Event preview: There’s no place like IBIE

There’s no place like IBIE

After unprecedented disruptions in the industry, anticipation is high for the industry to return to the Baking Expo, which will showcase new consumer, technology and business trends.

+Expectations are very high for IBIE this year, for organizers and attendees. Given the current challenges, this is probably the most important show in the last decade, with the industry looking to IBIE for new automation solutions, equipment to help bypass supply chain issues, and training opportunities, as the workforce issues are more stringent than ever. Organization-wise, there have been significant changes in how the planning and the execution of the show were managed. Planning sessions were exclusively done remotely, but everyone is eager to meet face to face and see new solutions directly.

Jorge Zarate, Global Senior Vice President of Operations and Engineering at Grupo Bimbo, Mexico City, and Vice Chairman of IBIE 2022, gave us a glimpse into the new priorities shaping the industry at present, from new consumer choices to tackling challenges related to skilled work, production and supply and the impact of the war in Ukraine. To navigate this space, everyone in the industry is eager to talk – face to face, finally – to their peers. “There is a need to share”, Zarate comments, as bakeries are managing their product portfolio to be more productive and avoid disruptions, as the labor shortage worsens.

In North America, workers are exiting the industry seeking a better quality of life elsewhere, with a generous range of opportunities to choose from, as new businesses are growing. Similar developments are emerging in Mexico, South America and Central America, observes the executive of the Mexicobased company. “We are expecting to show at IBIE how you can automate processes,” he anticipates, with solutions including implementing robotics in new areas, for example. This is a familiar plight in Europe, so visitors will find inspiration at the Las Vegas event. Digital solutions are bound to garner interest as well, given their recent spike in popularity, as they

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Jorge Zarate

Jorge Zarate Lupercio is Grupo Bimbo´s Global Senior VP of Operations. Since he joined Group in 1987, he has been in charge of different roles in Mexico and South America. He holds a Biochemical Engineering degree from ITESM (Mexico), a postgraduate degree in Strategic Marketing at Universidad Católica de Argentina (UCA) and an MBA at Escuela de Dirección de Empresas de la Universidad Argentina de Empresas (EDDE).

provide valuable tools for handling staff shortages, sanitation solutions and sustainability. The adoption of digital solutions in bakeries will see a fast increase, dictated by need, on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Zarate anticipates. Grupo Bimbo is making efforts to increase its own digitalization level, taking into account new solutions launched in the past two years, he shares.

Skill and technology training is also a priority, to empower bakery staff to solve problems arising in day-to-day operations by themselves. IBIEducate will offer more than 100 sessions, workshops and specialty courses from September 17 to 21, on topics including plant operations and automation, food safety and sanitation, formulations, sustainability, workforce, and more. Visitors can already plan the IBIEducate sessions they would like to attend. All the information is available on the IBIE's website. Zarate recommends planning an agenda, not just for the sessions during the dedicated day of education before the expo opens, but for the ones held throughout the show.

Going through changes

Along with the pandemic restrictions and the consequent challenges for the industry, consumers are going through transformations; they have become more sophisticated and more demanding, Zarate observes. Coming after two years without direct contacts in the industry, IBIE 2022 is bound be a great show, with everyone with everyone looking forward to getting reacquainted, Zarate anticipates: “Consumers have had the time to reflect, and they are now asking for innovation. As a result, innovations are rolling out faster than ever and are more focused than ever now. The plant-based trend is currently booming and is not only driven by vegetarians but also by consumers’ personal ideals, including

diet, health, and sustainability goals. We see products such as keto-friendly and low-carb ranges coming back,” Zarate says. Besides, after two years of at-home cooking, consumers appreciate treats in a new light; often, this means artisanal-style bread, or finishing baking at home – but not necessarily committing to the time and effort to bake from scratch, he adds. Even though active life outside of home has now resumed, these changes remain and bakeries have to accommodate them. “Innovation is a hot topic to seek at IBIE,” he concludes. Great expectations

The past two years were an intense learning experience about managing businesses, forcing the industry to quickly automate more, to cope with the pandemic restraints. Development opportunities arose; this big step up is followed by continued movement in this direction, allowing people to take on more value-added tasks as the difficult labor is automated. Sanitation practices that were adopted in the past two years also benefit the process and the end product quality.

