IBIEducate Summary

Going “All In” On Growth

IBIEducate is allowing Expo-goers to expand their knowledge like never before.

BY LIZ GOODWIN

Have you ever asked a child what they learned at school that day? You may have been met with a monotone reply of “nothing,” delivered with a prolonged eye roll if you’re lucky. However, if you ask an attendee of IBIE 2022 what they learned during IBIEducate, you better make yourself comfortable. They’ll be able to talk about it for days.

The Baking Expo has worked diligently to assemble a robust lineup of educational programming both throughout the entire show and on Sept. 17, which has a full day of educational offerings before the exhibit hall opens. More than 100 sessions address critical topics across the spectrum of baking, offering both in-depth and quick-hit educational opportunities.

Offerings new and old are available for bakers from all walks of life. The new Cannabis Central Pavilion will allow seasoned cannabis bakers and novices to learn about the unique facets of runn ing a baking business in this up-andcoming sector. Experts in the field will be speaking on regulations, demonstrating formulations and more.

For tortilla producers, the Tortilla Industry Association (TIA)’s Technical Conference will once again be colocated with IBIE. Everything from plant efficiency to safety regulations will be on deck for discussion.

These are just a few of the abundant educational offerings available at IBIE, and the best part is that it’s all customizable. The Expo has introduced new ways to sort through sessions and select the best schedule for you, whether you’re interested in cookie and cake decorating or want to reach a specific group of professionals such as wholesale product developers. Looking to dive into sustainability at the show? There’s a track for that. Zoning in on workforce issues? There’s a track for that, too.

To customize their education, attendees can use the full schedule navigation on the IBIE website, www.bakingexpo.com, and select sessions by “track,” session type (format) and audience — in addition to date, speaker and price — to get a hand-crafted and customized educational experience.

Tracks are pre-sorted paths that Expo-goers can follow depending on their career type, interests and more.

Suppliers can also take advantage of the track and audience functions to put themselves in the thick of potential new partnerships. For exhibitors that specialize in solutions for food safety

and sanitation, attending sessions and demos that are on the food safety and sanitation track will allow them to be in the right place at the right time to have stimulating conversations.

Read on for a detailed guide that outlines all educational opportunities available during IBIEducate 2022.

TRACKS

• Baking: A host of hands-on demos and lectures from experts at American Bakers Association, National Honey Board, Sweet Life Specialty Foods, Ardent Mills and more are available through this track. Those who choose the baking track can learn all there is to know about gluten washing, leavening functionality, plant-based baking with ancient grains and more.

• Business Acumen: Want to increase your business knowledge, skills and ability to take actionable steps to improve multiple facets of your company? The business acumen track is hyper-focused on allowing attendees to do just that. Speakers will touch on everything from ideologies that improve workforce culture, leveraging contract manufacturing relationships and how to break into Amazon Fresh as a small brand.

• Business Retail: This track features a collection of 20-minute sessions called QuickBITES and other presentation formats from a variety of retail bakers. From creating customer experience via donut shops to product licensing 101, all retail bakers looking to set their business apart can gain insight on this track.

• Business Trends: Prepare to focus on trends from all sides: flavor innovation, health-and-wellness, trends in business management such as becoming a B Corp, planning for a pandemic era, and more. From in-depth seminars to short sessions and beyond, there’s plenty of insight to digest on this path.

• Cake/Cookie Decorating: Cake and cookie pros, this track is for you. Everything from cake painting to edible flowers to blingy sugar decorations is on the docket. You can even catch a glimpse of an extreme cake maker crafting a realistic tiger, complete with wrinkles.

• Cannabis in Baking: Cannabiscurious bakers can dive into all facets of this emerging sector in baking at new show feature Cannabis Central. Legal experts, seasoned bakers and more industry professionals will be offering their insights to those interested in entering this growing market.

• Food Safety and Sanitation: Everyone knows that sanitation is critical to baking, but its importance has grown exponentially since IBIE 2019. This track will touch on facets big and small when it comes to keeping a bakery operation clean, from monitoring chemical hazards in food to navigating regulations to preparing for the addition of a new major allergen.

• Formulation: Retail and commercial baking personnel can follow this track to learn about all things formulation. An array of topics ranging from low net-carb recipes to mold inhibitions in bakery products will be discussed, and bakers can gain insights on how the right formulations can impact efficiency, quality and throughput, one step at a time.

• Sales and Marketing: When it comes to making your product stand out in a crowded shelf space — both online and in-store — thought leaders in this track are here to help. Photography experts will touch on giving your marketing a makeover, Dawn Foods will talk about breaking through digital noise and much more.

• Plant Operations and Automation: The right technology is vital to an excellent bakery operation, and there are many factors to consider. From robotic automation to plant design to maintenance management and more, this track is dedicated to helping bakeries make the most of their operation.

• Sustainability: Looking to go green … and save some too? The sustainability track calls attendees to think outside the box when it comes to prioritizing the planet. Between sustainable food technology, manufacturing practices that save money and the climate, and taking an individual approach to reducing carbon footprint, there’s no aspect of sustainability that this track won’t touch.

• Workforce: It’s no secret that the working world is experiencing massive overhaul. The workforce track will allow the baking industry to brainstorm on how to better serve employees through professional development and retention workshops, discussions on time management and training, and insights from industry experts about learning from mistakes and being flexible in a new era of work.

• Tortilla: Calling all tortilla producers, the TIA Technical Conference will also provide an opportunity for this segment of the baking industry to come together and expand their knowledge. The conference requires a special registration for $295, and a presentation is also on deck that will discuss utilizing enzymes in tortilla production, which can simplify your ingredient list without compromising on taste or texture. CB