Last year was BakingTECH’s 100-year anniversary, and you might think the American Society of Baking (ASB) could be content to keep the long-running show as is, after more than a century of successful gatherings. Not so—in fact, the ASB team is advising attendees of the 2025 edition (taking place February 15-18) to expect a wealth of new things this time around. In addition to moving from its longtime host city in Chicago to the warmer climes of Orlando, FL, show organizers are promising new programming, enhanced events, and other features to make this a must-attend experience

Taking on tech
In the past, BakingTECH attendees could connect with key suppliers and other potential partners at MarketPlace, a special section of the show with tabletop exhibits. At the start of talks about the 2025 event, members of the planning committee (headed by Ashley Robertson, director of marketing and communications for Corbion) got together with the exhibits committee (helmed by Spiromatic sales development manager Lisa Arato) to discuss ways to elevate the features and benefits of this show feature.

The BakingTECH planning committee, led by program chair Ashley Robertson, director of marketing and communications for Corbion, worked closely with the Formulation Floor committee, led by Lisa Arato, sales development manager for Spiromatic, to accomplish those goals.

“We had the opportunity to ask members, ‘What do you really like about MarketPlace? What are the areas we should change?’” relates Robertson. “We worked hard to distill down the information and have brainstorming sessions to address what members were saying, because if MarketPlace as it was didn’t meet members’ needs, it can’t support ASB’s aspirations to grow over the next five, 10, or 15 years.”

After intense discussion, the collaborators worked together and came up with new features for this section of BakingTECH feature, as well as an updated name: the Formulation Floor.

“We wanted to emphasize that this is where the action happens,” she shares. “This is where ideas are shared and connections are made. It’s the right combination of equipment, products, and services for a potential project for a customer, and for a supplier to meet that potential customer.”

When visitors enter, they will be greeted with Bakers Row, a set of panels helping guide them through the exhibits; this feature is intended to help attendees (especially students and other newbies) more easily and efficiently to get to the exhibitors fitting their needs. Innovation Station—home to presentations by various industry notables—will be set at the heart of the Formulation Floor area, rather than to the side. Then, the exhibits area will be open for a longer stretch of time each day than at previous BakingTECH events.

“By extending the hours, we can provide more flexibility and ensure there’s ample time for meaningful networking and connections throughout the day,” Robertson says. “This will cater to diverse attendee schedules and also maximize those opportunities for collaboration and engagement.”

Building knowledge
Throughout BakingTECH, attendees have myriad chances to sit in on sessions and presentations on everything from general business wisdom to common challenges faced by bakers in their day-to-day operations. The opening general session on Monday February 17, for example, will feature Jose Valls, global CTO of manufacturing for tech giant Microsoft; he will share a common-sense overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and how the rapidly evolving technology can benefit bakers.

Before BakingTECH 2025 wraps, the closing general session will gather leaders from various corners of the industry—including producers Rudi’s Bakery, Toufayan Bakeries, and New Horizons Baking—for CEO Panel: Building the Bakery. Participants will share practical examples from their own leadership experience on how they harnessed automation, put effective work practices in place, and secured successful results for their organizations, now and in the future.

In between the opening and closing sessions will be sandwiched a full agenda of items intended to fortify attendees with a range of knowledge to take back home to their bakeries and apply to their operations. These presentations include Bake Talks, luncheons, technical presentations, and other opportunities:

• Innovation Through Automation: led by Scott Loewe, senior director, Bimbo Bakeries USA
• Food Defense: led by Rod Wheeler, CEO/founder, Global Food Defense Institute
• Negotiating the Rise of GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs: Implications for the Bakery Industry: led by Megan Passman, senior insights manager, Corbion
• Education & Workforce – Generational Training: led by Nate Clayberg, business and industry director, CAPS; and Jennifer Lindsey, chief transformation officer, Corbion
• Crafting Sweet Success: Mastering Sugar Reduction in Baked Goods: led by Michelle Amyot, food scientist, Caldic North America

Student-centric content
In addition to the programming geared toward professionals, BakingTECH features a range of content for future industry members. One of the highlights of the student programs is the annual Product Development Competition (PDC), a chance for up-and-coming bakers to put their knowledge to the test. Teams from schools across the country are tasked with coming up with hypothetical baked goods that have the best chance of offering real-world success. Judges measure up the entries based on a number of criteria:

• Description of the product
• Outline of the process
• Technical problem-solving
• Food safety considerations
• Shelf life

Students make the case for their individual entries by supplementing with literature and market-trend data. The 2025 competition—sponsored by the National Honey Board, tasked hopeful competition winners with developing a grab-and-go baked item using honey a star ingredient. ASB announced the three finalists in December:

• Cornell University, with its prOATS! Entry
• University of Massachusetts Amherst, presenting HoneyCrunch
• Oregon State University, offering up Garden Box Cookies

The three competitors will face off for their share of the $20,000 scholarship pot, presenting their entries at the Future Forward Luncheon on Monday, February 17. Teams display a poster on the Formulation Floor.

“The competition provides a prestigious platform for these rising stars to engage directly with industry leaders and showcase fresh ideas, creating ‘real world’ product concepts that push the boundaries of baking science and technology,” declares Devanshu Mehta, member of the 2022 winning team and current PDC committee chair.

Time for fun
Along with all the professional and educational opportunities, the BakingTECH agenda offers a number of chances for attendees to network with their peers in a more relaxed setting, enjoy refreshments, and celebrate baking industry leaders. Here are some highlights:

Sunday, February 16

• Society of Bakery Women Professionals’ Networking Annual Brunch
• Spouse/Guest Welcome Reception
• Young Professionals’ Event
• Group Dinners

Monday, February 17

• Kansas State University/Florida State University Alumni Breakfast
• Future Forward Luncheon
• Interactive Group Activity: People Bingo

Tuesday, February 18

• Hall of Fame Luncheon
• Carnival Extravaganza
• VIP Reception

Final word
The food field is constantly challenging, and always evolving. Each year, BakingTECH organizers work diligently to offer a program with up-to-the-minute content that helps attendees keep pace with the ever-shifting industry.

“The society has been very flexible to change and providing value to its members,” Arato states. “The success of this industry relies on a strong foundation among the suppliers, bakers, and supporting organizations, so I encourage people to attend, contribute, and volunteer.” SF&WB