Members of BEMA and leading bakers can connect and network at its 2011 Winter Summit, Mar. 5-6. The conference will kick off the best week in baking at Chicago’s Marriott Downtown.


Members of BEMA, Overland Park, Kan., and leading bakers can connect and network at its 2011 Winter Summit, Mar. 5-6. The conference will kick off the best week in baking at Chicago’s Marriott Downtown.

Highlighting this year’s meeting will be Sunday morning’s educational session featuring a supermarket bakery panel, including Scott Young, director of manufacturing engineering and bakeshop services at Wegmans Food Markets, and Thierry Reunbrouck, regional merchant bakery operations at H-E-B.  Attendees will also hear the story of the French Pastry School of Chicago from its founder, Jacquy Pfifer.

An update on the BISSC/ANSI standard will also be part of Sunday’s educational session. Gale Prince and Associates, recently hired by the AIB, ABA and BEMA to lead the industry in revitalizing and promoting the BISSC/ANSI standard, will provide this update.

BEMA’s IBIE committee is presenting an IBIE Think Tank on Saturday to gather input on making the show the best it can be for exhibitors. The think tank will focus on four key areas of improvement and ask for member feedback on proposed solutions.

Butch Lumpkin will also address BEMA. Born with very short and less than functional arms, Lumpkin is now a golf (and tennis) pro with an incredible story. BEMA members are welcome to invite guests to the luncheon; guest tickets can be purchased when registering for Winter Summit at www.bema.org .

To register for the Winter Summit or for additional information, visit www.bema.org or contact the BEMA staff at 913-338-1300.