IBA Done and Dusted

The 24th iba drew to a close with a new world champion confectioner, 76,800 trade visitors, and trade fair contracts worth 2.1 billion Euros.

Trade visitors were particularly interested in testing new products and the presentation of innovations in production technology, raw materials, and shopfitting.

iba highlighted trends in the industry, with everyone’s focus being on the main topic: digitalisation. Digital products were professionally exhibited at nearly every trade fair stand. Both exhibitors and trade visitors saw digital solutions and processes, new business models and product safety as key developments for their sector.

Long queues formed outside the 3D cinema that formed the iba.Virtual Bakery Tours. Visitors happily waited to get a look behind the scenes at how their colleagues work. With the help of virtual reality glasses and 360-degree videos, they travelled to innovative bakeries in Germany, Greece, Iceland, Austria, and the USA and received inspiration for their own businesses.

The UIBC Junior World Championship of Confectioners ended with a loud cheer. Haoran Lyu of China prevailed over seven competitors. Participants from Taiwan, Iceland, Norway, Brazil, China, Japan, and Germany conjured up pâtisserie artwork at the highest level. The UIBC Junior World Championship of Confectioners was the grand finale following the UIBC Cup of Bakers and the German Championship of Master Bakers—for 86 per cent of the trade fair audience, these live professional competitions were highlights of the fair.

The lively atmosphere in the halls was also reflected in the general assessment of the industry’s economic development. The future of the industry is looking good: In an independent survey, seven out of 10 iba visitors said that the economic situation would improve or remain equally good.

Antonio Arias, President UIBC International union of bakers and confectioners, says, “iba is the most important exhibition. Here, the trends are shown, and the baker colleagues can see what is important in future. I see for the upcoming three years, for example, that the worldwide industrial bread production is growing with a focus on sourdough, long fermentation, and process quality.

“Furthermore, iba offers also a lot of machinery and equipment for small bakeries. My personal highlight were the two competitions for bakers and the Junior World Championship of Confectioners. Choosing the best among such great professionals is not an easy task. Every visitor saw in the last days, on the one hand, wonderful and extraordinary work, on the other hand, the future of the bakery and confectionery sector.”

The next iba is set to take place in Munich from 23 to 28 October, 2021.