Not only are food regulations, like the elimination of artificial dyes, being discussed at the state and federal levels, but concerns about food safety have also risen. According to Baking & Snack’s Capital Spending Study, conducted by Cypress Research at the end of 2024 and sponsored by BEMA, 56% of bakers said food safety was a challenge, up from 42% the year before.
In addition to the nearly 300 food recalls in 2024, an analysis by the Public Interest Research Group found that more people in the United States got sick from contaminated food outbreaks in 2024 than the year before, and the number of those who were hospitalized or died doubled. Nearly 1,400 people became ill from recalled food in 2024.
“Food safety is the biggest risk to the industry as a whole because it affects everyone,” Clay Miller, BEMA chairman and president of Burford Corp., told Baking & Snack earlier this year in response to the Capital Spending Survey results. “The conversation around food safety has also changed. The blinders have been taken off about the liabilities around food safety, and it has upped the ante.”
This is just one of the reasons IBIEducate, part of the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) that will be Sept. 13-17 in Las Vegas, is more important than ever. As a carefully curated program, it’s aimed at tackling the industry’s most pressing challenges and unlocking new avenues for growth. Visitors can easily find sessions by tracks — such as Food Safety and Quality, Professional Development, Baking Techniques and Innovations — as well as by key topics like Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability and Environmental Practices and more.
Attendees can also pinpoint relevant education for their specific job roles or industry segments too. Given the wide array of sessions and demos, be sure to review the website or app for detailed information on each session’s topic, learning objectives and presenter backgrounds.
“The need for education in the baking industry has grown significantly,” said Mark Hotze, chairman of the IBIE education committee and vice president North America, Corbion. “When you look for comprehensive learning opportunities, especially for hands-on experience with things like AI, there aren’t many places to turn. IBIEducate fills that crucial gap.”
Most sessions and demos are included with the price of registration, except a handful of workshops and hands-on specialty courses which are add-ons. Demonstrations and talks within the expo halls are presented on stages in key areas like the RBA Retail Bakers Center, the Wholesale Bakers Center and the Artisan Village, while further sessions are held in classrooms throughout the convention center.
IBIE is highlighting special sectors of the baking industry through the Snack Food Pavilion, Pet Food Pavilion and the International Pavilion. Top suppliers and innovators that specialize in serving these markets can be found there.
IBIE offers education, collaboration and plenty of information about the latest equipment and ingredients available. The opportunities offered come around only once every three years, so bakers should take advantage of it while they can.
“The show itself stands the test of time,” said Kim Albers-Nisbet, IBIE committee member and chief executive officer, United States Bakery (DBA) Franz Family Bakery, Portland, Ore. “It’s a unique opportunity to have all suppliers and partners in one place, allowing us to see what’s new and strengthen those relationships. There’s simply no substitute for those one-on-one, in-person interactions. There’s nothing that beats that.”
This article is an excerpt from the June 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on IBIE Special Report, click here.