LAS VEGAS — After canceling its September 2021 event due to COVID-19, iba announced it will return in-person Oct. 22-26, 2023 in Munich. Leaders from iba attended IBIE 2022, which took place Sept. 18-21, and shared their plans for the baking and confectionery industries’ largest European trade fair. Exhibitors and attendees will notice two key changes from the last iba in 2018:
- The triennial show has shifted is date pattern from September 2021 to October 2023.
- For the first time, the show will be structured by areas of interest.
“The expo will be segmented into four major categories: production technology and equipment, raw materials and ingredients, artisan bakeries, and packaging technology,” said Dan Schneider, managing director of the German Bakers Confederation.
Prior to the pandemic, iba metrics had consistently been trending upward.
“In 2018, iba drew 1,373 exhibitors — up from 1,309 in 2015— of which 69 percent were international companies,” said iba exhibition director Susan Seidemann. “We attracted 77,020 visitors from 173 countries, and 82 percent of visitors were decision makers.”
Exhibitors in attendance at the iba presentation expressed concern over the show’s timing being so close to Gulfood Manufacturing, which is scheduled for November 2023. Exhibitors also wanted to know if the show would return to its previous date pattern and how the 2023 show might impact future events.
It is unclear at this time if or when iba will return to its previous show cycle, according to Seidemann.
“We were not able to get dates in September 2023 from the building due to other events already on the calendar,” she said.
“In 2018, iba drew 1,373 exhibitors — up from 1,309 in 2015— of which 69 percent were international companies. We attracted 77,020 visitors from 173 countries, and 82 percent of visitors were decision makers.” —Susan Seidemann | exhibition director | iba
In 2021, there were 9,965 German bakery businesses that generated an average turnover of 14.98 billion euros (about 14.86 billion USD) annually, according to Michael Wippler, president of the German Bakers Confederation. The German baking industry employed 240,800 people in 2021, with 12,242 apprentices — a number that has more halved over the last 10 years, he said.
Wippler shared the key challenges facing the industry:
- Pandemic-related restrictions
- Cost increases (staff, energy and raw materials)
- Use of alternative energy supplies
- Lack of skilled labor
- Bureaucracy
- Changes to consumer requirements due to the pandemic and other crises
In 2023, iba will feature live demos; the FORUM, where top speakers engage iba experts with industry-related topics; the SPEAKERS CORNER, addressing national and internationals topics; the ACADEMY, where attendees can learn how to make traditional German cheesecake and pretzels; and the Tortilla Industry Association Europe Conference, a two-day educational event co-located with iba.
In addition, iba attendees will have the opportunity to visit bakeries in Munich and the surrounding regions.
For more information, view the iba presentation from IBIE.
