The 2016 International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE)—the most comprehensive event in the Western Hemisphere for the grain-based food industry—recently wrapped up its largest show ever at the Las Vegas Convention Center. IBIE 2016 featured more than 1,000 exhibitors, a nearly 30 percent increase over 2013, with 340 exhibitors that were completely new to IBIE. The exhibitors spanned 700,000 square feet of exhibit halls. Attendance was also up compared to 2013, hitting more than 23,000 registered attendees, a nine percent increase.

A considerable amount of IBIE’s growth has stemmed from its international audience, with attendees coming from more than 100 countries and comprising 30 percent of the total attendance.

“The quality and depth of IBIE’s attendees, exhibitors and education sessions was incredible,” says Michael J. Cornelis, chair, IBIE. “IBIE is continually evolving and growing to meet the needs of baking industry professionals, as well as the trends in the industry, and this year we saw a record-breaking show with the largest show floor, number of exhibitors, innovation showcase and education program in IBIE’s history.”

Highlights from IBIE 2016 included:

  • The Innovation Showcase—which was 15 percent larger than its inaugural run in 2013—prominently featured in the Central Lobby for attendees to review a select range of new equipment, ingredients and technologies while approaching the expo hall
  • The Innovation Spotlight Theater, located in IBIE’s new Idea LAB on the show floor, which provided a forum for exhibitors to conduct live presentations highlighting top innovations
  • The new Fresh Take Talks series, presented by Grain Foods Foundation, which featured brief, informative presentations from influential thought leaders across the baking industry sharing perspectives on prevailing trends
  • The American Cake Decorating Demo Theater and The ONE Demonstration Theater by Revent featured free daily demos
  • The expanded educational program, including more than 90 sessions, highlighted the latest techniques and strategies for building skills and overall bakery businesses
  • Top industry speakers like former Todd Hale (former Nielsen vice president), Lee Sanders (senior vice president of government relations, American Bakers Association) and Ramon Rivera (senior vice president of operations, Bimbo Bakeries)
  • Pre-show seminars from RPIA on “Business of Baking for Beginners” and the Tortilla Industry Association with its two-day Technical Conference
  • Seminars, organized into targeted tracks like AIB Technical, Retail, Bread Bakers Guild of America, International, Management, Sales & Marketing, Ingredients & Processes, Food Safety & Sanitation, and Retail Hands-on, held each morning and evening
  • The Great American Pie Festival, RBA’s 15th Annual Pillsbury Bakers’ Plus Creative Decorating Competition and PMQ Pizza Village
  • Satin Ice Live Challenge competition, which had competitors construct and decorate a fairytale-themed cake in six hours
  • The Retail Bakers of America’s 15th Annual Pillsbury Baker’s Plus Grain Champion Creative Decorating Competition, with winners in categories on Rolled Fondant Cake, Wedding Cake, Graduation Cake and Sculpted Cake, as well as overall RBA Pillsbury Bakers Plus Champions
  • PMQ and the Midwest Culinary and Acrobatic Trials

B.E.S.T. in Baking winners

Another top highlight of IBIE 2016 was the B.E.S.T. in Baking Program. IBIE, together with Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery magazine, honored 50 industry suppliers and bakeries that have made a positive impact on the environment with its third annual B.E.S.T. in Baking awards.

“When we first started discussing B.E.S.T. in Baking with the IBIE committee, we knew we had to connect with bakers and suppliers on a deeper level,” says Chris Luke, market and media leader, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, FBP Group, BNP Media. “In consulting with IBIE and Chief Editor Doug Peckenpaugh, we put together a program that better defined a company’s sustainability effort and highlighted best practices which were really at the heart of the program.

“The response was tremendous! We received four times the number of entrants compared to the last time Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery sponsored the program in 2013,” continues Luke. “When handing out the awards, we quickly learned how the program has impacted the winners through the excitement and exposure the program brings. The baking industry has a significant need to become more environmentally sustainable. This is only the start. We can’t wait to starting planning for 2019!”

As representatives of the IBIE 2016 B.E.S.T. in Baking Program, the following companies received onsite recognition at IBIE and media attention for their equipment, ingredients, packaging, technological and other solutions that help foster energy conservation, a reduction in water usage, a decrease in landfill waste, healthy living and/or a reduction of the overall impact on the environment:

Equipment

Top Honors: Heuft Thermo-Oel GmbH & Co.

Honorable Mention: Air Management Technologies

Honorable Mention: Bakery Concepts International

Honorable Mention: Revent

American Pan

Auto-Bake

Bühler AG

Chiorino Inc.

CLM Bakery System SRL

Doran Scales

Flexco

Flynn Burner Corp.

Goodway Technologies

Hayon Manufacturing Corp.

Koenig Bakery Systems

KREA Swiss AG

MIWE America

NU-VU

Pfannenberg

Reading Bakery Systems

Sealpump Engineering

Shaffer Mixers & Processing Equipment

Topos Mondial Corp.

VMI

WP Bakery Group USA

 

Ingredients

Top Honors: Palsgaard

Honorable Mention: Daabon Organic USA

Honorable Mention: Western Sugar Cooperative

Arla Foods

Barry Callebaut

Best Cooking Pulses

Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.

Ciranda

Corbion Caravan

DuPont Nutrition & Health

Fiberstar

 

Packaging

Top Honors: Citamel Packaging

Honorable Mention: Tielman North America

 

Logistics

Top Honors: FlexiBake

Honorable Mention: NetGlo Corp.

Focus Works

 

Wholesale Bakery

Top Honors: Pepperidge Farm

Honorable Mention: ARYZTA

Honorable Mention: Dawn Foods

CraftMark Bakery

 

Retail Bakery

Top Honors: O&H Danish Bakery

Honorable Mention: Small World Food

Honorable Mention: New Freshbread Bakeshop

BrewBakers

Pearl Bakery

 

For complete coverage of IBIE 2016, visit www.snackandbakery.com/IBIE2016.

 

IBIE 2016 Video Series

Visit www.snackandbakery.com over the coming weeks to view a series of videos the Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery team shot during IBIE 2016:

  • 2016 B.E.S.T. in Baking Program
    A series of video interviews with the companies honored as part of the IBIE 2016 B.E.S.T. in Baking Program, featuring the top sustainability achievements across bakery equipment, ingredients, packaging and logistics, as well as at wholesale and retail bakeries
  • Live from the IBIE 2016 Show Floor
    Video interviews with a wide range of companies during IBIE 2016 covering highlights from the show, industry perspectives and top trends in bakery today