What’s in store for the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) 2022, the global grain-based food industry’s largest trade event in the Western Hemisphere, when it returns in-person Sept. 18-21 in Las Vegas? To find out, Commercial Baking collaborated with tradeshow industry journalist Danica Tormohlen to host an exclusive conversation with the IBIE planning committee.
IBIE, which takes place every three years, is owned by the American Bakers Association (ABA) and BEMA and is supported by the Retail Bakers of America (RBA). It drew nearly 22,000 baking professionals at the previous Expo in 2019, and Tormohlen got the inside scoop on how the event is being planned and what is in consideration.
The IBIE Planning Committee is made up of five ABA members and five BEMA members. Eight committee members sat down to share their insights on what exhibitors and attendees can expect at IBIE 2022. Those members and their companies include: Dennis Gunnell, IBIE 2022 chair and president, Formost Fuji; Jorge Zárate, IBIE 2022 vice chair and global senior VP, operations and engineering, at Grupo Bimbo; Allen Wright, IBIE secretary and treasurer and VP of sales and marketing, Hansaloy; Michael Cornelis, IBIE past chair and VP, American Pan; Joseph Turano, IBIE past chair and president, Turano Baking Co.; David Watson, consultant at The Austin Co.; DJ Lecrone, CEO, LeMatic; and Ken Newsome, CEO, Markel Food Group. Committee members not on the call include Jason Frye, senior VP, supply chain planning and performance, Flowers Foods; and Kim Albers-Nisbet, president of sales, United States Bakery.
Dennis Gunnell: That’s an easy one. Our first indicator is that the show is nearly 80% sold out on exhibit space already. There is still good space available, but it shows that momentum is building, and we are still a year out.
Ken Newsome: Yes, the fact that people have missed the cycle of the major shows like interpack heightens the interest in IBIE.
David Watson: A lot of events over the past year tried to go virtual with somewhat limited success. There’s a lot of excitement now that we can finally get together as an industry. Being able to talk to people while we see and touch the equipment … that’s going to drive interest.
Allen Wright: The design of the committee leads to a show that’s in touch with its customer base and allows it to maneuver and react to the needs of both sides — the bakers and the suppliers.
Joseph Turano: Our company has been to shows, but I personally have not. Our focus needs to be on providing a comfortable show for our attendees and exhibitors — one with new COVID protocols in place. That’s something that will be a long-term change: a new level of awareness and focus on the show environment will be very important to make sure attendees want to attend and come back for years to come.
Michael Cornelis: Our company exhibited at a show in the Middle East in November, and what I’ve learned is you can’t really trust the shipping container crisis right now. We air-shipped our materials into that show. Experts are saying the crisis will continue well into 2022, so international exhibitors need to anticipate how they’re going to get their equipment into Las Vegas well beforehand. Some freight will need to leave much sooner than in the past. That’s going to be a big change and a challenge for international exhibitors.
