CHICAGO — Buddy Valastro, renowned celebrity chef and owner of Jersey City, NJ-based Carlo’s Bakery, has been confirmed as the latest speaker for the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE)’s 2022 event.
The announcement came from Michael Cornelis, IBIE committee member and VP of international sales and development for American Pan, during the American Society of Baking’s BakingTECH 2022 event held last week in Chicago.
“In 2019, Buddy Valastro’s cake decorating demonstration was one of the most memorable moments on the show floor,” Cornelis said. “Every seat and standing area available was packed, and attendees listened eagerly for expert decorating and baking business advice. The celebrity baker even shared personal anecdotes too. After the demo, he met with fans before heading backstage to film a video on the valuable opportunities IBIE presents for bakers and how business owners can make the most of the Expo.”
Coming off the heels of his previous cake decorating demo, which was the most-attended presentation from the 2019 Expo, Valastro is pushing the wave of momentum for this year’s show to even greater heights.
The presentation will take place in the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) Bakers Center — one of the most popular features of the triennial Expo — which also featured guests like Jacquy Pfiefer from the French Pastry School and other high-profile bakers in 2019.
“IBIE 2022 is going to be spectacular,” said Bernadette Haas, director of operations for RBA. “Not only do we have Buddy Valastro, our favorite and one of the most genuine bakers in the industry, attending again, but we also have a jam-packed schedule with education, demos, hands-on classes and so much more.”
The baking industry is buzzing about the opportunity to gather at one of the largest events to return to an in-person format. With so much for attendees to catch up on, the IBIE planning committee has packed the schedule with education for every segment of the baking industry professional levels. There are more than 100 sessions and demos on the books, with a full day of education planned for Saturday, Sept. 17, the day before the IBIE exhibit hall opens.
