning
experiences that go beyond the knowledge level to application of skills. I'm proud that we have brought this philosophy to the IBIEducate program. Boasting more than
100 courses, IBIEducate has become the smartest place to
connect with experts and innovators who will lead focused
training sessions and share best practices. Just as BEMA-U
provides customized content and delivery, IBIEducate is offering specialized tracks to address a spectrum of trending
topics. That synergy is no accident; it's strategy in motion.
Being a membership organization, one might think
that member-focused value and engagement would come
naturally. To some extent it does. Our core membership is
highly engaged and aware of the services BEMA offers and
gaining valuable ROI from their membership. But what
about those not at the core? How do we communicate to
that segment regarding the value of their membership and

encourage them to become more engaged? How
can we showcase and leverage the benefits of
IBIE to provide each member the maximum value
proposition? Answering these questions requires creativity and intention, alongside a personal and personable approach ... that's BEMA's specialty. We are going where the
members go: tradeshows, conferences, other industry association events and right to their facilities. Initiatives like
#TourdeBEMA is membership engagement in action.
Alliances and partnerships are all around us. During my
30 years in the baking industry, I've been witness to these
relationships changing the landscape of individual careers,
companies of all sizes and the industry as a community.
Moving and shaking, rising and baking, growing and prospering are functions of unique and purposeful alliances
and partnerships.
In 2018, our leadership team cultivated conversations
with six other associations regarding opportunities for collaboration, all their own flavor; there is no competition to
rival a force united working toward the same goals. Under
our newly appointed chairman, Mark Hotze, we are now
looking outside of baking to the broader subject of food
science as a STEM pathway. We are researching and exploring how to engage and recruit the next generation of
innovative talent by partnering with the institutes that provide education. IBIE is another shining example of valuable
partnership - the American Bakers Association, Retail
Bakers of America, BEMA - and how our teams combine,
working in unison, to design and deliver one of the largest
baking expositions in the world.
As a precisely woven web, our first three strategic endeavors
combine and feed the fourth: financial strength and sustainability. Much like bread feeds and nourishes the world, financial security feeds and nourishes our association and its ability
to achieve our mission. At times, being married to a strategic
plan can feel limiting. However, no different than taking up a
new hobby, or committing to a new gym routine, results come
to those who stay the plan and put in the work. Discipline and
focus, over time, deliver results. I'm inspired to lead BEMA,
with the support and strategic vision of our board of directors
and the wealth of experience that comes with our past chairmen, into 2020 and beyond.

IBIE 2019 PreShow Guide 47

IBIE - 2019 Special Edition & Show Preview

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IBIE - 2019 Special Edition & Show Preview