Iba 2015 returns to Munich, Germany, Sept. 11–17. The triennial event—the world’s leading trade fair for bakery, confectionery and snacks—will occupy 12 halls in Fairgound Messe München. Visitor and exhibitor figures are expected to be comparable to those of iba 2012, which featured 70,000 visitors from 164 countries and 1,255 exhibitors from 58 countries.

This year’s exhibitors will again showcase a wide range of products for bakers, confectioners, snack producers and other food industry professionals, including baking agents, raw materials and ingredients; baking and pastry making equipment and supplies; energy, ventilation and air conditioning technology; packaging solutions; par- and fully-baked products; pasta, pizza and tortilla production; snacks and snack food production; sales; and service.

In addition to reviewing products and services to help their businesses grow, iba visitors will have the opportunity to attend a variety of educational seminars, technical demonstrations and tours during the trade show. The 2nd iba-summit, the International Congress for the Baking Industry, will be held Sept. 11 at ICM Internationales Congress Center in Munich and feature seven presentations. Tickets are required.

For the first time ever, iba will offer customized exhibition tours for attendees interested in artisan bakery and confectionery. The 90- to 120-minute tours will feature 10 different stations and highlight services and solutions visitors can implement at their companies. The tours are free, but registration is required. Tours of bakeries in Munich and the surrounding region will also be offered again this year. They, too, are free, but early registration is required.

Attendees interested in snacks will find a new exhibit area this year called SnackTrendS (Hall B3), which will highlight the spectrum and potential of this market. The more than 250-square-meter space will focus on small meals, food spreads, sustainable packaging, proper staff training and more. Snack specialists will be on hand to answer questions and offer cost-free consultations. Attendees can also sign up for workshops at SnackTrendS and see how fresh snacks are made at the German Bakers’ Confederation exhibit.

Sept. 13—iba’s Day of the German Bakers—will feature a host of activities revolving around the baking profession. Attendees will be able to participate in guided exhibit tours designed especially for small and midsized craft enterprises, talk with baking experts, watch live demonstrations by baking experts and celebrities, and sit in on lectures.

No bakery industry show would be complete without a little healthy competition among its rising and veteran stars. Two international championships will be held at iba 2015—the iba UIBC CUP “Baker” and the iba UIBC Cup “Confectioners.”

Bakers from 12 nations will compete in the iba UIBC CUP “Baker” from Sept. 12–14. Each day, four two-baker teams will prepare different types of bread, small pastries, party pastries, Danish pastries and a baked showpiece that reflect this year’s theme, “circus.” An international jury will evaluate the competitors’ pieces, and the overall winner will be honored at Sept. 14 at 5:30 p.m. in Hall B3.

Two-person teams from South Korea, Taiwan, Norway and Germany will begin vying for the iba UIBC Cup “Confectioners”—which also has a circus theme—on Sept. 16. The teams must produce a decorative piece, three different petit fours, three different pralines, two figurines and a national specialty incorporating a cake by 1 p.m. on Sept. 17. The final products will be evaluated by a jury of experts, and the winner will be honored at 3 p.m. in Hall B3.

And no trip to Munich would be complete without a visit to an Oktoberfest. Attendees will be able to experience this iconic German celebration on the grounds of Fairgound Messe München, next to the east entrance of Hall B6, throughout iba.

 Iba 2015 is organized by GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. Supporting partners are the German Confectioners’ Confederation and the German Federation of Plant Bakeries. The German Bakers’ Confederation is honorary sponsor. For more information about the show, visit www.iba.de/en.