This year's International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) is home to a handful of baking competitions, including the Louis Lesaffre Cup, the World Chocolate Masters and the 10th Annual Pillsbury Baker's Plus Grand Champion Creative Decoration Competition.

The International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), along with the Bread Bakers Guild of America, Lesaffre International and Europain, will co-host the Louis Lesaffre Cup.

Eight teams of professional bakers will compete for three consecutive days, eight hours each, to qualify for the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, or the Bakery World Cup, which takes place at Europain in Paris.

To qualify, contestants must create a Viennese Pastry and an Artistic Piece, which involves a composition.

A jury of baking professionals from outside the United States will conduct the judging, and will rate scores based on weight and volume compliance, taste, appearance, originality, creativity, risk taking and time spend.

Meanwhile, IBIE 2010 will be the site of the World Chocolate Masters, in which chocolatiers, pastry chefs and chocolate professionals compete to advance to the World Chocolate Masters 2011.

Contestants must design a large chocolate showpiece, a chocolate pastry, two pralines and a gastronomic chocolate dessert. Each item will be judged on presentation, taste and technical application.

IBIE also will host the 10th Annual Pillsbury Baker’s Plus Grand Champion Creative Decoration Competition. Contestants will compete for three days in categories such as wedding cake, rolled fondant, sculpted, creative design and floral design.

Go to www.ibie2010.com to apply to any of these contests or to register to attend IBIE 2010, which takes place Sept. 26-29 in Las Vegas.