IBIE - 2019 Special Edition & Show Preview - 22

IBIE TIME CAPSULE

and spiral conveyors for proofing, cooling and freezing. Among the major advances in technology during
the 1970s were pneumatic pre-batching of ingredients,
satellite-style, multi-roller laminators and vacuum cooling for par-baked breads.
To better accommodate the accelerating pace of technological change, ABA and BEMA shortened the interval to every four years starting with the 1977 event. But
they had even bigger ambitions in mind; they decided
to move the 1981 Baking Expo to Las Vegas. Although
some thought this a risky choice, the new venue proved
well worth the gamble.

Changes and challenges
The timetable held to four years apart for the next five
shows: 1985, 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2001. That period
saw the rise of the information age and the introduction of full bakery computer-integrated manufacturing,
touch-screen equipment controls and computerized
master batching systems.
From an automation perspective, the 1980s saw
overtilt-bowl horizontal mixers, rotary bread dividers and gravity-controlled, stress-free dough handling.
The 1990s took a quantum leap with open-architecture
computer controls for processing lines, servo-driven
enhanced equipment, high-rise robotic fermentation
rooms, ultrasonic slicing techniques and low-stress systems for high-absorption, artisan doughs
To herald the new millennium, show organizers officially changed the event's name to the International Baking
Industry Exposition for the 2001 gathering. However, the
new century brought new challenges. Despite all the new
technology at the 2001 show, its biggest development did
not take place on the exhibition floor. Instead, national crisis brought IBIE to a standstill on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, a
day which nobody will ever forget.
As details of the largest attack on American soil rapid-

22 PreShow Guide IBIE 2019

ly unfolded, the IBIE committee shut down the meeting
when city authorities evacuated Las Vegas Convention
Center 90 minutes before the show was to open. The
9/11 attacks forced a three-day shutdown of air travel
worldwide, stranding 22,000 IBIE attendees and exhibitors in Las Vegas, while an estimated 2,500 others who
planned to come missed the show entirely.
When IBIE reopened for those who remained in Las

Throughout the decades, a
steady stream of invention
that's rooted in Old World
tradition and inspired by
ingenuity has redefined how
baked goods are made and go
to market on a global scale.
Vegas, show managers extended hours for its remaining
days. The historic day changed the country, and IBIE
was about to change as well.
IBIE's four-year schedule often led to overlaps with
bakery shows in Europe, notably iba in Germany. ABA
and BEMA reorganized their event to dovetail with that
three-year pattern and set the next date for 2004.

Bigger, better programs
With the move to Las Vegas came increasing demand
for more program content. Over the years, industry associations, including the Tortilla Industry Association
(TIA) and the Independent Bakers Association, scheduled their fall meetings to coincide with the burgeoning exposition, but attendees wanted more. Specifically,
they requested educational offerings open to the whole

IBIE - 2019 Special Edition & Show Preview

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