It might not seem like today’s society has much in common with the people of the late 1700s and early 1800s, but we’re a lot more similar than one might think. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, industries were changing at a rapid pace. The Industrial Revolution was changing the way work got done. People feared for their jobs, and the pace of life seemed to move more quickly. While some jumped into the new era with enthusiasm, others pushed back and questioned the ethics of the new technology. Sound familiar?
As we all know, the baking industry is changing at a rapid pace as we face technological, economic, and generational shifts. Artificial intelligence and other evolving technologies are changing the way people work, a volatile economic landscape is affecting not just supplier businesses but the economic realities of customers, and a new generation is stepping into leadership roles as many long-time executives retire.
At BEMA, we recognize these changes and have spent the past several months discussing how we can best serve the industry through this transformation. The result is a new strategic plan for the organization that focuses on what BEMA does best while expanding our reach to better provide member companies with the resources they need to be successful.
Relationships are at our core
When we sat down to take a look at what BEMA is and what we want it to be, we started by examining organizational strengths. BEMA is known across the industry as an organization that creates, builds, and supports relationships, and we never want to change that. We know our relationship-first culture is our greatest differentiator, and we want to build on that strength.
Everyone loves BEMA events because they aren’t just about wandering an expo floor or random programming. They encourage and make space for relationship-building. However, events have a limited scope when considering the duration of an entire year. We want that space and time for creating intentional relationships within the industry to exist throughout the year.
That’s why part of our strategic plan includes facilitating more ways for members to connect and grow. Convention and IBIE will remain cornerstones of our relational strategy, and the new BEMA-U Market Minute webinars, continuation of quarterly regional dinners, and more in-person workshops will supplement those large events by providing more ways for members to get involved and make connections across the industry.
Creating member value
We know that many BEMA member companies find value in the discounted IBIE rates and in BEMA’s flagship Convention, however, another main focus of the strategic plan is to provide more member value year-round, not just when Convention or IBIE roll around. We want new and tenured member companies to view BEMA as an important resource for everyone in their organization, not just for a select few.
To make that happen, we are putting an emphasis on another strength: education and professional development. The strategic goal is to provide expanded learning opportunities for people in a variety of roles and career stages. We want to be a partner in professional development for both the current generation of leaders and the future ones.
Plans include growing BEMA-U, offering learning opportunities like the Sanitary Design Workshop, and continuing to provide future-focused programming at Convention and IBIE.
Building strategic partnerships
As the industry continues to evolve, BEMA is committed to evolving alongside it. A key part of that commitment is identifying and embracing opportunities to build strategic partnerships with organizations across the baking industry.
BEMA will continue to serve as the industry’s trusted connector while expanding opportunities for collaboration and member value. The Sanitary Design Workshop, hosted in partnership with ASB and BEAG, is a strong example of this approach in action—bringing organizations together to deliver meaningful, shared value to our members.
The future is bright
When we look at the future of BEMA, we also need to look at the way we do things internally. To that end, the strategic plan includes elements that will strengthen BEMA’s operational foundation by focusing on financial transparency and disciplined budgeting aligned with short-term and long-term strategic initiatives.
As we look ahead to the coming years, BEMA has a clear plan in place and remains committed to building a strong foundation for meaningful relationships. We also recognize that the future can be unpredictable, which is why our strategic plan is designed to be both iterative and adaptable. We will continuously evaluate progress using industry scorecards and remain open to evolving our approach as needed.
Moving into the future, we’re reminded that no one who was alive during the Industrial Revolution could have imagined the technology and global economy that we have today, but even across the centuries, one thing remains true. It is not the technology or the economic shifts that create the future. It is the people. And the people of the baking industry will always be BEMA’s focus.
