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With the spectacular of 2022 IBIE still fresh in my memory, I’ve had a few days to reflect on the leadership that Dennis Gunnell provided over the challenging past three years as IBIE Chairman.

IBIE, together with Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, announced the 2022 BEST in Baking winners and we were so excited to see BEMA members be recognized for their sustainability, efficiency and more!

I’ve always believed that those who volunteer are a special breed, and it’s interesting to discover how and why people choose to volunteer. I have noticed that for many, volunteering is less an inherent trait and more of a response to a call. Such a call typically invokes an eyes-first response. Eyes-up, one is ready to assume the call. Eyes looking down, one hopes the request is filled by someone else.

Reading Bakery Systems (RBS), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of snack production systems, has named Phillip Stringer Director of the RBS Science and Innovation Center (S&IC).

Workforce is a hot topic in every industry, rivaling in importance to the spotlight being placed on supply chain and automation. What are the implications of the current state of the workforce? Who is implementing transformational workplace solutions? How are their teams responding? Bottom line, is it making a difference? On June 24th at BEMA Convention 2022, we heard from the following industry experts that are leading the way in people-focused workforce initiatives.

On Thursday, June 23, BEMA elected new members and renewed terms for current representatives on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Many thanks and much appreciation were also offered to Board members Mike Day, Banner Day; Dennis Gunnell, Formost Fuji Corporation; and Kurt Miller, J&K Ingredients that had completed their terms of service. Stay tuned to learn more about these impactful BEMA leaders and the legacy they have left in the baking industry.

If you’re still finding plenty of stories to tell about Convention 2022, you’re not alone. The beautiful and historic Hotel Del Coronado did not disappoint and neither did this year’s line-up. This was BEMA’s biggest convention to date, and it was incredible to have so many of you in-person this year.

There are few in the industry not wondering about what the future might hold. With a perspective looking forward, industry leaders Kerwin Brown, President and CEO of BEMA; Cordia Harrington, CEO of Crown Bakeries and ABA Chair; and Tim Cook, President and CEO of Linxis Group, 2021-2022 BEMA Board Chairman shared their thoughts and insights.

Convention 2022 attendees were the first to learn about BEMA’s newest meeting offering – NEXUS. The new event will take place September 25-28, 2023, at the Dallas Omni Convention Center.

On Friday, June 24, Convention 2022 brought together a panel of bakers to share their perspectives. The discussion included what’s keeping them up at night, silver linings coming out of the last two years, evolutions in company culture, expectations for IBIE and a look at future projections.