Milling & Baking News - August 20, 2013 - 30

I.B.I.E. Update 

An expo-losion of opportunity
LAS VEGAS — What issues are bakers facing this year in advance of the
International Baking Industry Exposition set for Oct. 6-9 in Las Vegas?
The chairs of the American Bakers
Association’s F.T.R.A.C. committee,
Len Heflich and Valerie
Wayland, recently told
Sosland
Publishing
that the emphasis on
food safety tops a fairly long list of operating
issues. Bakers also face
a volatile commodities
market and increasing
demands from consumers for “natural”
products and “cleaner”
food labels.
Other changes include continued industry consolidation, the
apparently permanent
increase in commodity
costs, increased food
safety regulations imposed by both government and third-party
audits, and the demonization of gluten. These factors
increase the pressure on bakers — on
sales, margins, systems, programs
and management.
Fortunately, this year’s Baking
Expo in Las Vegas will offer solutions
for many of these issues. From Oct.
6-9, I.B.I.E. offers a record number of
educational sessions. Hot topic sessions include presentations on the
Food Safety and Modernization Act,
an expert panel on plant expansion,
managing commodity prices and, of
course, the gluten-free trend. For the
complete schedule, visit the show’s
web site at www.ibie2013.org.
Some of the action begins before
the show opens. The American Bakers Association, in partnership with
the Food and Drug Administration,
will offer “Food Defense Awareness”
as an all-day seminar on Oct. 5. It will
provide participants with the tools
they need to create a food defense
plan.
However, the main reason to come
to Baking Expo is to see what’s new
in automation, formulation and technology. Certainly, the latest in process
control systems, labor-saving devices,
new ingredients and hygienic equipment designs are just a few priorities
topping bakers’ lists.
I.B.I.E. 2013 is expected to be bigger
than ever, and there are several new
30 / August 20, 2013 Milling & Baking News

features that show organizers developed to make it easier to find what
you are looking for.
A new I.B.I.E. mobile app, sponsored by DuPont Nutrition & Health,
makes it easy to navigate the show
floor, schedule supplier
appointments,
make
dinner reservations and
prepare client entertainment outings. This user-friendly mobile app
is available for iPhone,
Android and Blackberry 10 devices as well as
via the Internet for all
other mobile devices.
Everything you need
may be saved to the
app’s “My Event” section for easy recall.
For those individuals
looking for what’s new
at this year’s show,
the I.B.I.E. Innovation
Showcase gallery is
an ideal destination. It
will be located in the

main area of the convention center
lobby. The Innovation Showcase is
a walk-through gallery of posters illustrating some of the cutting-edge
technology introduced during the
past three years and now on display
in person a few steps away. It’s a
one-stop shopping experience for the
latest advances in just about every
industry category. The I.B.I.E. official
Show Directory also will describe
what’s new and who’s exhibiting at
the show. And the show dailies provide news, schedules and reviews of
all the meetings, exhibitor showcases
and more. These will be digitally delivered each morning via e-mail, and
hard copies will be available at the
entry to each show hall.
The clock is ticking down for the
big show, and expectations are building to an all-time high. Bakers and
suppliers alike are planning their
show floor strategies. Don’t wait until
the last minute to develop an action
plan. Despite the challenges the industry faces, this year’s Baking Expo
is an opportunity no baker can afford
to miss. MBN
— Steve Berne

I.B.I.E.: One-stop shopping
LAS VEGAS — Show organizers plan a broad spectrum experience for visitors to the 2013
International Baking Industry Exposition (I.B.I.E.) to be held Oct. 6-9 at the Las Vegas
Convention Center. They have added pizza, food safety/sanitation, tortillas, transportation,
packaging, coffee and confectionery to the event. The reason? To maximize its potential
value to attendees and exhibitors alike.
“The baking industry crosses over into many vertical and horizontal markets, and like
many industries, companies are innovating and diversifying their product lines,” said Michael A. Beaty, chairman of the I.B.I.E. Committee and executive vice-president of supply
chain, Flowers Foods, Thomasville, Ga. “On the wholesale side, we’re seeing more innovative ingredients and packaging. I think our show is usually ahead of the industry, so
participants can get a glimpse of where the industry is headed.”
Attendees will be able to shop and compare the new technologies that have come on the
market since I.B.I.E. last convened in 2010. Then they can return to their businesses with new
resources and knowledge to help them grow and become more efﬁcient. Those at the show
will be able to immerse themselves in expanded education programs and additional show
ﬂoor features providing timely information and best practices for bakers.
“These new areas are aimed to serve attendees better,” said Rosalio Rodriguez, I.B.I.E.
Committee member and chief of operations for Grupo Bimbo, Mexico City. “Everything
from the design and content of the education program, attracting international participants, new vendors coming to the show and the way in which all the associations are
coming together are going to give attendees a better overview of what’s available and
help facilitate the learning process.”
The Tortilla Industry Association (T.I.A.) is co-locating its technical seminar with I.B.I.E. for
the second time, giving tortilla producers an opportunity to meet all of their show needs in
one place. In 2010, attendance at the technical seminar doubled compared with non-I.B.I.E.
years, and half of the participants were new to T.I.A. events, said Jim Kabbani, chief executive ofﬁcer of T.I.A. With I.B.I.E. access is included in the technical seminar’s registration, its
attendees also get exposure to the hundreds of vendors and displays at I.B.I.E.
“T.I.A. members gain networking opportunities to make connections with those interested in tortillas but may not have the capabilities to produce them,” Mr. Kabbani said. MBN
— Charlotte Atchley

bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.ibie2013.org http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

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