• The International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) featured more than 800 industry suppliers, award presentations and demos.
• Exhibitors said the 2022 event was the best in IBIE history for connecting with buyers from outside the U.S.

Related: IBIE celebrates the country’s best bakers in Las Vegas

Nearly 20,000 baking professionals signed up for the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), which took place in Las Vegas, from September 17 through September 21, after a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

Over the four-day expo, attendees flooded the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, looking for the latest equipment, ingredients and supply solutions from more than 800 industry suppliers. While exhibitor personnel and non-exhibiting supplier guests fell just shy of pre-pandemic numbers, baker attendee participation was an astounding 25% ahead, further cementing the perception from exhibitors that high-quality bakers—with intent to buy—were walking the show floor.

According to an IBIE press release, many exhibitors said this was the best IBIE in history for connecting with buyers from outside the United States—buyers that many exhibitors would not have been able to reach on their own. Despite COVID-related travel challenges, the number of international bakers increased 34% over 2019, hailing from more than 105 countries and making up more than 27% percent of baker attendance. The largest participation was from Brazil, Canada, Colombia and El Salvador—and a record-setting delegation from Mexico.

“IBIE 2022 has exceeded all expectations,” said IBIE Chairman Dennis Gunnel. “The Baking Expo has a long history of championing innovation aimed at the changing needs of our bakers—from the advancements on the show floor and IBIEducate presentations to the high-quality buyers walking the aisles. During a time when trade events are getting a fraction of their pre-pandemic participation, our industry showed up.”

Some of the highlights from the 2022 IBIE event included:

• More than 100 education sessions, including a full day of education on Saturday, Sept. 17.
  Demonstrations from master bakers, celebrity chefs and influencers in the RBA Bakers Center, including Buddy Valastro, Paulina Abascal, Coinneach MacLeod (The Hebridean Baker), Lauren V. Haas, Jenna Hutchinson and Ashley Kosowan (Jenna Rae Cakes), Keegan Gerard and Sébastien Canonne.
• Two new pavilions, one focused on sanitation and the other on cannabis as an ingredient. Demos in Cannabis Central were livestreamed to audiences outside the convention center.
• A live musical performance from Duff Goldman and his chef-led rock band, Foie Grock.
• Popular returning features included The Artisan Marketplace, Great American Pie Festival, Pizza Information Center, and an expanded Innovation Showcase.

IBIE, together with Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery magazine, also recognized more than 70 industry suppliers and bakeries that have made particularly notable achievements in sustainability, sanitation, workforce development, and innovation. In the fifth edition of this industry awards program, the following companies earned top honors in each of the respective categories and received an honorary plaque, onsite recognition and more.

Sustainability: AMF Bakery Systems – Sustainable Oven Service

Sanitation: Middleby Food Processing – Vyv Antimicrobial LED Lighting

Workforce Development:
Retail Bakery: Dawn Foods – Women’s Leadership Development Program
Supplier: Puratos, Puratos Bakery School – Pennsauken NJ School District

Product Innovation:
Wholesale | High-Volume Bakery: Grupo Bimbo – Sustainably Baked Supán & OroWeat 100% Whole Grain Organic Bread, including Net Zero Carbon Mobility and Regenerative Agriculture
Wholesale | Intermediate-Volume Bakery: Lenny & Larry’s – The Complete KickStart Breakfast Bars
Retail Bakery: Nick Vina Artisan Bakery – Healthier Choice Bread

Plant Efficiency (New):
Supplier: Bundy Baking Solutions – Synova AccuTech Pan Greaser
Wholesale | High-Volume Bakery: Grupo Bimbo – GBConnected Monitoring System

Automation and Robotics (New): Apex Motion Control – Baker-Bot

Meanwhile, the Retail Bakers of America’s 21st Annual Pillsbury Baker’s Plus Grand Champion Creative Decorating Competition recognized the following winners:

Overall Winners– Sponsored by Pillsbury:
1st Place: Kaytlyn Stanuszek & Lee Ann Parsons, Dorothy Lane Market
2nd Place: Alexa Abaroa & Julie Thompson, DeEtta’s Bakery
3rd Place: Heather Domingue & Holly Deville, Gambino’s Bakery

Fondant – Sponsored by Satin Ice:
1st Place: Alexa Abaroa & Julie Thompson, DeEtta’s Bakery
2nd Place: Cory Jong & Emerlie Ann Miller, Hey! Cake This!
3rd Place: Heather Domingue & Holly Deville, Gambino’s Bakery

Sculpted Hyper-Realistic – Sponsored by American Cake Decorating Magazine:
1st Place: Alexa Abaroa & Julie Thompson, DeEtta’s Bakery
2nd Place: Marianna Gomez Romero & Nicole Restrepo, Jalisco, Mexico
3rd Place: Heather Domingue & Holly Deville, Gambino’s Bakery

Buttercream Category – Sponsored by Cargill:
1st Place: Kaytlyn Stanuszek & Lee Ann Parsons, Dorothy Lane Market
2nd Place: Cory Jong & Emerlie Ann Miller, Hey! Cake This!
3rd Place: Heather Domingue & Holly Deville, Gambino’s Bakery

Wedding Category – Sponsored by CakeDeco:
1st Place: Kaytlyn Stanuszek & Lee Ann Parsons, Dorothy Lane Market
2nd Place: Alexa Abaroa & Julie Thompson, DeEtta’s Bakery
3rd Place: Marianna Gomez Romero & Nicole Restrepo, Jalisco, Mexico

For the first time, the Tiptree World Bread Awards—the United States’ leading national celebration of the art of bread-baking—were judged and presented at IBIE. Click here for a roundup of the winners.