“I am really looking forward to having all the solutions that I need as a baker under the same roof. I am convinced I will find ingredients and equipment that enhance the product quality, some of which are already available on the market, which will be new to me,” IBIE’s Vice Chair comments from the baker’s perspective. Visitors will also bring their ideas and problems to be solved together with the exhibitors and their peers. Grupo Bimbo’s global team is reuniting at IBIE 2022, to, first of all, connect, and gather its technology specialists under one roof, for in-depth

“The world has changed, and all the stakeholders of our industry are now focused on sustainability and minimizing their impact on the environment.”

Jorge Zarate , Global Senior Vice President of Operations and Engineering at Grupo Bimbo, Mexico City, and Vice Chairman of IBIE 2022

discussions that cannot take place over video calls, Zarate explains. The Group’s commercial departments and heads of business units will also join, to get a clear overview of the current status of the industry, as well as manufacturing and distribution solutions, to get inspired and to analyze issues together, in person.

Organizers are introducing new features for the return of the biggest bakery trade event on the continent and beyond. New pavilions will debut in September, including one dedicated to Cannabis in Bakery, and Santitation Solutions, both rising trends.

In addition, the expanded ‘BEST in Baking’ program will highlight sustainability efforts as well as other paramount topics in the industry, recognizing suppliers for sustainability, automation/ robotics, plant efficiency, workforce development, and product innovation. Good practices will be shared to benefit everyone in the industry. “The world has changed, and all the stakeholders of our industry are now focused on sustainability and minimizing their impact on the environment,” Zarate underlines the goal of carbon-neutral manufacturing.

Innovation is the underlying theme of the exhibition. An important category that we can look forward to is innovation in improving remote work, to enable not just training, but also troubleshooting, automation and digitalization. “The Innovation Showcase is going to pinpoint such new available technologies,” Zarate says.

International participation

The recent challenges could have made it difficult for the trade fair to attract more attendees, exhibitors and visitors. However, the figures at present are a perfect match with those from the previous edition of IBIE, despite pandemic/supply chain disruptions, or inflation. To support international participation, IBIE has worked with the US Government and embassies to facilitate the visa issuing process. “I think that we're going to have good international attendance. We already have the exhibitors who confirmed their participation, a similar share to previous IBIE expos,” Zarate anticipates.

In addition to visa renewals, the task force behind IBIE’s international delegation program has been working to provide international attendees benefits that include discounted exhibition hall registration and IBIEducate participation. Even lower rates for hotels and assistance at the booth, including WiFi, were part of this package. In addition, through the corporate meeting program, space can be reserved in meeting rooms at the Las Vegas Convention Center, before or after show hours.

The European and the American markets share more similarities in trends than differences, so international visitors will find relevant solutions and inspiration in Las Vegas; “Bakers are looking into health and wellness products, keto and lowcarb products; they are looking for ways to improve on their sustainability,” he adds. Differences come from the product itself – and corresponding equipment, he concludes: “North American products are more the soft, pan-molded types, what we call Pullman. Europeans appreciate crusty breads more.” Another difference is in fermentation times for artisan-style breads, which tend to be longer in Europe. Product flavors are stronger in Europe, too. These differences lead to different technology requirements. America is starting to manufacture European-style products, but bakery products remain mainly on the soft side.

IBIE is supporting European participation and facilitating the transfer of ideas through its collaboration with its European counterpart, iba. The partnership has been beneficial for both sides, “Because now we are sharing trends and knowledge. We intend to take part in iba again next year,” Zarate announces. “Our European colleagues have shown great interest in learning and seeing how we do business, and how we manufacture products. This interest goes both ways. Through such partnerships we're able to connect broader audiences of bakeries and equipment manufacturers across the globe. from bakeries and equipment manufacturers. Our coordination will benefit both industries, in Europe and the US,” he adds.

Zarate hopes the main takeaway for IBIE 2022 attendees will be sharing. What was the impact, what did everyone learn, and how did they plan operations during the pandemic? It will help prepare the industry for future disruptions of this magnitude. “People are learning that being at IBIE is being part of the baking industry, an amazing industry in which we find ourselves as partners, even though we are competitors. We truly are a family in which everybody is eager to help and share.” +++