MUNICH — As the industry convened at iba 2023 for the first time in five years, the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) delegation was on-site, interacting with attendees from the US and around the world. That group included Jorge Zarate, senior VP of global operations and engineering for Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo and IBIE 2025 committee chair, and Allen Wright, VP at Hansaloy, and IBIE 2025 vice-chair.
Both have spent their careers in the baking industry, deeply involved in service in addition to their professions. Zarate, a former board chair for the American Society of Baking, has been involved with IBIE committee since 2013, and he is the first Grupo Bimbo employee to serve as the committee chair. Wright, a BEMA past board chair, will serve as chair of the IBIE 2028 committee.
During iba, the two sat down with Commercial Baking to discuss the biggest international trend that’s on their radar for IBIE and offer a glimpse behind the curtain of how innovation happens in planning the Western Hemisphere’s largest bakery show.
Joanie Spencer: I’m seeing a lot happening with digitization and artificial intelligence (AI). Technology advances are happening exponentially, so what do you predict it will look like at IBIE 2025?
Jorge Zarate: I remember having a conversation several years ago, and at that time, we were thinking about connecting our equipment so we would be able to visualize what was going on. That was probably five years ago, and that evolution has changed for the industry. What suppliers are offering now is more than just connection. It’s also storage for information.
Now, we are in a phase of artificial intelligence, which is using that information and providing an analysis of that information to help you make decisions — or help the operator or the leaders who are managing the production lines. So, we’ve moved from being connected in order to receive, visualize and analyze information to now receiving predictive suggestions on what to do, what’s next or what may arise.
It’s a new way that bakers can improve their processes and make them more optimized, reduce waste, increase the safety of people, and create better service for the sales team.
What’s next is machine learning. With all those things we learn — what we’ve told the equipment to do based on those suggestions — the machine is now learning for itself. There are already some devices that can act by themselves and adjust themselves based on weight, speed and temperature. That’s what’s coming. Now, our operators and leaders are going to have more time to focus on other important things.
Allen Wright: AI is going to take that process and continue to speed it up. But I also think that as smart as machines can become, there will still be a need for tradeshows. People want to see that technology in action, put their hands on it, and I think that resonates with people. They want to connect directly with equipment and see firsthand what those advantages are.
Tradeshows might look a little different into the future, but they’re a place where people can come experience that AI, where they can fully interact with the technology and understand how it can work for a bakery operation.
Zarate: For the baking industry in particular, there’s a process and a lot of technology involved. But there’s also a big part of it that’s art that goes with science. For the art and science to come together, you will always need someone to be there, someone to make the good decisions. I cannot see a “lights out” factory to produce bread. Our process is alive, and it needs human interaction.
“We are all one industry … we have different points of view, different goals in our professional careers, but IBIE is where we come together.” — Jorge Zarate | VP of global operations and engineering, Grupo Bimbo | IBIE committee chair
So, what will that mean for IBIE? How will the show make solutions available for bakers to learn and lean into technology?
Zarate: We are working on the features we want to showcase, and we have three main areas we want to focus on.
The first is, of course, international. We want to increase our international scope. That provides North American bakers a different view with those European or Asian bakers. Even within North America, we have an opportunity to gain insight from Latin [American] attendees. With this focus on international, we can provide a lot of new perspectives for our visitors and exhibitors.
The second thing is bringing in more people related to the industry, beyond engineering and operations. IBIE is also a valuable experience for bakery owners, sales representatives, marking, R&D and logistics. We want to expand on the value chain because that will also bring a different view. While we typically come from a technician standpoint, we also bring a business point of view and more focus on what’s happening throughout the bakery.
And the third area of focus is looking at what we can offer attendees and exhibitors from adjacent industries. Our industry involves more than just bread or sweet baked goods.
