Increased IBIEducate access elevates the Baking Expo experience

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Increased IBIEducate access elevates the Baking Expo experience

9 May 2025

Annie Hollon

Annie Hollon is a journalist, copywriter and social media strategist from the Dallas, Texas area. She found a love for magazine writing during her time at the University of Alabama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in public relations and English. Beyond writing, you can find her expanding her library, attempting to teach herself the guitar and trying new hobbies.

LAS VEGAS — Professional development is the crux for growth in the baking industry, and through robust educational offerings, the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), powered by the American Bakers Association and BEMA and supported by the Retail Bakers of America (RBA), makes it possible for attendees to learn from industry experts and celebrity chefs. With each show cycle, this content adjusts to the needs of industry members, and 2025 is no different.

While people can still expect quality content tailored to the industry, what is different is that IBIEducate — the lineup of educational sessions and demos offered at the triennial event — is now included in the overall registration cost, a change from previous show cycles.

“The demand for education has increased almost exponentially since the inception of IBIE,” said Mark Hotze, IBIE 2025 Planning Committee member, chair of IBIEducate and VP, North America for Corbion. “Including all IBIEducate sessions with registration makes budgeting and the checkout process more convenient.”

This change makes it easier for baking industry members to engage in educational offerings — including the dedicated day of education on Saturday, Sept. 13 — before the show starts, and take advantage of all the show’s benefits.

“We want people to get as much out of IBIE as they possibly can, and a part of the experience is education and idea sharing,” said Marissa Velie, executive director of RBA, IBIE planning committee member and co-manager of IBIEducate. “Offering more IBIEducate sessions than ever and including all-access with registration was a natural next step in terms of homing in on that mission of the betterment and advancement of the baking industry.”

“With sessions and demos galore, attendees have a wealth of content to explore, tailored to their specific industry segment and job function.” — Mark Hotze| chair of IBIEducate and 2025 Planning Committee member | International Baking Industry Exposition

Bakers supporting bakers

Members of the baking industry, including those in adjacent areas, are increasingly looking for ways to share their knowledge on labor and supply chain shortages, inflation and generational consumer shifts. All of these changes make it integral for baking leaders to stay in the know with the latest thought leadership. The record number of speaker applications submitted for the upcoming event follows that trajectory, marking continued interest from experts to impart their insights at the largest baking industry event in the Western Hemisphere.

“The increased offerings from the IBIEducate program point to the growing demand and mindset throughout the industry that IBIE is the premier one-stop-shop for all segments of the grain-based foods industry,” Hotze said. “In addition to experiencing the equipment and ingredient innovations throughout the show floor, companies can bring a variety of team members who will have access to a diverse offering of professional development that is unmatched at other events. With sessions and demos galore, attendees have a wealth of content to explore, tailored to their specific industry segment and job function.”

Emily Bowers, VP of education and operations at BEMA and co-manager of IBIEducate, noted that the uptick in speaker submissions is also a testament to the positive experience speakers have had in previous cycles.

“The reputation of the show draws a lot of traffic,” Bowers said. “People want to come back, which says they’re having a great experience as a content provider at IBIE, so they’re returning with new topics.”

This story has been adapted from the April | Q2 2025 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.

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