The 2023 iteration of iba, a trade fair for the baking and confectionery industry, is scheduled October 22-26 at Fairground Munich in Germany. The event showcases products and technologies relevant to bakers and confectioners of all sizes, decision-makers from the bakery and candy industries, and food retailers. The conference normally occurs every three years, but due to the pandemic, the last occurrence was in 2018.

About the show
From 2023, the iba focus topics are brand-new, says Susann Seidemann, exhibition director of iba.

“The new focus topics are food trends, artisan bakery, health and sustainability as well as digitalization, complete solutions and quality management. These focus topics form the pillars of the event, highlight the most important trends in the industry, combine supply and demand, and look towards the future,” she shares.

“The focus topics are the pillars of this year’s iba,” Seidemann notes. “Through surveys and discussions with the market, four topics in particular have emerged that move the industry worldwide. They form the key themes of the live event and are reflected in presentations, action areas, and product ranges.”

“Special this year is that the focus topics also play an important role in the run-up to the show. Visitors can already register at the digital platform iba.UNIVERSE and find out everything about iba. They could, for example, filter the focus topic ‘digitalization’ and would then get a total overview on all products, content, novelties, exhibitors, and lectures on this topic,” she comments.

Conference organizers expect 1,027 exhibitors from 46 countries, Seidemann reveals.

“Highlights of iba are the best practice live, competitions at highest level, expert lectures in the iba.FORUM or the iba.SPEAKERS AREA, networking spaces, the Oktoberfest tent, and much more. To get a full overview, visitors can check out the website or take a look at the iba.UNIVERSE. This is our new digital platform where participants will find everything about the trade fair: from products, content of exhibitors, events at the stand, innovations as well as the program highlights and focus topics,” she says.

What’s more, wexhibitors will be able to present their products and innovations to specific target groups digitally before the event.

“Our goal is to bring visitors and exhibitors together in the best possible way by matching supply and demand. Visitors have a better overview and can compile their personal list for their visit to the fair and also discover new exhibitors via the search function of the focus topics,” she expands.

“Exhibitors gain new business contacts, can deepen conversations live at the fair and stay informed about who is interested in their product portfolio through lead tracking. Visitors, on the other hand, receive information tailored to their individual needs by e-mail and thus stay up to date on their personal desired topics,” Seidemann notes.

Event structure
“We have restructured the site plan, and the halls will consist of four sections: production technology and equipment, raw materials and ingredients, artisan bakeries, and packaging technology. Our aim is to provide a clear overview for all participants. Visitors will find the orientation easier, and exhibitors will reach their target group more precisely,” explains Seidemann.

In addition, also new this year: artisan bakery industry professionals will have their own space in Hall A3 and A4.

“Nevertheless, there are also offers and products on artisan bakery throughout the entire iba. It is not intended to be a clear separation; we would rather promote exchange and that all industry segments learn from each other and discover the latest trends. After all, it is an orientation for 2023 in order to present the theme in a targeted way since artisan bakery built the roots of iba. Visitors can discover more about the German baking tradition with over 3,000 registered bread specialties or take part at workshops at the iba.ACADEMY how to make a pretzel there,” Seidemann says.

On top of the structure, there is also a new action area this year: the iba.START UP AREA, supported by Puratos.

“In hall A4, the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs will show the latest trends from the startup sector. How could the future of the bakery landscape look like? National and international startups will present their ideas on stage and via pitches. Moreover, renowned experts will contribute with keynote speeches on topics that are moving the trade. Visitors can also vote for the iba.START UP AWARD online at iba.UNIVERSE from October 4 until October 25. Award ceremony will be held at iba.START UP AREA Wednesday, October 25 at 4 p.m.,” Seidemann notes.

Educational opportunities
“At the iba.FORUM there will be best practice live on themes such as bread quality through long-time methods (October 22, 11 a.m.) or current snack trends (October 22 and 23, among others, at 12 p.m.),” says Seidemann.

At the iba.SPEAKERS AREA there will lectures across all focus topics. Visitors can look forward to lectures such as "Kill your darlings—how the artisan bakery must change," “AI in the bakery—increase turnover, relieve employees and the environment, “From Carbon Footprint to Carbon Fingerprint,” or “How to successfully recruit, retain, and train your employees.”

iba will also have competitions that visitors can experience live on site such as “The iba.UIBC.CUP of Bakers,” where the best bakers from 12 international teams will create bread, small pastries, party pastries, and Danish pastries, as well as a showpiece item, to be judged by an expert panel. The theme for this year’s CUP is “The Animal World.”

“The iba.UIBC.CUP of Confectioners,” another competition with the same “Animal World” theme, will take place October 25-26. The teams of two from Taiwan, Germany, Korea, and Norway will create confections to be sampled via jury selection.

iba will also host the “German Championships of Master Bakers,” featuring four teams of two that won the preliminary baking rounds. The theme this year is “Community,”, and the teams will produce bread, cookies, yeast dough pastries, and a showpiece item. The Deutsche Bäcker-Nationalmannschaft will decide which team produced the best pastries and ultimately wins the title of "Deutscher Meister der Bäckermeister.”

For a full overview of the events, access iba.UNIVERSE here.

Advice for attendees
“I recommend planning enough time for both exploring iba and for joining the evening events and networking opportunities on-site. In alignment with the trade fair's theme, visitors can also take part in bakery tours in Munich and the surrounding regions. They are organized by the Landesinnungsverband für das bayerische Bäckerhandwerk [Bavarian bakers’ guild], and visitors can register for them here,” says Seidemann.

“Apart from that, Munich offers a lot of sightseeing stops and is famous for its local bakeries and beer. Don’t miss: iba will have its own Oktoberfest, the tent will be at the trade fair every day—hence, join the party and network in a dirndl or lederhosen!” she exclaims. SF&WB.