The baking industry is populated by industrious professionals who often put in a full day\u2019s work and then some, each and every day. Considering how busy the business of baking bread, crafting cookies, creating cakes, putting other products into consumers\u2019 hands keeps them, others might wonder how they can spare a minute to rest, let alone take time away from their retail bakery, in-store production, or wholesale operation to attend a conference.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of IBIE<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n For an estimated 20,000 baking pros from around the globe, the triennial\u00a0International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE)<\/a>\u00a0is worth the time away from the office, factory, or store. Widely cited to be the Western Hemisphere\u2019s largest and most comprehensive event geared toward the baking industry, the event delivers a wide range of targeted programming, including technology exhibits, educational sessions, prestigious awards programs, and even time set aside to rock out with industry colleagues. Taking place in Las Vegas\u00a0Sept. 13\u201217, IBIE 2025 offers industry professionals a unique environment to share ideas, work out common challenges, and help their baking business rise.<\/p>\n Recognition for a job well done is an integral part of the IBIE agenda\u2014and as evidenced by the myriad entries drawn in by the various competitions and awards programs throughout the expo, bakery pros don\u2019t mind taking the opportunity to show off their skills and innovation. The contests at this year\u2019s event enable participants to shine in several ways, demonstrating their cake-decorating skills, abilities to craft artisanal breads, streamline their operations, and more.<\/p>\n One of the programs offering producers and their supplier partners alike a chance to take a bow is the BEST in Baking program. Sponsored by Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery<\/em> and its BNP Media sister publication\u00a0Packaging Strategies<\/em><\/a>, the awards offer companies the opportunity to shine a spotlight on achievements in a number of areas, celebrating hard work and ingenuity.<\/p>\n \u201cThe BEST in Baking awards are a powerful platform to showcase incredible innovations and recognize outstanding work across the baking industry,\u201d notes Jorge Zarate, IBIE chair and global senior vice president of operations and engineering at\u00a0Grupo Bimbo<\/a>. \u201cThese awards allow remarkable companies to set themselves apart from competitors.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the areas the BEST in Baking program seeks to emphasize is operational sustainability. Doug Peckenpaugh,\u00a0SF&WB\u00a0<\/em>group publisher, notes the issue is part of BEST in Baking because it is increasingly vital to the baking industry at large.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s bakery market continues to work toward finding more sustainable solutions related to ingredient sourcing, bakery operations, product packaging, and more,\u201d he notes. \u201cWhile sustainability has long been a \u2018nice to have\u2019 feature for bakery companies, it\u2019s increasingly growing more standardized, with more advancements highlighted at this year\u2019s IBIE than ever before.<\/p>\n Bakery packaging, Peckenpaugh adds, is an important part of the sustainability conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a packaging perspective, the rise in extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation is driving significant changes in the types of packaging substrates available for product packaging, helping move that portion of the industry toward a truly circular economy,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n BEST in Baking also offers recognition for excellence in automation and robotics, plant efficiency, sanitation, workplace development, and (for the first time in 2025) sustainable packaging innovation. Winners will be hailed in an awards ceremony Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. in the West Hall lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center.<\/p>\n Other faceoffs taking place during IBIE 2025 include:<\/p>\n The best bakers never stop striving to learn and improve their craft. The IBIEducate program seeks to fulfill attendees\u2019 quest for knowledge, with more than 250 sessions, demonstrations, and other dynamic programs offering participants the chance to build their baking brains. The targeted tracks enable attendees to develop their skills and wisdom in a number of pertinent areas:<\/p>\n Because busy bakers often find themselves short on time, the IBIE 2025 program also offers concentrated sessions taking on topics in small portions. The QuickBITES series consists of 20-minute presentations on a broad range of issues of interest to baking pros. Taking place throughout the show, the agenda will pinpoint hot grain-food industry concerns, consumer trends and preferences, and what the future of food might hold.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, there is no Best Buy for bakers, where people shopping for the latest machinery, software, materials, packaging, and other gear can take a look at all the market has to offer. The IBIE 2025 exhibit floor enables bakers and other stakeholders to get up close and personal with equipment and other tools from manufacturers and suppliers, giving them a chance to get up close and personal before they commit to a purchase. According to show organizers, this year\u2019s exhibit area (populated by more than 850 companies) covers about 10 acres of space, giving attendees a lot to consider.<\/p>\n Companies slated to show off their latest wares include:<\/p>\n While IBIE 2025 is taking place in Las Vegas, one of the country\u2019s foremost centers of fun for adults, the packed expo schedule likely means attendees will be hard pressed to find any spare minutes to go outside the show to go out and play. Fortunately, the agenda makes time for letting loose and having a rocking good time, right inside the Las Vegas Convention Center.<\/p>\n Back again this year is the\u00a0Rockin\u2019 Pint concert<\/a>, sponsored by\u00a0AB Mauri<\/a>. After the charity made its debut in 2022, the evening of music, merriment, and beverages is set to be even bigger than before. Scheduled Sept. 14 before the show gets going, the lineup is headlined by 1980s chart-toppers Wang Chung, known for hits like \u201cEverybody Have Fun Tonight\u201d and \u201cDance Hall Days.\u201d Then, attendees are encouraged to stick around for an afterparty set featuring baker Goldman and his rock band, Foie Grock. Admission to the blowout is $10 for all registered IBIE attendees; the entry fee includes a limited-edition lanyard, which can be picked up Sept. 14 at AB Mauri\u2019s booth (1545).<\/p>\nEyes on excellence<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Courtesy of IBIE<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.snackandbakery.com\/ext\/resources\/SFWB\/2025\/Sep\/IBIE2025_decorating.jpg?1758296691\")
Courtesy of IBIE<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n
Education and innovation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Courtesy of IBIE<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Additionally, attendees can visit specialized areas of the show floor to hone in on specific areas of interest. For example, the Retail Bakers Center, produced by the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) and backed by Lesaffre<\/a>, will host many of the baking competitions and live demonstrations, including big names known by bakers and civilians alike, including culinary TV presenters like Cake Boss\u2019s\u00a0<\/em>Buddy, Ace of Cakes<\/em>\u00a0star Duff Goldman, and other famous faces. The action stretches across four stages, including the Revent Celebrity Demo Stage, the Rondo Baking & Pastry Stage, the BakeSmart Presentation, and the Pillsbury Creative Cake Decorating Competition Stage.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.snackandbakery.com\/ext\/resources\/SFWB\/2025\/Sep\/IBIE2025_demo02.jpg?1758296949\")
Courtesy of IBIE<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\nTaking on technology<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Baking up fun<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Courtesy of IBIE<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n