iba 2012: The international baking industry’s main event

“iba 2012 will once again be the main event of the international baking industry calendar. The city of Munich is looking forward to welcoming guests from all over the world. For six whole days, iba will play host to the world’s largest meeting of businesses from the baking industry,” said Dieter Dohr, CEO and President of GHM (Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH) , during the iba trade press meeting in Munich.

iba is set to fill 12 exhibition halls with a combined surface area of 132,000 square metres. Bakers and confectioners from businesses of all sizes, decision makers from the food retail industry and restaurateurs will have access to 1,171 different companies (current figure as of: 19 June 2012) and thus be able to gain a complete overview of the market. Around 80,000 visitors from the sector are expected. “The best way to look at iba is to see it as a one big bakery – here you can find everything, from raw materials to sales counters. It is a great starting point for the fair’s main focal points, which range from ingredients, production techniques, packaging, logistics and process optimisation to shop layouts and a range of bought in products, in particular coffee,” explained Dohr. Once again, visitors can expect to discover the many new developments across all sectors that are set to shape and influence the baking industry for the next three years.

When planning iba, the trade fair organisers have taken great care to ensure that there are market leaders located in each of the twelve halls. “This even spread of high-quality suppliers, the ‘who’s who’ of the industry, ensures that visitors will find an interesting range of stands in each of the halls. The two trade fair entrances (west and east) also promise a constant flow of visitors,” explained the Chairman of the executive board of GHM, the trade fair organisers.

According to the trade fair head, a unique feature for industry visitors is that each of the new technologies can be seen in action at the fair. Visitors will be able to watch live demonstrations, not only of energy-efficient machines for the preparation of dough and patisseries, but of production lines and ovens as well. Manufacturers will be on-hand to explain just how well their devices perform and how energy efficient their technologies are; this is undoubtedly the most important information customers need to know when deciding whether to make a purchase.

In 2012 industry visitors will find an even larger selection of stands on offer, especially in the fields of packaging, process optimisation and coffee/take-away products. Exhibitors will be showing just how a snack range can be expanded in a few simple steps, and also how you can meet the growing demand for coffee among customers. Several companies will be inviting guests to take part in test and taster sessions with various types of coffee and coffee machines. Baristas will be revealing their tricks of the trade and showing just what it takes to make a good cappuccino. The ‘Coffee, Cake & more’ exhibition is also a new addition to this year’s iba programme: this 250-square-metre platform will feature storage specialists, small and medium-sized coffee-roasting businesses, as well as manufacturers of coffee machines – many of them appearing at iba for the first time – who will be showcasing their latest products.

The areas of packaging and process optimisation are gaining increasing importance in the baking industry. It’s therefore easy to see why more and more manufacturers of hygienic, eco-friendly and low-material packaging are also choosing to take part in iba. In addition, companies will be presenting packaging which enables food quality to be preserved for longer. The entire packaging area will be expanded to include machines that cover all steps of the manufacturing process, from process optimisation through to automation and logistics.

Dieter Dohr concluded his speech by mentioning a special feature of iba 2012: the iba Oktoberfest tent will be stationed at the east entrance, inviting bakers, confectioners, restaurateurs and caterers, as well as representatives of exhibitors from all over the world, to come and take a look. Every day from 5 pm onwards this tent will offer guests a place where they can round off their day with live music, beer and delicious Bavarian specialities. It’s also the perfect way to gear up for the Oktoberfest, which starts one day after the trade fair closes on 22 September 2012.