ceo blog

Over the last couple of years, the industry has faced incredible hurdles. The combination of inflationary challenges, labor shortages and increased raw material costs are ever-present.

Transformation is at the heart of the baking business. In fact, it’s what we do. Every facet of this industry is geared toward taking something (raw ingredients) and transforming it into something else (baked goods). Regardless of the specific nature of your involvement, you’re in the transformation business.

2023 is off to an incredible start. One theme I already see carrying over from last year is the expediency of what can happen when those in the industry come together for a common goal. By the time you read this, we’ll be just over 200 days away from NEXUS, powered by BEMA and ABA.

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that this year has flown by at an incredible pace. It’s as if we’ve either been in a mode of wondering what could be coming up next or pacing ourselves against the excitement of finally being able to move forward and make plans.

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.

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.

Get ready for BEMA Convention 2022! We are excited to have Stephanie Stuckey as our Keynote Speaker this year. We believe we’ve found that in this year’s keynote speaker, Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s. Stephanie’s story of personal reinvention and the revival of a business is a theme many of us can relate to.

Labor has always been a concern in the industry, and it will certainly be a hot topic at IBIE. While there’s been a lot of buzz about The Great Resignation, which centered around individuals primarily in the hospitality and service industries, the Great Reshuffle is revealing even bigger changes ahead.

Planning ahead is not something many of us have had the luxury of doing over the past couple of years. In fact, these days doing so can feel like an absolute extravagance.

As we enter March, this is the time to start building your marketing campaign for IBIE. The work done now will be key to building and strengthening associations between your business and IBIE and creating a base for lead generation for your company’s varied services, ingredients and equipment.