Wright: IBIE is proud to welcome those ancillary audience segments in addition to our core focus. We’re looking at how we can further integrate content for those audiences into the show and provide and provide added value for attendees. It will give attendees an opportunity to see more than only what’s near and dear to them. The committee has spent a lot of time discussing that and coming up with how that will translate to the 2025 show
With the committee being composed of five bakers and five suppliers representing the co-owners — American Bakers Association and BEMA respectively — what do these ideation sessions look like? Can you describe the experience of an environment that is focused on coming together to help the industry?
Zarate: We are all one industry, and what happens at IBIE is the same as what happens in the industry. This is a group that is very tight; yes, we have different points of view, different goals in our professional careers, but IBIE is where we come together. We have about eight task forces focused on different aspects of the event, and the committee members are involved with them all. It gives us different points of view and a good perspective on the products and services that we work on.
I have to say that this collaboration has been great. In my experience on the IBIE committee, it’s amazing how we are constantly improving communication, friendships and business relationships. And that is so important for a group like this.
Wright: It’s important to point out Jorge’s leadership and vision for the committee. And the best part of this group is that there aren’t two sides to this committee. It’s one committee. So, in those ideation sessions, you can take your hat off — the one that says, ‘I’m buying something’ or ‘I’m selling something’ — and focus solely on what’s best for the show and what’s best for the industry. For me, that’s the magic of the committee and the most important work that we do.
Jorge, if you could sum up the vision for IBIE 2025, what would you say?
Zarate: We’re definitely aiming to have a bigger show with a broader scope to touch on other aspects of our industry and other points in the value chain. And we want to create something to help the industry grow. This show has always helped the baking industry improve with things like our world-class IBIEducate program, and that’s provided added value to the industry. What I’d like to have is a show that makes people say, ‘IBIE is where I can get everything I need, with a truly comprehensive expo, demos and education sessions.’ Because it’s all at IBIE.
Allen, when you look at Jorge’s leadership and then look ahead to 2028, how will IBIE 2025 impact your plans?
Wright: When I look at Jorge and the people who came before him, there are true industry icons that have led this show. The thing I have picked up from Jorge is how much he values the people who are giving up their time to support this show, grow it and make it better.
I see how important people are to this show, and it’s imperative to have the right people in the right places and capitalize on their strengths and expertise. I think that’s something the committee has put together very well. It brings together so many perspectives, from the baker side and supplier side, and from large companies and small ones.
It’s really the people that make IBIE happen. That has really resonated with me as I watch Jorge lead the committee.
Zarate: I very much like the system of having the vice-chair and chair work together. Having Allen work close to me has been really great. He has supported me in helping me understand the nuances of US culture. I am a baker, and I understand the process, but culturally speaking, he has been a big support.
Speaking of culture, there may be more generations at IBIE 2023 than any other in the show’s history. With baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials and even Gen Zers at the show together, what does this say about IBIE’s evolution? How do you envision newcomers to the industry experiencing a modern IBIE?
Zarate: We have to focus on things like new technologies that will attract them. But it’s not just because we want to attract younger people; that’s where our industry is heading. Showcasing cutting-edge trends and technology from our value chains is what makes IBIE so exciting. It seems that, for younger generations, our industry was not as sexy as other industries. But the baking industry has everything — the technology, the human aspect, the science, the art — and IBIE 2025 is our chance to tell the new generation that this is an industry that’s worth working in. It’s very hard work, but it’s really fun.
Wright: Experience is something the committee has talked about and been very intentional about. We are thinking about that experience for someone who is a first-time attendee, a younger attendee. What’s their experience of the show? For some veterans, they’ve been coming to the show for 10 cycles in a row, and they understand what it’s all about.
We are always looking to bring new and exciting things to each show and ensure a great experience for a first-time or younger attendee. We have a new person working for us, who came to iba with us. He’s been completely blown away by the people in the industry, and he’s ready to go all-in.
I’ve always felt like our industry is unique, but my perspective has 30 years of experience. His reaction was a good confirmation. The baking industry still has that family feeling, even when you’re half a world away in Munich.
